welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo with the stories at this hour. the u.s. federal reserve has vowed to help markets function smoothly amid the coronavirus pandemic. the fed released a statement saying it will purchase treasury securities and mortgage banked securities. this is in addition to hundreds of billions of dollars pledged on march 15th. earlier this month, the fed slashed interest rates to near

zero but market uncertainty still growing as financial institutions horde the u.s. dollar. the latest move is seen as an attempt to prevent something on the scale of the 2008 global financial crisis. meanwhile, finance ministers and central bankers from the group of 20 countries discussed the pandemic during an emergency conference call on monday. >> translator: g-20 members have an extremely important role to play. we're determined the take all possible measures without hesitation to overcome this situation. >> he told reporters the development of coronavirus medicines will be the key to overcomie ining the crisis. he said nations should implement sufficient economic and fiscal measures. he stressed the g-20 members

should support countries with poor medical services. he says this can be done if the members cooperate with organizations such as the international monetary fund and the world bank. the finance minister says leaders of the g-20 plan to hold a conference call as early as this week. the international olympic committee is looking at the possibility of post poning the world's biggest sporting event due to the pandemic. the president says he is confident there will be a final decision within four weeks. in the message, he said he wants to fullfill the wishes of athletetes, and internrnational federatitions from all five cocontinents. he describes everyone as going through a dark tunnel, adding ththat thehe olympic flame is t light at the end of the tunnel. and a group founded by olympians says four weeks is not soon enough. they say the ioc and paralimpic move to delay a move on postponing is irresponsible, unacsoeptable and once again

ignores the rights of athletes. the committees of canada and australia say if the games go aheaead as schcheduled, the committee spoke after the announcement. >> translator: we're going to tatackle the issues one by one. that's why it will require so much time. at the same time, really need to push ahead with this. >> shinzo abe is preparing for a conference call. he plans to ask the ioc to make a decision on how the games should be handled as quickly as possible. the japanese government plans to ask that the ioc promptly begin

work on a new schedule if the games are delays. following the announcement, organizers plan to scale back the torch relay, which is toads kick off later this week. the domestic leg of the relay will begin on thursday in fukushima. the area devastated by the nume leer disasters. nhk has learned that organizers have decided t to hold a kick o event on the d day butut behind closed doors to prevent t the spread of the coronavirus. they are al considering using a lantern instead of a torch to care theflame across japan until it arrives at the main stadium fofor the opening g of the game julyly 24th. ororganizers will reconsiderer status of the relay after the ioc makes its final decision on the games.

turning to europe, italy has registered more than 650 deaths in one day, bringing fatalities to 5,400. the government is strengthening its lockdown measures in an attempmpt to stem the outbreak. the country also repororted abo 5,500 new infections, bringing the total to more than 59,000. the italian government ordered all businesses not producing essential goods and services to close as a way to keep more people off the streets. as of monday, more than 2,100 people have died in spain. infections have surpassed 33,000. spanish prime minister pedro sanchez is seeking to extend the current state of emergency until april 11th. people's movements will continue to be restricted. the government is converting a conference center in the capital madrid into a makeshift hospital with more than 5,000 beds to

meet the surging demand. german chancellor angela merkel went into self-quarantine after the doctor who vaccinated her against pneumonia on friday tested positive. a government spokesperson says merkel will carry out her duties from home. it's been two months since china put coronavirus-stricken wuhan under lockdown and health authorities say the spread of the illness is slowing. they reported no new cases in wuhan's hubei province for the fifth h day in a row.. still the government is not expected t to lift restrictionsn the residents any time soon. thousands s of patients are bei treateted at rapidly constructe hospitals. during the peak of the outbreak, thousands of new cases were confirmed every day. but local media reports sugggge the government is beginning to ease the strict measures. in areas where no new infections have been confirmed for more than 14 days, one e person per household is reportedly being

permitted to leave their home to shop. we spoke to one wuhan resident who says he's concerned the government isn't giving people the full picture. >> translator: they say new infections are at zero, but the authorities' announcement is unnatural. they're trying to avoid a confirmed case as much as possible. i feel the number does not reflect the actual situation. everyone is skeptical. chinese authorities have reported over 81,000 infections on the mainland. but a new report from a hong kong media outlet suggests the country is not including tens of thousands of asymptomatic cases. the "south china morning p post says leaked government data suggests more than 43,000 so-called silent carriers had tested positive for the virus as of the end of february. the hong kong government says all tourists arriving at its airport will be denied entry and it is considering suspending the sale of alcohol in the city. chief executive carrie lam

announced this on monday. >> traranslator: we are going t further prevent imported cases. hong kong will try to stop the transmission chain coming from overseas. >> she says all non-hong kong residents arriving from other places by plane will not be allowed in. hong kong residents and people from mainland china, macao, and taiwan, are not subject to the entry ban if they have not traveled overseas for the past 14 days. the measures will last for 14 days starting on wednesday. lam also said it will require 8,600 restaurants, bars, and clubs to suspend the sale of alcohol as part of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. >> translator: people take off their facemasks when they drink alcohol at bars and elsewhere and often talk closely with nearby people.

