xx xxxx. . hello and great to have you with us. from our studio in tokyo, this is nhk "newsline." coronavirus crash. stocks tumbled tuesday, as prices continue to slide due to the pandemic. new york stocks closed at a low once again after negative plunge. the dow jones industrial average

closed down 2.7% from monday's close. investors rushed to sell off, for the second consecutive day, on fears of an economic downturn, sparked by shrinking demand for oil. thee wti contract crashed below zero, as oil traders ran out of storage for may deliveries. itit fell to minus $37, at one point, on monday.y. the collapse is spilling into june futures contracts,s, which se fell briefly to $6 a barrel. market sources say future prices for june could, also, enter negative territory, due to the oversupply, and an increasing lack of storage. lockdown. lockdown shut down the new york. whatever you call it, many new yorkers have spent one month inside to protect themselves from the coronavirus. and, when they look out, many do not recognize their city. nhk world's katherine kobayashi reports.

>> the city that never sleeps has gone into a slumber. a month ago, new yorkers saw businesses shut down, schools close, people disappear from the streets. the predicament has forced some toto reframe how they see their days. >> our calculus of good, our definition of good, has changed here. good is, now, not terrible. >> many healthcare workers have seen their hospitals overwhelmed. not enough masks, not enough ventilators, not enough equipment to protect many of their patients or themselves. during one stretch, more than 700 people were dyingng every d. in all, more than 14,000 have died. the governor has extended the lockdown until may 15, and resisted calls to reopen the economy. more than 1 million people have filed for unemployment benefits. on top of their jobs, many have lost hope.

some have turned to school cafeterias, now converted into souch kitchen soup kitchens, just to get a meal. the governor pointed to some trying days in new york's past. 9/11, superstotorm sandy. he says pressure brings out the worstt in people, and the best. >> at a time of crisis, you get a little snapshot of their character and of their foundation. it's, also, true of the collective. it's, also, true of society. >> reporter: new yorkers lean out of their windows every evening in a show of that collective.. they raise their voices and blow their h horns. a symphony for essential workers and themselves. catherine kobayashi, nhk world new york. >> worldwide, data compiled by a u.s. university showed that the number of confirmed infections has topped 2.5 million. johns hopkins university says the death toll has now exceeded

174,000. the united states has the most fatalities, at over 42,000. in japan, prime minister abe shinzo declared a state of emergency for tokyo and six other prefectures, two weeks ago, and expanded the declaration to the entire country last week. since then, the number of p peoe venturing outside has dropped. however, the number of confirmed cases is rising across the country. japanese health authorities said, on tuesday, 20 more people died from the virus. that brings the total death toll to 296, including 13 from the diamond princess cruise ship, which was quarantined near tokyo

in february. the total number of confirmed cases in japan has exceeded 11,500. more than 700 other cases have been linked to the -- to the ship. japanese police say 11 people whose deaths were deemed unnatural over the past month have tested positive for the coronavirus. the development raises concerns the actual number of cases in the country could be higher than what's being reported. officials say the deaths occurred across five prefectures, including tokyo. one man, in his 60s, was found lying on the street in the capital. an expert says similar situations are playing out in other parts of the world where testing is not widely avaiailab. >> translator: i think the situation explains that the number of infection cases alone is not enough to determine the spread of the virus. >> tsukamoto stressesed the nee

fofor people to have easier accs to testing. as the coronavirus pandemic has led to a shortage of face masks, many people are trying to make their own. but the results are not always practical or attractive. in northeastern japan, a secondhand clothing dealer has come up with a solution that is easy on the eye and the environment. >> the shop is part of secondhand clothing chain that operates outlets in and outside japan. the business is built on eco friendly premises and strives to keep to a minimum. producing masks from used clothes. the idea is people who cannot get their hands on a face mask can make one themselves. staff assemble the kits using material from secondhand shirts and dresses. they're all made from natural fabrics, like cotton and linen.

each contains two pieces of cloth, elastic bands, and pattern paper. sewing these patterns together, you can make yourself a mask in about 20 minutes. the kit makers look for bright colors and patterns. maybe you won't see it, but they say t they want the peoplee weag their masks to be smiling. >> translator: we are not able to find face masks anywhere. our mask kits can meet the demand. it's one of the ways to make people feel at e ease. >> the mask kit project was inspired by the company's own experience during the great east japan earthquake and tsunami. the disaster forced the company to close some shops in the devastated area. despite that, staff are still busy handling garments. people from across japan sent in clothes and shoes for disaster victims. the donated items often came

with letters, filled with warm and supportive comments from the senders. >> translator: we were cheered up by comments, like, i hope this helps you. we'll support you for a rapid recovery. hang in there. tomorrow will come. let's do it together. >> staff say they have never forgotten that outpouring of support. and the mask project is a way they can show their gratitude. staff have assembled more than 8,500 mask kits, so far. the shop offers them, free of charge, to all customers. people who want to order them online only have to pay the shipping cost. >> translator: i like there are so many colors to choose from, and it seems like fun to make my own mask. >> reporter: the clothing chain now wants to expand the project

by recruiting volunteers. supplying masks, they say, has uncovered a new way to strengthen community bonds. >> the international olympic committee has amended a statement on extra costs related to the postponement of the tokyo games. this comes after the japanese government denied comments attributed to prime minister abe shinzo. in the initial statement, on monday, the ioc wrote japan agreed to covering the cost of postponing the games, as the existing agreement for 2020. both the japanese government and the tokyo organizing committee reacted to the statement. they said abe and ioc president, thomas bach, had not discussed additional tal additional costs in their phone talks on march 24th.

