glad to have you on this edition of "newsline." it's 8:00 in tokyo. the ministers of the international atomic energy agency member countries have agreed to set up a new international framework to cooperate in the event of an emergency at a nuclear power plant. more than 900 participants were in vienna on monday.

the ministers attended the first day of conference, which consisted of a plenar asplenary working session. the participants unanimously adopted a ministerial declaration. they agreed that the iaea will send experts to review the safety of nuclear power plants on a regular basis. at the beginning of the conference the director general advised japan to ensure the absolute independence of its nuclear regulatory bodies. he said the agency pointed out four years ago that japan's regulator, the nuclear and industrial safety agency, should be separate from other organizations, but the country has not done so. japan's economic minister is at the meeting. epts to implement the safety recommendation as soon as possible. earlier we spoke to nhk world's

junko. >> safety is the main agenda at the meeting. how serious is the japanese government about nuclear safety? >> we're at the earliest stages of the crisis, information provided by the japanese government was sometimes too late or confusing, especially when the government failed to inform neighboring countries such as south korea, china and russia about the release of contaminated water into the pacific ocean. these countries expressed strong concerns. also, the government has yet to get a clear picture of what's going on inside the reactors and the reactors are far from being stabilized. it it wants to show the world its commitment to information sclo disclosure and better communication. >> what are representatives going to discuss during the meeting? >> stherp establithey were esta promote use of energy. in recent years it's known better for its activities to prevent nuclear proliferation.

now promotes safety will be one of the its most important tasks. >> agree on standards is one thing, but implementing them is another. what issues divide the member countries? >> there is basic agreement on the need to raise safety standards, but emerging countries that have just started a nuclear project are concerned that new rules would raise the cost of building reactors. the iaea has safety standards for nuclear facilities, emergency response measures and so on. member states incorporate these standards in the domestic laws at their own discretion, but there is no obligation to do so. countries are divided on whether they should become legally binding or not. how to strengthen the international monitoring system is another issue. the iaea sends a group of experts to review the regulatory system and emergency preparedness only if requested by a country.

this is called a peer review. some countries think the peer review process should be managed, but other countries oppose the idea. in many countries the nuclear industry started out as military project, so one goal of these talks is to start bridging the gaps. it is part of a lengthy process of establishing a comprehensive safety framework for the post-fukushima era. >> thank you for your report, junko. tokyo electric power company hopes to resume the decontamination process at fukuima daiichi nuclear power plant as early as tuesday. the water treatment system stopped functions only five hours after its start last friday as high levels of radiation were detected around the instruments used for absorbing radioactive materials. the utility said the water's radiation levels were much higher than expected. on monday tepco conducted tests

on different absorbents and concluded that it needs to change them more frequently. it also found that the amount of contaminated water flowing through the system should be varied depending on radiation levels. the unexpected problems arise because the treatment system has never been used with such radioactive water. >> translator: the system has been proven to decontaminate water, and it will be successful. it is true that there have been problems, but we will do our best to solve them. >> the resumption of the water treatment system is urgent, as facilities to store contaminated water at the fukushima plant will reach capacity within a few days. meanwhile, tepco continues to reinforce a spent fuel pool at the number four reactor. the walls supporting the pool

were heavily damaged from the hydrogen blast on march 15th. the pool contains 1,535 spent fuel rods. the weak structure makes it vulnerable to future earthquakes. on monday tepco completed one stage of the reinforcement which began late last month. 32 iron pillars were installed under the pool on the second floor of the reactor building. each pillar is 8 meters tall and weighs 40 tons. the utility plans to wrap the pillars in concrete by the end of next month. it will then install the same circulatory cooling system used for the spent fuel pool at the number two reactor. at the number four reactor kep toe found want explosion damaged the water pipes. the pipes are integral parts of the cooling system. the temperature of the pool remains high at around 86 degrees celsius. the government is conducting an experiment by planting rice in an evacuation zone near the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant.

an ago kult tural research center planted it. the government asked residents it to evacuate the area and halt agricultural activities. an average of 10,000 becquerels of cesium per kilogram of soil had been found in tests up to 15 centimeters below ground. after the most contaminated topsoil was removed, the figure fell to an average of 2600 becquerels per kilogram. the government will harvest the rice in october and test it for radioactive contamination. "newsline's" new segment nuclear watch kicks off this wednesday. every thursday night at 8:00 and 11:00 and friday mornings at 8:00 japan time. a policy bill on the rebuilding of northeastern areas struck by the march 11th

earthquake and tsunami has passed the diet. the bill passed the upper house on monday with support from the governing democratic party and the opposition liberal democratic party along with approval from members of a number of other parties. the legislation lays out tenets for the establishment of a government body to oversee reconstruction and authorize special bond issues to funds the rebuilding. it designated the disaster-hit region as a special zone eligible for preferential treatment. in addition the bill requires the establishment of a government reconstruction task force and the appointment of a minister responsible for the rebuilding efforts. the legislation means that the government can begin a full-scale reconstruction effort. specific measures are yet to be worked out. the government of prime minister kan was forced to make compromises with the opposition to achieve passage of the bill in the divided legislature. earlier we spoke to nhk world's

