hello there, welcome to "newsline." it's 8:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. delegates at the nuclear security summit will issue a joint communique tuesday afternoon to call on each country to commit to the safe management of nuclear substances and urge for cooperation to retrieve those that are unaccounted. leaders of 53 nations and representatives from international organizations are

gathered in seoul for a second day. they will address the threat of nuclear terrorism such as preventing groups from getting their hands on nuclear materials. each country will report on how it controls such substances. the participants will talk about safety at nuclear power plants, in light of the accident last year at the fukushima daiichi plant in japan. they will call for reducing the production of highly enriched uranium which could be used to build nuclear weapons. on the sidelines of the summit, obama and medvedev agreed on monday to ask north korea to cancel a planned rocket launch. obama told reporters that the north's plan is a violation of a u.n. security council resolution. the leaders also discussed a u.s. plan to deploy a missile defense system in europe. medvedev said the two sides remain divided on the matter but they still have time to reach an agreement.

obama has said the u.s. is ready to negotiate a reduction in strategic nuclear weapons as well as short-ranged tactical missiles. japan's air defense command has moved to a u.s. air base in tokyo to strengthen collaboration between the forces. the command post will be in charge of carrying out any order to destroy debris from the rocket that north korea has announced it plans to launch. the air self-defense force's main command in tokyo was officially transferred to the u.s. yokota air base on monday. the command post which is next to the headquarters of the u.s. forces in japan is equipped with advanced communications equipment and large screens to display information gathered by japanese and u.s. radar systems.

>> translator: the main purpose of the relocation to the yokota base is to improve the effectiveness of traditional air defenses and to shield against ballistic missile strikes. i believe this has a very important role to play in providing security for japan. >> if the defense minister issues an order to intercept the north korean rocket or doe bree, the command post will assign the task to destroyers equipped with the aegis radar system and land paced pack three missile defense units. the operator of the fukushima daiichi power plant is finding decommissioning damaged reactors could be much harder than expected. spokespersons for tokyo electric power company say the water used to cool one of them is much shallower than they thought.

tepco workers inserted an industrial endoscope into the number two reactor. they performed a similar operation in january. this time they found the water was 60 centimeters deep. workers have been injecting nearly 9 tons of water per hour into the reactor. melted fuel fell to the bottom of the containment vessel and they need to cool it. the depth indicates water continues to leak into the reactor building through suppression chambers under the vessel. the spokespersons say the water is still cooling the fuel. the water temperature remains at around 48 degrees celsius. the workers may need to do more work than they had planned. they may have to repair the vessel so it can be filled with water to block radiation. tepco says about 80 liters of con tan nated water leaked into the sea near fukushima daiichi. the wanter contains radioactive

strantium. it took the workers 20 minutes to stop the leak. the firm estimates that 120 tons of water escaped. it says 80 heaters reached the ocean via a sewer system. tepco says it's building a safety barrier for the sewer but it's still under construction and was unable to stop the spill. a similar incident occurred at the plant last december. japan's nuclear network is running on empty. only one of the country's 54 reactors is operating right now. engineers have taken another reactor offline for regular maintenance. before reactors can go back online, they must pass new tests put in place following last year's accident at fukushima daiichi. tokyo electric power company engineers suspended reactor 6 at the kashiwazaki-kariwa plant monday. all 17 of tepco's reactors are

now offline, that includes the six units at fukushima daiichi, four of which are damaged. the plant provided electricity to tokyo and the surrounding area. none of the reactors suspended since the fukushima accident last march has restarted. the last active unit in japan is on the northern island of hokkaido. it's expected to go offline in early may. earlier nhk world told us about the importance of nuclear power in japan and the government's plan to deal with the idled reactors. >> before last year's accident at fukushima daiichi, 37 of 54 reactors were operating. they supplied about 30% of the electricity demand. after the fukushima accident, reactors that went offline for regular maintenance stayed offline. companies compensated by shifting to thermal energy, but there were concerns about a

shortfall, so the government asked businesses and households to conserve energy. >> translator: i didn't use air-conditioning last summer, so i'm not worried about this year. >> reporter: conservation proved effective, but manufacturers had to make a lot of adjustments to their schedule to save power. >> translator: blackouts are crucial issues for our business. we cannot let them happen. >> reporter: need to import more fossil fuels to run more thermal plants. they plan to raise electricity rates. the government estimated japan could face an energy shortage of around 9% this summer if it gets hot and if all reactors remain offline. the fukushima accident prompted the government to order extra safety tests for reactors that go offline for maintenance. these so-called stress tests are supposed to gauge how reactors

could withstand extreme events such as earthquakes and tsunamis. submitted results to japan's expert panel. if the results are approved, them it's up for the government. prime minister yoshihiko noda and three cabinet ministers are looking at the first two reactors to get a nod from nuclear authorities and experts. no noda and his ministers have the green light to restarting the units with local approval. most governors and mayors whose communities host nuclear plants have expressed an unwillingness to okay restarts following the pufukushima daiichi meltdowns. some are also skeptical because many are on a pre-fukushima standard. >> translator: we can't begin discussing whether to start the

ohi plant unless we come up with new standards based on what they learned from the fukushima accident. >> many are pressuring the government to fire up the reactors. people are watching how noda will strike a balance between big businesses and public opinion. now we go to bangkok to find out what's making headlines in the region. >> we start in afghanistan where the u.s. government has paid cash compensation to victims of a shooting spree by an american soldier earlier this month. an afghan official says the families received $50,000 for each person killed. nhk world has more. >> reporter: afghan president hamid karzai invited families of the victims to his office. he announced his intention to limit the activities of nato-led forces.