they requested that the comment be deleted. the ioc later revised the statement. it, now, says the japanese government stands ready to fulfill its responsibility for hosting the games. it adds, the ioc, the japanese government, and the tokyo 2020 organizing committee, will continue to assess and discuss the impact of the postponement. the games have been rescheduled to open on july 23rd, next year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. a japanese government panel has estimated a tsunami over 20 meters could hit the coast of the nation's northern prefectures if a mega quake were to occur along trenches off the pacific coast. the warning was based on a worst-case scenario. it looked into the possible scale of a mega quake around the trench, whihich extends frorom islands to hokkaido. the panel estimates a quake along this trench would h have magnitude of 9.3, with massive

tremors hitting parts of hokkaido. eastern hokkaido would see tsunami more than 20 meters high. waves could reach 27.9 meters. the panel also looked into a part of the japan trench, which lies in the pacific ocean off eastern japan. a quake in the northern part of the trench could have a magnitude of 9.1. and some areas could see even bigger waves than the ones that hit in 2011, as high as 29.7 meters in iwate prefecture. if a mega quake occurs, it could trigger a tsunami as high as 13.7 meters in fukushima. that's higher than the 11-meter seawall, which is being built at the crippled fukushima-daiichi nuclear plant. the cabinet office, also, plans to assess the extent of damage, and draw up disaster-control measures by the end of march, next year.

now, moving on to world weather. strong winds and rough seas are expected across parts of asia. our meteorologist joins us now. what else can we expect today? >> hi there. yes, there are some strong winds and, also, expected from the northeast and parts of china right through south korea, moving all the way into the northern part of japan. and this could lead to unstable weather conditions, and also possibilities of dangers along the coastal part. so, please, do take care there. some stronger winds associated with the pressure systems that are up into the northern part of asia are going to cause those possibilities and those conditions to continue all the way into thursday. in fact, in south korea, they are there are already advisories and warnings of possibilities of high waves as high as 70 kilometer per hour wind speeds, and waves going much higher are expected in certain parts. much towards the south, and just below the high pressure system we see along central china, we will be seeing a lot of rainfall

here. up to 65 millimeters of rainfall is expected in the province and also much of the southern part of china. so, please, do take care and look out for flooding when you can. temperature wise, it's going to be much cooler in certain places. 17 towards beijing. and then 13 for chonching. bangkok, into the upper 30s. even in japan, some temperatures will be even up to eight degrees below average. so cooler conditions expected there. osaka, expect 15. tokyo will be around 20 degrees. and then, once again, cooler conditions are expected late on into april for most parts of the northern regions of the united states. what do you all need to look out for, though, is possibilities of tornados, damaging winds, and large hail, in certain parts of the south. as the season is not in full swing, a swing and it's leading to dangerous conditions, particularly toward oklahoma and

oklahoma city. so listen to all the forecasts and make sure you are prepared at all times. otherwise, hot weather per sibtsibtpersists for much of the west. in miami, temperatures reached higher than normal. but, for today, expect 32 and cooler weather towards atlanta. that is all for the weather. have a great day. ♪ ♪

that's all for this hour. thank you for staying with us on nhk "newsline." welcome to "newsline in depth." today, we feature two stories concerning our earth's precious, natural resources and sustainability. it's a little-known fact, but sand, after air and water, is the third most consumed resource on the planet. sand and gravel, literally, build the foundation of our economies. finding applications in diverse sectors from construction to

electronics. now, with over exploitation, supplies are running low, and countries, including japan, are scrambling to obtain the material. our first story follows one kyushu businessman. >> kyushu in southwestern japan are an important source of country's sand. >> translator: that's where the sand is. >> but it's getting harder and harder to find sand suitable for concrete. the government has limited where it can be extracted due to environmental concernings. concerns. the amount of sea sand retrieved has decreased 80% compared to japan's peak.

>> translator: with natural disasters and reconstruction work becoming more common, it will be a major blow if we loso our sea sand supupply. >> a growing number of firms are now importing the material, including this local trading company. its president has been scouring asia for new sources of supply. >> hello? >> but he has been struggling to keep up with demand. >> translator: there is a global sand shortage. people are fighting to get their hands on it. it's a sand war. >> usa is facing a major

company. the firm's main product is sand. it's essential for production of tap water. with supplies tightenining, usa shows h his client a sample. >> this is it. >> translator: the shape is nice. it's almost round. >> the grain size of the sample is just right for water filtering. it's a ray of hope for u usa's clieient. the company has been increasingly worried about its supply. >> translator: it's scary to think about a future in which we're unable to get the material we need.