>> the hong kong government has so far confirmed 356 infections. it has also received reports of people testing positive after visiting entertainment districts. countries in the asia-pacific region have shut down many nonessential services in a bid to contain the coronavirus. australia forced the mass closure of theaters, gyms, clubs, and many other businesses. just before the order came into effect, some customers visited an old city pub in sydney to enjoy their last sip of beer. >> a bit of a shock and very sad. the traditional things that auaussies have a quiet drink afr work. >> the tough new measure comes after the number of cases top 1,700 nationwide. the prime minister says it could take six months for australia to get baback to o normal. in thailand, the goverernme

hahas shut its land borderitith neighborining cotries. leing up to o thclososure, tenen of t thousandsds of ople gathere at bangkok bus stations hoping to cross the border. many of them are migrant workers who have been left without jobs as commercial venues in and around bangkok shut down. only essential businesses remain open. the number of confirmed cases in thailand surpassed 700 on monday, five times the figure from last week. more cases are being reported outside the capital. bangkok's governor has urged residents to stay home and avoid traveling to other parts of the country. in singapore, authorities have begun banning all tourists from entering or passing through the country. they say the measure is necessary because nearly 80% of newly confirmed cases came from abroad. singapore airlines says it will ground almost all aircraft until the end of april. as the economies of southeast asia surged forward,

laos is lagging behind. the country is set out to develop the local i.t. industry to help propel it into the future. nhk world looks at how things are starting to change. >> reporter: in the capital, the global information technology boom is catching hold. over the past ten years, the percentage of internet usage in the country has grown 15 fold. local businesses are increasingly taking advantage of the change. offering online for delivery services and digital payments. this woman runs an i.t. firm that spied a unique opportunity. offering ride hailing services aimed at tourists from abroad. and ex pat residents. >> it turned out the tourists, ex pat people and the people

that came to laos. they need this service. >> reporter: when people take three wheelers, they usually negotiate fees with drivers but many foreign nationals aren't used to the custom and end up paying much higher rates. that's where the ride hailing app comes in. people enter their destinations and the fees are set automatically. the service is becoming popular among people from overseas. the company also plans to target domestic uses who see haggling as a hassle. >> in five or ten years they might be able to afford and d tt we have soon to introduce more services that the domestic

people can use. >> reporter: but one big problem is the shortage of skilled workers in the industry. the country has had to depend on foreign firms to fill the gap. the government is now trying to change that. it's been holding seminars e evy month to equip engineers with the latest i.t. skills with the help of an expert from india. government employees and teachers are among those taking part. ththey share what theyey have learned with younger generations. >> translator: the country will lose a lot of opportunities if it fails to be a player in the age of digitalization anand globalization. the government needs to hurry up and develop the resources the

industry needs. >> reporter: officials hope their efforts will give the local i.t. industry the resources it needs to keep up with changing times. nhk world. here's a quick look at the world weather. i'm ross mihara in tokyo. and that's all we have for now on nhk "newsline."

thanks for being with us. welcome to "newsline" in depth. nine days ago in 2011, major earthquakes occurred on opposite sides of the world devastating communities in two countries. new zealand and japan. those affected are still working to overcome their grief and deep sense of loss by setting up programs to help others as we see in our two stories today.

when the massive earthquake and tsunami hit japan in 2011, one of those who died was 24-year-old taylor anderson. she had been in japan for two and a half years living her dream of becoming an english teacher. since her death, her parents have made frequent visits to japan. they have also set up a foundation to support children whose lives are still affected by the disaster. in our first story, we look at the impact the fund has had on one student in the region. >> hello. >> jean and andy anderson live in the state of virginia. nine years after the tragedy, they still keep their daughter's ashes at home. this way, they say they can feel her nearby. >> inn h here --

>> we just never thought about burying her or anything. i don't think she'd want that. >> wing thought when we died, like the first one of us who died, we'll put her with us. >> taylor and eerson was teachi english to school children in one of the cities hit hardest by the tsunami. she had told her parents that her dream was to act as a bridge between japan and the u.s. when andy flew to japan to bring taylor's ashes home, he was struck by the kindness of people there. >> they'd been through obviously a horrendous event but they were very concerned about you know a tayl taylor, what had happened to taylor and her family.