political commentator about it. >> what is the significance of this legislation? >> japan has lacked basic policies on reconstructing devastated areas. the new legislation means that especially government entities can handle the entire reconstruction process. and it qualifies measures to fund the effort. the kan administration will receive recommendations and then be able to implement the necessary measures. >> but local residents and governments seem to be concerned about the new legislation won't be sufficiently comprehensive. >> that's right. the administration tried to present a plan for what prime minister kan calls creative reconstruction rather than simply restoring affected regions to their pre-quake conditions. he wanted to revive japan by creating a society in which people are given new hope by sharing wisdom and enthusiasm.

however, local residents say a noble aim is not what they need now. instead, they want to see more specific measures to reconstruct the devastated regions and end the nuclear crisis. >> and there's also opposition within the diet against this legislation. >> that's right. some lawmakers say the new bill might lead to tax increases in the future to fund want reconstruction effort. they're concerned that special bonds issued to fund rebuilding efforts will be financed by a hike in the consumption tax. those politicians insist the government is trying to use this opportunity to increase the consumption tax rate without first doing enough to cut wasteful government spending. >> and people are also voicing criticism that the passage of this bill took too long. >> that's right. it's been three months since the disaster. you know, after the kobe

earthquake in 1995, similar legislation was enacted in just a month. the government has come up with excuses to avoid responsibility this time. it says this disaster was bigger, and that the diet is divided. but the one certain thing is that prime minister kan did not display leadership. the bill passed at a time when he has come under increased pressure to resign amid growing criticism from the opposition and his own democratic party over his handling of the disaster. and the fukushima nuclear accident. while kan has finally announced his intention to resign, but he's still trying to cling to his post for power. political turmoil could further disrupt the entire reconstruction effort. >> thank you very much. in other news, the japanese

government has upgraded its assessment of the economy for the first time in four months. the government says in its economic report for june that production and exports are improving due to the ongoing recovery in part supply chains. it also notes that personal spending is leveling off. as a result the report says the economy is showing what it calls upward movements, though it still faces difficulties due to the devastating march disaster. this compares with the may report that pointed to signs of weakness. unemployment, the latest report says the job market remains severe and revised its assessment down. after a meeting of cabinet ministers in charge of economic affairs, economy and fiscal policy minister told this to reporters. >> translator: as production activities recover, we expect the economy to improve. but we have to be careful about downside risks from a slowdown in the global economic recovery.

as well as electricity shortages and the effects of the recent nuclear plant accident. thais will head to the polls in july. in bangkok we have the story on the political background leading up to the general election. >> reporter: hello from the thai capital and the first of our three special live reports on the issues shaping modern thailand. today we're discussing about the upcoming general elections. its result is certain to create a major impact in the direction of the country. i'm here in bangkok's main shopping district, and over here there's a big shopping mall. it's actually one of southeast asia's largest shop malls and houses various brands. it is also a symbol of thailand's economic growth. last year this area right here, as well as the road over there, was the site of deadly clashes between anti-government

protestors and thai security forces. thousands of so-called red shirts occupied the road and surrounding eas, and they were mostly from low-income families and supported the former prime minister. he was ousted in a coup in 2006, and he now lives in self-imposed exile. he's a billionaire but promoted policies that favor the poor. the ten-week anti-government protest was broken up by security forces. 90 people were killed and about 1,900 others were injured. more than a year later, a department store was burned down in an arson attack after the crackdown, and it's still being rebuilt today. it similymbolizes the wounds fr the protests. with this division unresolved, the country will hold a general election on july 3rd. the ruling democratic party led

by the prime minister is being challenged by the opposition for the thai party. she's the 43-year-old sister of him. r dramatic late entry into the election caught everyone off guard. our reporter has the story. >> reporter: she's the sister of the former prime minister. she has no political experience, but she emerged suddenly as a candidate to become prime minister. >> translator: i will follow the line of form er prime minister taxin. please give me the chance. >> reporter: she was a clone of

her brother. she has gained the upper hand in the election using that publicity. at the same time of pledging to help the thai society, she ail louse the recount of her brother living inexile. the incumbent prime minister is trying to turn the situation around. he took his campaign all the way to tenma, paxin's main town and support base. he's appealing for support from the middle class but also low-income households. visiting a market and making sweets with locals, he tried to counter criticism that british-born upper class prime minister cannot understand the lives of ordinary people.

