hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara. we begin in japan, where the way workers see the economy is showing signs of improvement for the first time in four months. that's in step with the gradual resumption of activity amid the coronavirus pandemic. the monthly economy watchers survey tracks the sentiment of more than 2,000 workers, such as shop clerks and taxi drivers. the index stood at 15.5 in may, up from an all-time low of 7.9 in april. figures improved particularly

among people in the retail and restaurant industries. many shops and venues were allowed to reopen after the nationwide state of emergency was lifted last month. among the latest business es to resume operations is universal studios japan in osaka. the theme park opened its doors monday to osaka residents holding annual passes. visitors are required to wear masks and undergo temperature checks. >> translator: i spent all of the past three months at home so i would be able to come here. >> starting next week, universal studios will lift entry restrictions on residents of five prefectures arounund osaka. people frorom outside of the region will have to wait a bit longer until they're allowed to visit. turning to the latest data on the pandemic in japan, officials have reported 18 new

cases so far on monday, bringing the nationwide total to 17,220. the death toll stands at 919. the japanese government boosted its plan for the pandemic. it is worth almost $291 billion. the allowance includes about $27 billion to develop drug treatments and pay bonuses to medical workers. $18.5 billion is allotted to subsidized rents for businesses that are suffering. another $4.1 billion will help firms pay some layoff benefits to employees. the package was submitted to the diet on monday. it includes $106 billion to strengthen companies' financial bases and to support programs for unsecured, interest-free

loans. >> translator: we are determined to protect people's employment and businesses, as well as their health and well-being. we are also preparing for the possibility of a second and third wave of infections. >> lawmakers are expected to approve the additional budget plan this week. commuters are heading back to tokyo train stations despite pleas from officials to work from home. that's led many riders to wonder how they can protect themselves from the coronavirus while riding the rails. here's nhk world's takamura with some tips. >> reporter: they are some of the busiest trains in the world. every day, people in tokyo pack the cars to and from work. standing shoulder to shoulder without giving it a second thought. but that was before the coronavirus changed everything.

>> translator: i try to avoid the morning rush. i put off my departure by an hour and a half. >> reporter: i look for a place near a window. >> translator: i keep my distance. i leave an empty seat between myself and others on the train. if i can't, i stand. >> reporter: ridership numbers dropped after the government declared a state o of emergency for tokyo. now, that lifted, and rail companies say rails are getting busiest. the largest rail procidsidvider it saw 35% more riders in the first work week in june compared to the week before. the cars are getting more crowded. it may be impossible to get an empty seat. we asked our expert what to do instead. >> translator: many people touch handles and straps on trains, so

they are likely contaminated by the virus, but it is dangerous to stand on a train without holding onto them, so the best option is to just wash your hands thoroughly after arriving at your destination. >> reporter: ventilation can help disperse virus-carrying dropoplets, but the expert s say that doesn't mean it's better to sit close toto an open window. one of the best ways to stay safe is to avoid crowds in the first place. and the good thing is, there's an app for that. this application from the east japan railway company shows the current location of all its trains. for its most popular rides, users can check on each car. a color-coded system gives a sense of how many people are on board. ranging from space to sit down to very crowded. and if you must get on a

jam-packed train car, the professor says remember three things -- wear a mask, don't talk if you don't have to, and when you get where you are going, wash your hands right away. >> translator: the key is weararing masks and d not havin unnecessary conversations while facing each other. it's impossible to bring the risk of infection down to zero, but it is still possible to lower it. >> reporter: as things look more and more like normal, the expert says it's important to stay vigilant to prevent a second wave of infection. takamumua keiichi, nhkhk world. ♪ there are now over 400,000 global coronavirus deaths, in part, due to surging cases in