we knew she would want to help them in she was still live and there, she would be trying to help so we felt like we should fill that role and started the fund to basically help students family's and schools recover. i'd really like to try one. >> recently, the couple received a letter and some photos from one of the former recipients of the scholarship from their fund. >> currently, i'm working cake shop. happy to be able to make sweets. thank you for a lot of support. please take care of yourselves. >> that's nice. >> good for her. >> she was born and raise d whee taylor had lived. on that fateful day, giant

tsunami waves surged up this river engulfing everything in its way. the water destroyed her house and killed her mother. >> translator: humans are so powerless. so many of us live on earth but we couldn't do anything to protect ours ourselves from nature. ♪ >> her mother kyoko was good at making cakes. as a young girl, she dreamt of becoming a professional baker. taylor's memorial fund helped that dream come true. the fund has been providing scholarships at this vocational school to students from families struggling financially. they learn skills that can help them get a job. such as making con tech nair fek

nairs or working in the hotel business. the scholarship enabled her to finish a two year course. she vividly remembers the anderson's visit to the school. >> translator: when they visited our school, andy said you lost your mother. it must have been hard. i knew we had similar experiences. i felt like crying. but they also gave me a warm feeling inside. >> she is making a living as a confectioner, but now, she has a bigger dream. to becomome a counselor helping children deal with traumatic experiences. >> translator: i know the stress of losing a parent. it's hard for children who go

through trauma to express themselves. i hope i can advice them on how to deal with that. i want them to know they are not alone. this is why i'm now studying psychology. >> taylor's legacy also lives on here at her al ma mater. randolph may con college. students interest in japan has grown extensively following taylor's tragedy. >> the college has since expanded its japanese language and culture programs. >> more than 200 students and faculty members have visited japan on exchange student programs.

the exchange has been suspended for now. a visit to japan planned for this month had to be canceled due to the global coronavirus outbreaks. >> i'm sad. i really have faith we'll be still able to go. >> it's worked both ways for us the last nine years. japanese people helpp eed l lif spspirits when we've v visited all t their kindness. and friendship. so we hope we can rereturn the favor. >> this is the secretary that gene and andy planted on campus. it now has plenty of cherry blossom buds waiting for warm spring days to fully bloom just like the ones taylor saw in japan. nhk world, virginia. >> besides the scholarship program, the taylor anderson memorial fund has been

presenting schools and kindergartens in the city with english bobooks, especialllly o that taylor used to love. the so-called taylor libraries have become very popular with the local children. the foundation has also been arrange iing summer exchange programs for high school students. taylor's dream was to become a bridge between the two countries by inspiring students and bringing them choser together this way the foundation is now accomplishing that goal. now the city of christchurch in new zealand's south island is located in an area of great seismic activity. an earthquake in february of 2011 caused massive damage to the city, especially to structure already weakened by a quake the priest year. many buildings in the city's

center collapse d and many residential areas s were hit by widespread land elevation. because it was unfeasible economically to rebuild infrastructure, more than 8,000 households were relocated to other locations. areas that were once much loved b neighborhoods were left empty. but these patches of waste land are now starting to be used more productively as we see in our second report. former residential areas that have been unoccupied for years, spaces like this are not an uncommon site in christchurch. >> i expect them to be more reconstruction after such a long period. >> but sochl this land has found second life as community gardens. residents now plan vegetables

and fruit in a community garden. beth rouse used to live in the neighborhood. >> i'm shocked more than anything really to see what happened there. >> the foundation of her home was seriously darnlged during the earthquake. the government ordered many people in the area to move out. for years, the neighborhood was filled with open spaces, rouse says the emptyness was a constant reminder of what they. >> community of people is something that's very hard to replace. there was quite a lot of unhappiness. >> on this day, rouse visited the land where her house used to be. it has been transformed into a community garden. her friends had plant eed flowe and trees. >> all wanted that sense of community connection after the earthquake. >> now the garden is a place for people to gather and enjoy each other's company and many people come to take part of even just drop by. >> it's really lovely.

>> it's great to get the community together. isn't it? yes. >> rouse now lives 30 minutes away. she says it's wonderful to come back andnd see how the place whe she used to live looks like now. >> far better than a big piece of green grass and that people are using it as way to keep up social interactions. yes. i'm very pleased with that. very, very happy. >> community gardens are bringing back a sense of belonging to the area while also adding a bit of green. nhk world, christchurch. there's now a network of community gardens in christchurch. the new zealand government recognizes the role these spaces play in helping to regenerate the city and is supporting them by making the land available for rent at low cost. besides providing food in the event of an emergency, these spaces create a sense of community through the

participant's daily ber actions and enhance the city's resilience to any future disaster. both the taylor libraries an the garden we just saw will always be a reminder of the painful loss, but they also honor and celebrate life and that must be a solace for the survivors as they continue to go through the process of healing and recovery. to close this program, we leave you with footage from chiba p prefecture. now spring is bringing new life and the poppy flowers here remind us of nature's resilience. that's it for today's "newsline" in depth. thank you for watching and see you u again next time.

>> for this evening i must give the british people a very simple instruction. you must stay home. >> britain's prime minister orders are three-week partial lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus. >> that is why -- ♪ >> you are watching "al jazeera" live from lodon. -- london. have died ineople spain taking the death toll to more than 2000. there are popositive signs from italy. >> it is time to put -- on lockdown and focus on the