>> the sfons have been very good. i think what's important is we respect the wishes of the people, move the country forward and beyond the old issues of conflicts and taxing. >> reporter: despite aggressive campaigning from both sides, some people remain undecided. according to one poll, nearly 1 in 3 voters still hasn't chosen who they plan to support. this couple landed in the suburb of bangkok. they worry that political instability is harming the economy. their number one concern is the rising cost of flour and other ingredients. prices have gone up nearly 30% in the past year alone. >> translator: we are seriously tired and bored of political confusion and instability. what we want is for politicians

to just do their jobs. if reconciliation can be achieved and bring peace to the society, i think the economy will recover, too. >> reporter: independent voters hold the key to the election. people are watching carefully for signs about which direction they will take this divided nation. nhk world, bangkok. according to a recent poll, 52% of the respondents favor the thailand party and the rest favor of democratic party. they say it could trigger violence. voting will take place on july 3rd. we will, of course, bring you regular updates at the situation developing. tomorrow in our second day of special reports, we will discuss some of the changes affecting thai society as a result of

nation's rapid modernization. that wraps up our report from bangkok. the syrian presint says he will continue to take a tough stance against protesters, but it willing it resume reforms through dialogue with the people. >> he matd the remarks at damascus university on the dam monday. he accused of demonstrators of exploiting syrians to bring down the government. the president said his administration must eradicate such a germ through society. he also hopes to create a committee to study a constitutional reform and possibly granting amnesty to political prisoners. there have been growing anti-government rallies in syria. some 1400 syrians are believed

to have died as the government used tanks and helicopters because of the unrest. more than 3,000 have escaped to neighboring turkey. the u.n. security council is working on a joint resolution. the united nations says the number of people forced to flee their homes to escape war or op pregnancy has risen to the highest level in 15 years. they released the latest report on june 20th to coincide with world refugee day. the unhdr report says 43.7 million people were displaced worldwide in 2010. that's an increase of 400,000 from a year earlier. it includes 15.4 million who fled their home countries. it found that afghanistan accounted for the largest number of refugees. 3 million people have fled the country as the taliban continues to gain strength.

1.68 million people escaped from iraq, and 770,000 from somalia. the number of refugees may be higher this year if libya is taken into account. the annual report says that many of the refugees are taking shelter in some of the poorest nations where relief supplies and services are limited. the head of the unhcr antonio gutierrez says developing countries cannot bear the burden aloevenlt he requested more cooperation from the international community. japan has regained its crown as maker of the world's fastest computer for the first time in seven years. the computer k took first play in the top 500 list at the international supercomputing conference in hamburg, germany on monday. the company is a joint project between japan's sfat-backed research institute and computer maker fujitsu. >> translator: i am very pleased that japan's supercomputer has

been recognized at the world's fastest, leading others by a wide margin. this recognition is proof that japan's industrial technology is still strong. >> the computer's name comes from the chinese chakt kay, which means fen graudrillion. under development it has carried t computing operations per second. that's more than three time fast ers th er that the fastest computer. they plan to put k into full operations in november next year. and for you take a look at the market figures.

welcome to your weather update. now we're taking a look at the weather across asia and the southeast. lots of tropical activity to watch out for. we have two tropical depressions now in the pacific, and they're also already bringing plenty of showers to areas like the philippines, taiwan, as well as southern china. it is going to continue to be looking wet over the next few days. china will also contend with two lows here that are coming in from the west, and they will both be bringing showers.

it looks like it could intensify a little more in parts of mongolia and northeast china today. now, for japan, too, that seasonal rain front remains plenty active. we see more showers across a lot of the country, even into northern czechians. it will include the quake-effected hours. really showers continued to widespread with thundershowery, some stormier weather in the south. more showers are coming your way. flood risk remains very, very high. highs for tuesday, 28 in tokyo, to steamier than yesterday, and it's hot for seoul, 30 degrees here. 34 for beijing. now, over towards the americas and mexico, southern mexico, that is, looking at this tropical storm beatrice coming on. likely it will be a hurricane within the next couple of hours as it it hits that along the

coastal area. warnings have been issued, and you want to watch out for strengthening winds, large rains and hech rain fall over the next couple of days. heavy showers, as much as 300 millimeters is possible near the core of the system. behind it is plenty of heavier showers will impact much of the southern coast of mexico. there's a lot of moisture coming in with this storm system. now, across the americas this low is going to be the focus of activity tonight. heavy rain and some severe weather is going to be possible. it could trirg some strong storms, so you want to watch out for that and keep a close eye oyour local watches and warnings. stays hot down in the south. 34 is the high, but chicago heats up to 32 degrees. it's getting warm here, new york hitting the upper 20s on tuesday. as we look at europe, well lots of rain is still found here in the northern end of scandinavian peninsula as well as parts of

western russia. a new low is coming in from the atlantic so showers will soldier go across. chances are it could identify fi near southern france. as for it was it looks hot in the american peninsula, mainly madrid, 35 is the high on tuesday. very warm conditions, and we're still looking at temperatures in the 30s over the next few days. we have 37 for vienna and 26 degrees in kiev. that's your weather conditions for now, and i will leave you with your three-day outlook.

and that wraps up this edition of "newsline." thanks for joining us.