Tracked down his biological sister after 50 years of searching. Good morning and welcome to Al Jazeera America. Im stephanie sy. Im del walters. Its been three years since the president talked about his asian promise. He made good to shore up diplomatic and economic ties, he arrived in japan for the first leg of a week long tour of asia. He will make stops in south korea, malaysia and philippines. The president reiterated plans to reassert the u. S. As a pacific nation, saying our strategy is a long term commitment to this region and its people and im proud of our progress so far. The president who wont visit china pledged to build a relationship with the country saying it would not come at the expense of japan or any other ally. First stop, japan where rising nationalism has raised alarms. A high stakes dispute between japan and china over a set of remote islands threatens to become a live fire conflict. What could degenerate rather rapidly through a mistake or miscalculation in the conflict between japan and china but because of our alliance with japan, we would in effect be on chinas side. Next, south korea forces serve as a trip wire against invasion. Despite the rise of a new leader, kim jongun, the erratic pattern of con frontation continues. China is its close effort ally. Critics say the Obama Administration has lost focus. Unfortunately at this point, discussion and engagement is now seen as reward. We need to get over that here in the United States. North korea needs to remain high on the priority list because it has nuclear weapons. Its developing its longrange missile capability. Mr. Obama arrives sunday in malaysia when chinese criticism about flight flee 70 remains in beijing as the u. S. Helps in the search for the missing plane. Some of the more accuse atory statements tends to make chinas neighbors more desirous of a strong u. S. Presence. I think we have to respond to that. Last stop, the fill teens. Locked in a bitter dispute with china, this one over another set of islands, parts of which are claimed by six nations to chinas south. Theyve got problems with many of their neighbors and everywhere theyve got problems, they find the u. S. Cultivating new friends. I think they see this as a fundamentally constraining attempt. As china continues to broaden power and influence, the president s trip carries a clear message. This is about showing the american presence, about reassurance and this is about letting china know that we are deeply committed in the region and letting them know that chinas neighbors want us there. The president s mission, to tip the scales in his rebalance to asia and at each stop along the way, arising chain new looms large. Not everyone is excited about the president s trip to asia. Protestors in the philippine clashing with riot police and trying to break into the u. S. Embass. They say a security pact the president is set to sign could open the door to increased use of military bases there. We believe its a done deal, the signing of the agreement is very eminent and once anyone, the filipinos will be getting the shorter end of the stick. It is going to be very disadvantageous. It reinforces and increases foreign troops. Its like a second u. S. Military occupation or pourarrization of the country. Troops were evicted in 1991, but u. S. Forces had been allowed to return for limited operations over the past decade. All four countries the president is going to visit are dealing with natural disasters, japan a massive earthquake in 2011 that triggered that powerful tsunami and nuclear meltdown. Typhoon haiyan killed 6,000 in philippines. Malaysia coping with the disappearance of the missing flight 370 and the ferry sinking. He viewed the devastation caused by a mud slide in oso. He recalled a letter he got from a firefighter there. I have to say that the families that i met with showed incredible strength and grace through unimaginable pain and difficulty. Uniformly, though, they all wanted to thank the First Responders. They were deeply appreciative of the efforts that everybody has made, and i know that many of the First Responders have heard that directly, but it doesnt hurt to repeat that were very appreciative of what youve done. At least 41 people were killed when the landslide buried dozens of homes. Two people are still missing. Hundreds of american troops are headed to Eastern Europe because of the simmering situation in ukraine. The pentagon is sending 600 soldiers, 150 of them already arriving in poland. It is in response to what the u. S. Is calling the russian aggression. Ukraines interim government ordered another operation when the first failed to remove protestors in buildings. Two bodies were found brutally tortured by pro Russian Forces in eastern ukraine. One plane was hit by gunfire flying over a city in the hands of pro russian accept are a activities. We are joined by phone from donetsk in eastern ukraine. What can you tell us about those american troops headed to the region . Some of them have just arrived today in poland, now the whole exercise will last about a month. They will be in poland. Also on monday, more will be deployed in the Baltic States. I think that certainly theres a double message here coming out of the pentagon, the first one towards russia, but also the second one towards the 40 Eastern European country. The u. S. Wants to show that it will not let them alone and to stand by its Eastern European allies at such a moment not only ukraine but all the neighboring countries are quite worried about the future. The interim president ordered operations against pro Russian Forces in the east. Has that begun yet . Well, theres no sign of it so far. Im actually near in donetsk in front of this big Administration Building that has been seized by these pro russian protestors. Nothing is really happening on the ground. I think it is a very Difficult Mission for the government. Last week, it had tried it was lets call a failed start to the Anti Terrorism operation by the acting president. One reason is that the Ukrainian Army is not willing to shoot on ukrainian nationals. Thank you very much. The founder of russias largest social media site said it is under the control of president putin. The c. E. O. Has been fired, now it is under the control of russias richest man. On tuesday, the u. S. Base vice news confirmed one of its reporters are being held by a pro Russian Group in ukraine. Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 decides appeared a month ago. Some families are now filing suit against bowing, which manufactured the 777. For the second day in a row, a Tropical Cyclone forced authorities to call off the air search for the flight 370. Police in australia are investigating reports of objects that have washed ashore. There is no confirmation that the debris has anything to do with the missing plane. The white house is condemning the massacre of civilians in sudan, saying it shocked the conscious. 400 people died in a mosque last week. Bodies were in the town which was seized by rebels, the Obama Administration calling that violence an domination and betrayal of trust. Fighting has forced millions of people from their homes. Police and protestors clashed in Rio De Janeiro over the death of a well known professional dancer. Streets were shut down in a slum near copacabana, a large crowd set fire to trash and fire, one person killed in the fray. They are angry over the death of a dancer when they say police mistook him for a drug trafficker. The government has been crocking down on crime to make the city safer for the upcoming word cup. In peru, thousands of teachers marched through the streets demanding better pay and working conditions, scuffling with riot police. Tuesdays work stoppage was supposed to last 24 hours. Union leaders will consider an indefinite strike if demands are not met. The safe kerry protection act, critics called the Guns Everywhere bill allows licensed gun owners to carry firearms in schools and government buildings. Some say it is the most extreme gun bill in america. Here in the state of georgia, the new sweeping gun law signed into proclamation allows anyone with an open carry permit to carry guns across the state. If a Police Officer sees someone walking down the street with a loaded gun, they are not able to ask that person if they have a permit. That creating a situation that a lot of people are wondering what is the point of having a permit then. Also, churches now allowed to have loaded guns in them, except each place of worship will have the right to decide whether to allow the loaded guns, the carried weapons inside of their churches. Here in downtown atlanta, the historic marti Martin Luther kig site, the head of this church has his own opinions. This is clearly politicians doing the bidding of the gun lobbying, and i would argue not even the bidding of most gun owners. When pastors say we get to the point where we say now its time to pass the peace, this is not what we had in mind. This is a terrible idea. The National Rifle association said this is the most pro gun bill in recent states history. Here at the Busiest Airport in the world in atlanta, if you have this permit, you can actually walk into the airport with a loaded weapon as long as you dont get too close to Security Check points. If you do get too close with your loaded gun, youre not going to be arrested, just be given a fine. I believe in the Second Amendment and although there may be some concerns with weapons in the airport, i believe that, you know, as an american, you have the right to protect yourself at all times, so personally, i dont have an issue with it. At schools across the state, if youre a pins pal, a janitor, a cook. As long as youre given permission to carry the loaded weapon in the school, youre. Licensed holders will be able to take their weapons into any state or local government building, also bars and restaurants. Its up to each restaurant and bar that serves alcohol to make their own decision as to whether they allow someone with an armed weapon inside their establishment. When that law takes effect in july, georgia will become the ninth state to loosen regulations. A deadly explosion at a fertilizer warehouse in texas accounted have been prevented according to a new report finding a lack of safety oversight and regulations contributed to the accident. 15 people were killed 70 miles south of dallas. Sixty tons of Ammonium Nitrate exploded after a fire broke out at the warehouse. County officials did not have an Emergency Response plan in place and were unaware of the potential hazards at the warehouse. Sherpa guides are leaving mount every rest, saying they wont climb to honor their 16 colleagues killed in last weeks avalanche. They were asking for more pay and a welfare fund. The government agreed to set up a fund for sherpas killed or injured but it falls short of what the sherpas want. The bodies are 13 have been recovered. The death toll from last weeks ferry subsequent in south korea stands at 150. Divers have been pulling bodies from the sunken ship. 150 victims are still not recovered. The diverrers will get help. A robot seen here in a video posted on social media is about the size of a smart car, can crawl along the sea floor and is equipped with cameras and sonar. Victims families are starting to bury the dead. Its a community thats been crushed by grief. At a makeshift memorial in a local sports complex, there was a steady procession of mourners. The majority of the dead and missing are students from the same local high school. If you know release of one of the few occasions in south korea where people are expected to express their feelings. It has been an emotionally draining week and with so many bodies yet to be recovered, scenes like this