brazil. the government there has faced a barrage of criticism by local media over how it's handled the virus. and on saturday, officials removed national data on the cumulative cases and deaths from public view. there are more than 670,000 confirmed cases in the south american country. densely populated slums have become a hot zone for infections. brazil has the world's second largest outbreak, following the united states. more than 35,000 people have died. instead of giving the total count of confirmed caseses and deaths, the health ministry published the number of recoveries. the ministry officials didn't disclose the reason for its changes. president bo the president claims some governors exaggerated the toll in hopes of getting a higher budget to deal with the crisis. he's dismissed the danger of the

pandemic and replaced health experts in the ministry. he argues steps to curb the virus are worsening the nation's economy. in the middle east, iran reported more than 3 rk,500 new cases, the highest total. the number overall exceed eed 170,000. president ro ha uhanii says is m has been working well and resumed activity while stepping up preventative measures. iran's economy had been hit hard due to u.s. sanctions banning exports of crude oil. iranians are divided over the move to keep reopening. >> translator: i'm not afraid of infection, so i want to carry on my business. >> translator: i understand that people need to earn money, but it's wrong to restart the economy unless the c cases de e

declcline. >> r reporter: a according to d compiled b by j johns hopkins university in the u.s., the total number of cases worldwide has topped 7 million. the global death toll is over 400,000. turning to indonesia, where businesses in jakarta are slowly reopening as the government eases lockdown restrictions. but employees are being welcomed back with stricter measures in place to prevent this virus from spreading. a japanese firm reopened its office on monday for the first time in about three months. less than half of its employees were allowed back to ensure they had at least one meter distance from each other. the president says staff safety is a top priority. >> translator: we'll be moving more of our operations online, because right now, it's difficult to meet. >> indonesia has reported more than 31,000 infections nationwide. the country also has the highest number of deaths in southeast

asia at over 1,850. protests against racism are continuing in the united states with demands for police reform. the mayor of new york has now suggested that defunding the police is on the table. >> i want to make a statement of principle right now, that based on the suggestions of the caucus, based on the work of the task force, that we will be moving funding from the nypd to youth initiatives and social services. >> activists staged another day of protests on sunday. the movement was sparked two weeks ago by the death of george floyd, an unarmed black man who was in minneapolis police custody. demonstrations were held across the nation, including new york, atlanta, and los angeles. they were mostly peaceful and appeared smaller in scale than those on saturday.

in washington, the words "defund the police" were written in large letters on the road to the white house. they joined the words "black lives matter," also written on the road. former minneapolis police officer derek chauvin has been charged with floyd's murder. he is scheduled to appear in court on monday. a tropical system is drifting over the southern united states, bringing life-threatening flooding and a risk of tornadoes. our meteorologist sayaka mori joins us now with the details. >> yes, yoshi. the eye of t tropical stormm cristobal hitit louisiaiana sun evening. before the landfall, there was a tornado in orlando.. this is s the footage of the twister.r. local mededia reported some dame to homes and blackouts. the tornado started as a waterspout over a lake and moved inland.

the wind speed reached 170 kilometers per hour. fortunately, no injuries havave been reported. there is still a concern for more isolated tornadoes across the gulf course. we have cristobal, a tropical depression, so it is on the weakening trend. it'll likely move to the north. the lower mississippi valley could see 380 millimeters. life-threatening flooding is possible in the south. the remnants of cristobal will head to the lower great lakes region on wednesday, then move across eastern places of canada, as well. ma areas will receive lots of heavy rainfall. during the weekend, another phenomenon called a derago h hi the west. heavy rainfall moving to the north. heavy rain andnd lotss of w wd damage weree r reported in area like north dakakota andnd also and colorado.. this is very rareor the weern areas. it is more common in the eastern

plains of the united states. temperatures are heating up in the south. 37 in houston with a chance for thunderstorms. it is nice and calm across the east. that's new york as well as washington, d.c., on your monday. a heat is building across portions of japan. we saw the high reaching nearly 36 degrees in parts of key yyus. in the south, lots of heavy rainfall, even record-breaking heavy rainfall has hit. 120 millimeters of rain fell in one hour. that's it for me. stay safe. ♪

♪ ♪ that's all for this hour on nhk "newsline."