>> usa and his client visit a sand producer. >> i am determined to bring back sand to japan. i hope to secure about 8,000 tons. >> they head to malaysia's largest river, which is the country's biggest extraction site. moununtains of sanand for use i concrete are piled up along the riverbank. sand a day. usa and his client want to check the operation. >> the quality is good. the sand has been washed, so it's quite clean. >> they check the machine but

its mesh screen is too large to filter out the right sized material. usa asks the site's representative if that can be changed. >> would it be possible to use a mesh with three-millimeters holes? >> well, it's kind of a hassle to separate sand like that. if you can buy 500,000 tons, then okay. b but 10,000 tons just isn't enough. who are you exporting to? >> mostly customers in china. we send the country between 300,000 and 500,000 tons a month. >> china used to be a sand exporter. but it stopped in 2007 as its domestic construction increased, along with its appetite for

sand. the country now uses economic might to consume supply from all over the world. >> it would be impossible for a boat like this to dock in japan. it really demonstrates the scale of things in china. >> usa gives up on the site. but not on securing sand from malaysia. he manages to find another survivor. this local mining company wants to develop i its sand-extractio techniques by working with japanese firms. >> we're looooking for partnerse can cooperate with on a long-term basis. >> japan is an advanced nation, and it would be ideal if we could gain its technical support. >> the two companies are able to find common ground, and will begin exporting sand to japan within a few months.

>> i'm glad we were able to meet. i'm going to do all i can to secure stable sources of supply, at the best price, for my clients. >>wi >> as we've seen, demand for useable sand is skyrocketing. the u.n. reports that 50 billion tons of sand and gravel are used around the world, every year, for not just cement but, also, for treating beach erosion, creating artificial islands, and land reclamation. a u.n. panel expert has said sand is not infinite. so the implementation of sand-management measures, as well as the cracking down on illegal mining, may not be sufficient to protect reserves. currently, recycled plastic, soil, bamboo, wood, and straw, are being explored as

alternative building materials. and recycled plastics are being targeted for road building. the time is n now for the globa community to treat s sand for wt it is. a resource as vital as b biodiversity and clean air. our last story is about a business that is, not only reusing waste but, uppsyching. its high-eupcycling. >> home to several luxury brand shops, one of tokyo's premiere shopping areas. since 2015, this apparel maker has been producing jackets filled with recycled down. last year, the company produced 90,000 down-filled products. with 60% of the natural insulation coming from recycled sources.

>> our down-filled products are quite environmentally friendly. this has allllowed us to gain a local customer base that not only appreciates the quauality ouour product but shares the sa eco frienendly philosophy as we do. the down is sourced by an organization called green down project. it currently provides recycled down to 100 participating companies. they collect used down clothing and comforters from all across the country, and send them to one central facility for processing. that facility's owneded by the farther cocompany. it's a world-renowned feather processing company that sells down to apparel and bedding manufacturers in japan and overseas. >> translator: back in the day, we used to have a lot of high-quality down. but that's not the case anymore. so, now, we need t to rescue an recycle this quality material from products that aree goioing be thrhrown away or there won'te

enough. >> once it arrives, the down is run through the company's special cleaning and filtering process. this giant washing machine rapidly mixing and swirls the down around. as the individual feathers collide with each other, dirt and grime are moved at a mic microscopic level. uses a soap that's imported from france. and the water they use is collected from a well that produces extremely soft water, which is ideal for washing the down. the process has proven to be extremely effective at removing both dirt and discoloration. after cleaning, the down is separated. it's run through a sorting system that separates the higher-quality down from the larger feathers that are often mixed in with lower-quality down products.

when the farthers aeathers are the heavier feathers fall into the first few chambers. since the down is much lighter, it blow past the first chambers, and falls into the chambers located further to the back. over 200 kilograms of the fluffy down is filtered per cycle. next, samples are taken and the down is inspected, by hand, for quality. despite their strict standards, 80% of the down that's brought in to be processed ends up being reused in new products. >> translator: feathers are surprisingly durable. they're even strong enough to be fossilized. so they're definitely useable for at least 100 years. i want people all aroround the world toto realize that this so of material i is perfect for upcycling. >> according to t the chairpers of green down project, a down

recycling initiative, one kilogram of incinerated down generates around 1.8 kilograms of carbon dioxixide. so i itss recycling clearly hel reduce carbon dioxide emissions. for some time, consumer awareness of sustainable fashion has been growing, with shoppers favoring clothing with recycled cotton, wool, and cashmere. at the same time, shoppers are, also, quality focused. so going high end, as we saw in our story, may be key to sustainablee resources and business success. sustainability continues to be a major trend in retail, with shoppers willing to shell out more for items aligned with their lifestyle philosophy. upcycling adds value, making ethical and economic sense. that's it for today's "newsline in depth". thank you for watching and see you again next time.

host: the coronavirus panandemic and its threat to aiaid and food supplies. a stark warning that the number of people in acute hunger could double by the end of 2020. ♪ you are watching al jazeera live from london. the u.s. president says he will temporarily suspend immigration to protect american lives and jobs from the coronavirus outbreak. donald trump also pledges to bailout the u.s. oil industry after prices dip into negative territory for the first time i