meanwhile, the taliban is calling on afghans to retaliate against the u.s. forces. the militant group is apparently trying to strengthen its influence, while fanning anti-u.s. sentiment. the shooting took part earlier this month in kandahar province. a local government official says compensation was paid to families of the victims on saturday. the families involved are said to be $50,000 for each person killed and $11,000 for the wounded. u.s. officials confirm to nhk that compensation has been paid. it reflected the devastating nature of the incident. the incident stoked further

anti-u.s. sentiment, extending a series of scandals by u.s. service members including the burning of copies of the koran. payment of compensation was seemingly designed to prevent any further fallout. however, voices are mounting in afghanistan against the u.s. military. some have questioned whether the lingering presence of u.s. forces is making afghanistan less, not more, stable. nhk world. last year's floods in thailand delivered a severe blow to global manufacturers operating in the country. among them, japanese automakers were especially hit hard. on monday, honda motor resumed production becoming the final japanese car maker to get back on its feet. nhk world has more. >> reporter: after six months of closing, honda thailand re-opens

today. many workers are coming to work from early morning. last autumn's floods inundated this honda plant forcing it to suspend production. around 6,000 employees were seen reporting to work on monday. that's the same number of workers employed at this factory before the floods. >> translator: i'm very glad to work here again. i'm grateful to the company for keeping me employed. >> translator: i will work harder than before so that i can help make up for the production lost during the suspension. >> reporter: the resumption of the honda plant means that all the japanese automakers operating in thailand have returned to normal production. for japanese carmakers, factories in thailand are

cornerstones of the strategies to expand in asia. the firms are rushing to minimize damage from possible future floods. honda is planning to build another factory elsewhere in thailand. nhk world. the thai government is scrambling to implement anti-flood measures before the rainy season arrives, but some observers are concerned that the measures may n be sufficient if this year's rains are anything like those experienced in 2011. next, to myanmar, where there's about one week left before landmark by-elections. the government is trying to reassure the global community that voting will be free and fair. it has even accepted election monitors from the united states and asean, but opposition candidates headed by pro democracy leader aung san suu kyi still faces hurdles in some

key locations. nhk world reports. >> reporter: the place is packed with 10,000 people. they've come to listen to aung san suu kyi, the country's pro democracy icon. she has visited towns and villages during the election campaign. >> translator: i'm so happy because we've been freed from the 20-year oppression of the military government. >> reporter: this month aung san suu kyi gave her first campaign speech. >> translator: our top three priorities are rule by law, reconciliation of the people, and constitutional reform. >> reporter: the election campaign appears to be going smoothly, but things are different in the country's capital. the city's under the strong

influence of the president. government officials and their families are set to account for more than two-thirds of the eligible voters. aung san suu kyi's national league for democracy has put up two first-time candidates in this. but the candidaearlier this mon candidates told the media they were facing ballot charges. >> translator: in my constituency, nld posters have been torn up. >> reporter: this 44-year-old is one of the candidates. the activist had been arrested twice. she was pardoned and released from prison in january. she says it's difficult to even find a place to hold a meeting. >> translator: the election board doesn't give us permission to use the soccer fields. >> reporter: min finally obtained the authority's

approval and held a residents meeting, but attendance of 100 people, much less than expect ld. she thinks many people he is tate to join the opposition party gatherings because they fear retaliation by the ruling party. some supporters s-- >> translator: seven families of nld supporters have had their electricity cut off. >> reporter: she thinks the important thing is to encourage people to freely make their own voting decision. this month she made a poster showing aung san suu kyi and president singh and put up copies in her constituent, hoping to show they're on the same page in promoting democracy and ease people's fears about

voting. >> translator: all we can do is try to remove fear from the voters' minds. i hope they follow their hearts when they cast their ballots. >> reporter: the government is eager to convince the world that the election will be free and fair, but aung san suu kyi's popularity appears to be a source of concern for the officials. the election is likely to offer some clues as to where myanmar's democratization is heading. nhk world. >> that wraps up our bulletin in bangkok. japanese engineers are looking toward the moon 40 years after the u.s. "apollo" space program came to an end. they want to explore its surface. the key could lie with robots.

>> reporter: for a robot, it's a long way from the sand dunes to the surface of the moon. recent tests represent a first small step toward that goal. the japan aerospace exploration agency has been working with universities and private sectors to develop seven prototype lunar explorers. >> translator: all these robots have potential. i'm confident they will uncover new information for us about the moon. >> reporter: the aim of the "apollo" space program was to put a man on the moon. this was how the last u.s. astronaut expressed their homes for the future.