i'm yoshi ogasawara in tokyo. thank you so much for joining us, and we'll have more for you soon. ♪ > welcome to "newsline in n depth." we come to you from the rooftop of nhk's headquarters in shihb a shibuya, tokyo. that lush greenery behind me, is yoyogi park, we have come out from our studios again to get a bird's eye view on the coronavirus pandemic and the world that comes after. in today's peek over the horizon, we have an exclusive interview with economist and thinker jacques sattali.

you may know him as the first president of the european bank of reconstruction and development. back in 2009, he already warned of the need to prepare for an unprecedented pandemic that would threaten the survival of individuals, companies and nations. in an interview with me in april, he warned again that ununless we decide to overhaul r economy anand reorient industri there's no way w we can move on. that sounds like a t tall order. but attali's tone was positive, a word he lives by. i have been fofollowing your bl and was struck by the consistent optimismsm, titles likee "cheer for life." think d d liveosositiv >> beingng optimisist is being spectator of a match and think that the probability is that your team will win. being positive means that you

are clear and a player of the match, and you think that you can winin the match if you play well. i think that mankind, japan, and france, and companies, and families can win the match and we do o the best thing f for oun security and globally for the best of takingn n to accouount the, what we learn from thatat, and ththenhangnging the ececono. i think thahat this s is a very gogood opportutunity to move t s what i call a positive e econom. which means, an economy ththat focusing on long-term and fofocusing on what i call the economy of life. life industries, whichch means indudustries l lked to what you are needing for life, whwhich i fofood, health, and educatationd culturure, informatioion, rese digital, and maybe forget some other sectors. i think we'll winin against the crisis. i don't know if we'll find drugs

or vaccines, but i think we win in some months. may takake two, three, four months. i don't know. it's a matter f for doctors to say. i donon't say that we will win the long term. we hee to reorient totallyly ou economy. inerioiod of warar, we a economy ofof war. we have compapanies that are are forced to moveve from producing cars to producing bombs and ailalanes. we need to do the same, not to go to produce momore bombsbs or weapons. it's to produce on the lolong-term, more ththings of ad thatat i just mentioioned. it's more equipment and health, and hospital, and housing, and health. hygiene, water, and good food and et cetera, et cetera. they need a huge conversion of a lot of industries. >> attali is positive, but he does not shy away from some ugly truths. the pandemic has exposed once

again the inequality of o our world, not just in terms of wealth, but in terms of health, as well. i want to mention disparity, lilike in asia, africa. there can be dramatic growths and pockets of poverty is visible. would it be right in saying that, thahat they are the one w are going through this pandemic with acutete pain? >> death is equal fofor all of anand then, , we see also aroune world, a lot of wealthy and supppposed to be well-prototted people which are targeteby this disease. but it's clear that poorest, who cannot afford to confine, because they have to go out to work simply to find food for their family, these people will

be much more infected by the virurus. ththat is certainty proven. and asas industry, we have seen that s since 20 centuries, pandemics s affect more e the p than the rich, even if in n the enend, rich are also reached.. >> that suggests that there's disparity y not only in termofo wealth, but in terms of health as well. >> always. i mean, if youou look at statisistics in, in lilife expectancy, and life expectancy of poor people, has always b be shorter than life expectancy of rich peoeople. exceptpt when rich p people use their r wealth to get t diabete eating too m much. >> some weeks after r that interview, cities around the world have gradually begun to ease coronavirus infections as

cases that are new have gone down. he warned that developing countrtries would suffer most and seems to be coming true. by the middle of may, africa had reached a grim milestone with more than 100,000 confirmrmed cases of covid-19. just when the world needs to come together to address the global pandemic, international divisions are widening. at the w.h.o. meeting, not only was u.s. president donald trump absent, washington threatened to put a hold on funds to the organization. accucusing it of favoring china and faililing to do its jojob. the finger pointing g and threa are distracting the world at a crucial time. experts say we need to brace for a s second and possibly third we of krocoronavirus infections. attali had this recent blog post, showing a cartoon bunny running off of the cliff. he asks if we are not like this

