hello and thank you for joining us on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. we start in tokyo where the new number of coronavirus cases remains low with officials reporting just five new cases in the capital on wednesday. this marks the 11th consecutive day the number of new cases has been below 30 in the city of about 14 mimillion. the latest f figure comes as too governor koike yuriko calls on her counteterparts to contain n virus.

>> translator: clustered infections have appeared across japan. the nation must be united to dress th issue. >> the central government is set to decide on thursday whether it will lift the state of emergency for tokyo, osaka, and six other prefectures. last week the government canceled the nationwide declaration for the other 39 prefectures. it's likely to be lifted for osaka and its neighbors kyoto and hyogo. that's because the infection rate has fallen there in the past week. a benchmark set by the government for the emergency declaration to be lifted. officials plan to whether to lift the deck ra ration for tokyo. the rates for tokyo and kanagawa currently do not meet the criteria. officials will also take into account the state of their medical systems. hokkaido also does not meet the

criteria. in total more than 16,400 people have tested positive for the coronavirus here in japan. over 780 have died. now more major sports events are canceled due to the pandemic. japan's annual summer high school baseball tournament dates back more than a century with more than 3,000 teams taking part each year. it's also considered a prime opportunity for players to get scouted by professional clubs. > translator:r: i feel sorry students who've been training hard for the tournament. >> translator: i hope they can hold a substitute event after the virus is contained. possibly in the autumn or winter. >> the annual summer high school athletic meet has also been canceled. factories in the city that was the epicenter of china's coronavirus outbreak have been picking up again as the industry there resumes. now c cargo flights from wuhan have started arriving near

tokyo.o. the first flight aeroperated bya airport arrived at narita airport. it included electric components and masks. it decided to operate direct nonscheduled flights between wuhan and narita. wuhan was under lockdown for about two and a half months. factories started up again after restrictions were lifted on april 8th. now the spread of the coronavirus has had a drastic impact on brick and mortar retailers in china. while stores there are starting to reopen, many shoppers are hesitant. our next report looks at how businesses are struggling to stay afloat. >> reporter: it's been a grim few months for this beijing shoe store. after being forced to shut down

in january, it's only been able to recently restart operations. instead of waiting for customers to come to them, the company took a proactive approach and began live streaming to generate sales. they say online sales in march helped bring sales to about half of what they were last year. >> translator: the number of people who come to our shop is limited. but there's a lot of potential in attracting customers online. >> reporter: online platforms are also allowing the traditional retailer to attract a new generation of shoppers. 70% of people who shop via live stream are 35 or younger.r. live streaeaming has fast bececa lifefe line for m many retailer. a recent report by e-commerce giant alibaba says thehere was

eight fold increase in february from a month earlier. among the businesses capitalizing on the trend is this clothing manufacturer which built a specialized studio in february. shin used to manage one of its shop but has become the driving force behind the mission. part of shin's stratategy iss a acting as a stylist fofo potential customers.s. >> translator: if you want to be more stylish, you can wear the clothes like this. and if you wear it over a t-shirt, it will look totally different. >> reporter: shin says she once sold more than $170,000 of merchandise in a single broadcast. >> reporter: some fans are waiting for me every day. it's hard work, but this is what keeps me going. >> reporter: the company plans to increase the number of

casters to 20 and provide additional training to sales and office staff. >> translator: our company wouldn't have been able to survive if we didn't start live streaming. it will also help us expand our business. >> reporter: in a matter of months, the coronavirus pandemic has up ended the retail industry as more people shop online. while some stores are falling victim of the crisis, others are finding success by adapting to what has become the new normal. the world health organization's annual assembly has adopted a resolution calling for a fair and independent inquiry into the agency's response to the pandemic. >> the resolution is therefore adopted. >> the world heaealth assembly

wrapped u up its t two dayay me on tuesday. leaders and repreresentatives fm 194 member states attended the teleconference. they also agreed to continue to support the w.h.o.'s leadership in the global response to the coronavirus. >> fully committed to transparency, accountability, and continues improvement. >> the organization plans to reconvene in the second half of 2020 to discuss remaining issues involving the pandemic. while despite agreeing to an independent inquiry, the w.h.o.'s initial response remains a point of contention. our next story looks at how the u.s. and china take opposing stances on the issue. >> they're a puppet of china. they're china-centric. >> reporter: trump posted a four-page letter to the director general on twitter. he wrote, it's clear that repeated missteps by you and your organization in responding to the pandemic have been

extremely costly for the world. the u.s. leader says if the w.w.h.o. does not commit to w w he describes as major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, he will make his temporary funding freeze permanent and reconsider his country's membership. chinese president xi jingping addressed the opening ceremony. he pledged $2 billion towards the fight against the coronavirus. >> translator: under the leadership under director general tedros, they will lead against infections. >> reporter: he plans to carry out the review as soon as possible possible. china's position is that the inquiry should take place after the pandemic has subsided. but some member countries want it to get underway earlier. global health officials are worried that assistancnce measus

for developing countries and the way the w.h.o. carries out its work could be affected by political conflict. >> i think it can really affect the confidence that people have in internanational institutions. >> china h has a strategy, a v long-term strategy to be very active within the united nations system. it h has never been embroileded that kind of geopopolitical confnflict even during the cold war. >> reporter: the w.h.o.'s stated missssion is to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. but concerns are growing that geopolitics could stand in the way of those goals. shifting now to taiwan where the president tsai in-wen has kicked off her inaugural event. tsai gave her address wednesday outside the taipei guest house.