40 years later, the reasons for returning to the moon are rather different. >> the countdown has started for a space mission unlike anything ever attempted. >> reporter: the internet giant, google, has joined with the lunar foundation in offering $20,000 for the first nongovernmental team to land and operate an explorer on the moon by 2015. china has embarked on its own moon mission and so has india. they have their eyes on the mineral resources. studies indicate there are rich reserves of minerals on the moon including iron and titanium. the key to japan's lunar program lies in robotics. the plan is to build an unmanned base by 2020 at the earliest, so

that robots can start exploring. however, the robots will operate in an environment totally different from earth's. to simulate the moon's surface of rock and fine sand, the initial tests were done on similar terrain. the sand dunes of hamamatsu. this robot has four tracks which operate independently. even if one of them hits a rock, the others allow it to get over the obstacle. the primary aim of the exploration is water. the japanese lunar orbiter has identified a number of craters where water might be found. besides being used for drinking, water can also be broken down to release oxygen. discovering water would make

long-term exploration far more feasible. this robot was developed by the tokyo institute of technology. it has flexible tires that don't sink into the sand. even if it slips and tips over, it can right itself. this will be an advantage in climbing steep craters. >> translator: there are many technical hurdles to overcome, but it will be possible if japan's robot engineers can achieve their visions. >> reporter: can mankind return to the moon? the answer may hinge on japan's technological expertise. now, for the market figures.

it's another sunny morning here in tokyo. rachel ferguson joins us now with the world weather forecast. so, rachel, how's it looking today? >> hi, catherine. well, it is a little bit sunny here in tokyo. that's fine. and, in fact, the snow we were seeing yesterday toward the north of japan has cleared out, however, still quite chilly and lots of places across western and central japan will be waking up to frost. it was a little bit chilly coming in this morning, i can

tell you that. however, things are clearing up, as i said, to the north. it's not going to be snow today. but this little low is going to move across, developing over the sea of japan and bringing thunder gusts and rain to the western coast. as we head out toward the continent, still looking dry and fine for much of eastern china here, but see showers developing. they're going to be turning over from snow to rain as they hit the warmer temperatures here. and this rain will be intensifying over the next couple of days. things are start to dissipate across indochina into the next 24 hours. more heavy rain will be taking aim at the central philippines. some places in last 24 hours have had 100 millimeters of rain. that's quite significant. if that continues into the next 24 hours, which it is likely to do, then, of course, we will see the higher risk for land slides as well as flooding. temperatures are going to be continuing to be fairly warm across much of central and even northern china as well. beijing seeing 20 degrees. this isn't going to last,

though. some cooler air is going to spill down from the north and bring your high down to just around 10 degrees on friday. and, in fact, we'll be seeing rain turning over to snow toward the north of china. 13 degrees in tokyo. a bit of an improvement. into wednesday, we'll see a few degrees added on to that high. as we head into north america, another western storm is going to be bringing yet more wind and rain to the pacific northwest. we have a couple of lows across the u.s./canada border here. more severe weather with that. it's going it to turn over to freezing rain in canada and significant freezing rain until it turns over to snow farther north. parts of the central plains missing out on that precipitation, what they are getting is lots of strong wind coming up. it's going to be very warm here as well. that spells fire weather. so your tonight, your monday into tuesday, will see still a potential for fires to break out. critical and extreme fire weather warnings have been

posted. as we head out toward the east, temperatures are going to be cooling down even further in toward the northeast. 3 degrees in toronto. 9 in new york city. however, you've added about 10 degrees on to your high in chicago ahead of a system coming in. 19 forecast for your tuesday high. 27 meanwhile in oklahoma city. staying warm in denver, too. a little bit chilly, though, in seattle and also vancouver. both at 11 degrees today. all right. as we head on into europe, once again, that very strong jet stream is going to move up to the north and encompassing much of the continent here. the precipitation is going to be relegated toward the north. parts of norway, particularly the western coast getting the rain as well as the snow and strong gusts. finland, you'll also see another low here. that's going to plummet straight down toward the black sea on the other side of the jet stream there. it's bringing cooler air with it. we'll see coastal rain and inland snow for parts of turkey. temperatures continuing to fall

over the next couple of days. many of you, though, across the continent experiencing summer-like weather if not springlike weather. 18 degrees in london. some places in scotland seeing the low 20s over the past couple days. 19 in vienna. 18 in berlin. you can't complain with that. 10 degrees, though, in ankara. that's a drop of almost 10 degrees from your monday. moscow still just hovering around the freezing point. here's your extended forecast.

our lead story this hour. delegates at the nuclear security summit will issue a joint communique tuesday afternoon to call on each country to commit to the safe management of nuclear substances and urge for cooperation to retrieve those that are unaccounted. leaders of 53 nations and representatives from international organizations are gathered in seoul for a second day. they will address the threat of nuclear terrorism such as preventing groups from getting their hands on nuclear materials. each country will report on how it controls such substances. the participants will talk about safety at nuclear power plants, in light of the accident last year at the fukushima daiichi plant in japan. they will call for reducing the production of highly enriched uranium which could be used to build nuclear weapons.

that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com