bunny that failed to realize that there's no ground left on under it's feet. his point is that few people realize the gravity of the economic fall-out wrought by covid-19, and he asks when are we going to wake up to the threat opposed to our future by another wave of pandemic infections? this is something else attali warned of in our april interview. he said that humans tend to look away from problems in the hope things will just go back to normal. instead of averting our eyinge instead of averting our eyingyee says we should be looking for opportunities. the history teaches us that humanity will significantly -- only when we are afraid. are we precisely at that point where we have to rethink the way we live e in order t to evolve? >> yes, absolutely. i hope we don't need fear.

i hope we don't neeeed catataste to ve, a and i don't wish that. i would prefer,, by m magic to the pandemic stopped now, than ananything else. but as it is now,w, we have to e it to help us move in a good direction of a an altruistic economy, altruruistic society, what i call a positive society, or empathy services. that is something we can learn. mankind isery light t in capacityty to ththink of the fu and we fororget very often. we are very often n able to fort anything that is creating problelems. we don't like to havdark sosouvenirs. we getidid of them, then we come back to ourur normamal life. i do hope that we will not have that kine of wed of weakness no.

>> you talk about empathy and altruism, what is meant by altruism, a time when people are panic buying supplies, countries clososing borders? someme may say, you sosound lik selflfless saint, if i may say . >> no, no, no, no. we neeeed -- altruism is ration, is a best t definition of ratiol selfishness. because w we need -- inn a a g cocountry, we need to be suree t others areot infected so we are not infected. we have an interest of seeing the other countries not infected. for instance, in japan, has a strong interest in the fact that china is working well in order to redevelop the economy. japan has s a strong interest i seeing the u.s. developing well. and getting out of a crisis, because of the interrelations

between u.s. and japan. japan has a strong interest in seeing eururope doioing well. morere tha anytything, japan i very welell i invested and connd momore than a any other country africaca. has s a stronong interest i in deveveloping t the capacitity of africa to o resist, bebecause long-term, ratioional, selelfis ininterest o of japan,o sesee t rest of the world doing well, in ordeder to d develop its own markets. >> so, would i be right in saying that the altruism is not sacrificing everything for the interest of others, but about the realization that protecting others is in our own interest too and in the interest of the family, community, country, and the humanity? >> absolutely. it's -- altruism is the most rational selfish behavior. >> in spite of the fact that you

have warned us many years back, as w well as other i intellectu that gave us the warning, why did we not all realize that the altruism would be the key? >> i hope it make us realizeze. i'm afraid that people will forget as soon a as the crisisi over. >> if they were gogoing to be e silver lining too this, what would i it be? >> well, it could be that, the declinine of deaeath rates arou the world. it could be e the good news of e vaccine or drurug that w works. that wouould be the g good thin that we have. >> and in terms of longer perspective view of the planet that we live, in terms of reinventing the life that we are leading? >> yeaeah, i thihink what would good, is if anany companies, governments, individuals, , wod bebegin to make decisions accocording to intert t of next generation. you know, family, you make

decisions taking into account the interest of your children. if you had some. we need all of us to take carar of the interesest of the next generation. that w would be the key. if everyone e was moving as a a parent, as consumer, a as saver alsoso with the money we have, r citizezens, to votote in favor next generation, that can be good. >> confronting the pandemic is of course, a matter of priority and naturally we focus on the here and now. but my interview with attali makes us realize that this health crisis is very y much abt our future and that caring for others means not just caring for thosose around us today. but ththose in f future generat as w well. sosohey can carry on where we left off. we have to learn our lessons well now. and use them to shape the post

pandemic world. that's it for today's ""newsline" in-depth." thank you for watching and see you again next time.

♪ protests against racism continue across america. minneapolis police department will be built from scratch. body arrived in houston ahead of tomorrow's burial. say it is too little, too late.