are set to be repeated for days if not weeks to come. Many hope the area will recover after losing so many of its young people. First it needs to recover from the sadness and the students also need to recover and be able to go back to their schools again. The operation to retrieve the bodies is gathering pace, helped in part by better weather. The sinking of the ferry exactly one week ago was an anniversary that seemed to pass unnoticenotn jindo where hopes are dashed in wave after wave of awful news. The family of this 16yearold can now at least mourn their beloved daughter. I spoke to her mother saturday when she still wanted to believe that her daughter would make it. She was near to embarking on a year of exams. Her family is now left to reflect on the lost dreams and ambitions. She was very good at design, so we thought she would work as an architect. We wanted to support her in that. The funeral is taking place in the memorial room of a local hospital, where the family of her close friend were also gathering. This 16yearold loved music and had wanted to become a composer. The character of both lives conveyed by some of their most precious possessions, reminders of children now lost forever. Adrien brown, aljazeera. Authorities in south korea have arrested four more crew members. 11 members are now defind, including the ships captain. Some are calling it a victory for voters. Others say its a blow for equal rights. The Supreme Court decision on affirmative action and the affect it could have on College Students nationwide. Glitter, of all things, falling off of a protest banner leads to bio terrorism charges. Why two environmental activists say theyre the victims of corporate greed. 47 billion is todays big number. What it has to do with the future of botox. R todays big number is 47 billion. Thats how much canadas involved pharmaceutical ever offered for botox maker allergen. If approved, it would make one of the five biggest Drug Companies in the world. Both companies profited from eye care and skin care products, reporting 6. 3 billion in sales last year. Revenues of 5. 8 billion were reported in 2013. Major shakeup happening in the pharmaceutical industry. A Supreme Court ruling that is fueling a debate on race. Lets get our first look at temperatures across the nation today with meteorologist Nicole Mitchell. Its been milder recently, people have appreciated that. Continuing out this morning, well see the midsection of the country were going to have that warm air. Weve had more active weather into the northwest, so that is an area thats been a little cooler for us. What we have is the head of a frontal system, kind of that flow out of the south. Thats also going to help fuel the risk for severe storms today. Ill have more on what that risk area is coming up. You can see that is going to keep things juicy in the midsection of the country. North dakota into the 60s, that change is on the backside of the front. Ill have more on that moving cold front in a bit. The Supreme Court upholding michigans ban on college admissions, expected to have widespread implications across the country. This ruling does not directly address affirmative action as it does states rights to amend their constitution rewarding this issue. Thats exactly right, but it is reigniting the overall conversation about the controversial topic. In this case, the Supreme Court voted 62, the justs said no matter what fairliative action may accomplish voters in the individual states have the right to end it. Michigan had affirmative action until voters approved the ban. It amended the state constitution to prohibit the pref rennes, saying the people should get the last word. The high courts political fairness was praised. The citizens overwhelmingly voted in 2006 to require equal treatment in admission to our outstanding colleges and universities. Opponents are still celebrating especially jennifer grass, who sued the university of michigan in the 1990s over its affirmative action plan. Its victory for quality. We live in a time where a black attorney general and president make claims that people are being discriminated against or prevented from positions in auniversity or a job at a hospital or Public Employment project, something that no longer makes sense. Some groups say it is still needed. Segregation and racial inequality exists in house be, employment and schools. So that is something that must be addressed. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote it should not be beyond the voters. Eight states have banned amplative action, starting with california years its create ago new era of racism, a new jim crow. The justice said the amendment rigged the political system against minorities, saying while the constitution does not guarantee minority groups victory in the political process, it does guarantee them meaningful actions to that process. The ban has already been in place for eight years. How has it affected minority enrollment up to this point . Since the bans been in effect, we know that black and hispanic enrollment into public universities have dropped by a third. You have many michigan colleges trying to recruit minorities. They say two things are certain in life, death and taxes, but for some i. R. S. Employees, it appears only death is certain. Some i. R. S. Workers received bonuses and time off despite disciplinary issues and not paying taxes. The report alleges from 2010 to 2012, 2800 i. R. S. Workers with conduct problems received nearly 3 million in bonuses and over 27,000 hours in time off. The report found more than 1100 employees who didnt pay federal taxes received more than a Million Dollars in bonuses and over 10,000 hours time off over that same period. The agency has since revamped its bonus policy. Brazil authorities passed an internet bill of rights guaranteeing on line privacy and allowing freedom of expression. It pr