>> translator: we will not let beijing use one country, two systems to downgrade taiwan and undermine the cross state status quo. we can resolute. >> tsai was re-elected in january. she received the highest number of votes in taiwan's election history. during her campaign, she called for the territory to take a tough stance on relations with mainland china. tsai also noted media outlets across the globe have reported on the successful measures taiwan has taken to contain the coronavirus outbreak there. the inaugural ceremony was scaled down compared to previous ones. u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo issued a statement congratulating tsai. he said support for taiwan in the united states is bipartisan and unanimous. it comes as the u.s. and china are becoming increasingly at odds over beijing's handling of the coronavirus. india and bangladesh are scrambling to evacuate tens of thousands of people as a

powerful cyclone bears down on their coastlines. and the spread of the coronavirus at shelters is making the situationon especial worrisome. weather officials say cyclone unfum may hit land on thursday. it could be like a cyclolone th killed 10,000 people in 1999. shelters are filling up fast despite concerns over the virus. >> we have made arrangements for face masks and will stay with social distancing. >> india andnd bangladesh have been dealing with an increase in coronavirus cases. india initiated a lockdown earlier this week. and our meteorologist jonathan oh has been tracking that cyclone impacting south asia. what's the latest? >> raja, we are talking about a storm that has a lot of power with it with winds estimated in terms of gusts up to 185

kilometers per hour moving to the north and east. and it's packing not only the strong winds but an incredible amount of water with it with heavy rainfall already associated with this particular system. this is the radar from the afternoon hours, local time there. we are talking about this massive area of rain that is continuing to move its way over portions of land. it will only get worse as we go toward the nighttime and overnight hours. we're also concerned about those winds that are associated with this storm. when you have the winds, the momentum will push this water especially because it's along the coastline, it's particularly a low lying area. that is where we're going to see the potential for up to 5 meters in storm surge on top of the tide. so that is the reason why we are concerned about this storm. we've been talking about this for the past several days. the storm will continue to move to the north and east and bring all of that rain with it. also keep this in mind, even if the storm pushes farther inland, the rain will move back down

along the rivers back towards the coastline. so the flooding is likely to stay around for an extended period of time. rain into the rd boor region between india and bangladesh into friday and possibly saturday as well. so this is definitely a great concern. across east asia we're keeping an eye on what's happening to the southern areas of china. we had the stationary front bringing a decent amount of rain if the area. this will bring concerns of flooding and landslides as we go through thursday. chongqing into hong kong. taipei also looking at wet weather thursday. we have a chance for a system in the southeast in the united states. had some hail reported in the area earlier in the week. also wet weather coming up on wednesday. hope you have a good day wherever you are.

and that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. there's much more to come on nhk world japan so please do stay with us.

welcome to "newsline" in-depth. i'm aiko doden. whether it's global trade or security, china's presence looms large in the international arena. space exploration is no exception and that's what we'll be probing into today. this is a rare image of the far side o of the moooon t taken by chinese satellite in january last year. the mission to capture this view added to china's growing list of achievements in outer space. but just like that lunar

landscape, much about the country's space program remains shrouded in mystery. china is going upward. where is it headed? to learn more, i sat down with the man known as the space hero. a long queue in tokyo just to meet this gentleman. close to 500 people at tokyo's science museum, many from china, waited to catch a glimpse of young li-we. he is a hero and that's not just a matter of opinion. it's on hisis bio. space herero is ththe officiciae bestowed upon him by then-chinese president following the success of the country's historic many i guess to space in 2003.

this mission made china the third country after the u.s. and ussr to independently send humans into space. it was a reminder that china's ambitions extend beyonond its earthly borders. in his spacecraft the shenzo 5, he executed somee familiar move and some new ones like eating his favorite chinese food. when it came time to wave the flag, the united nations pennant was there too. >> translator: without space exploration, we will not be able to grasp the scope of the utility on our future life. i am proud to have representede not only myy couountry by the entire human race. >> sharing the stage with china's space hero yang was japan's star astronaut mamoru

mori. from nasa's kennedy space center in 1992. >> liftoff. liftoff of endeavour on america's 50th space flight. >> mori went back in 2000 as a specialist. this time he used a high definition camera to record images of the earth. another first. teaming up with the chinese astrona astronaut, mori had ambitious ideas basically to get a conversation going on cooperation in outer space. it has t to be said finding comn ground is something thatt has often eluded japan and china back here on the h home planete. >> translalator: a lot of coopereration hasas been ununde among scientists and

researchers. but rehave yet to see any collaboration on space missions. indeed, this may be difficult politically, but i think now's the time to explore what kind of cooperation is possible. >> i think it's meaningful for me to sit down here with dr. mohri.i. space development should be a major direction for internationanal cooperation. it is something that can embody international cooperation. >> china's exploration has movod on rapidly since yang's first mission in 2003. last year jonnu 4 became the first ever spacecraft to land on the far side of the moon. another milestone in the country's quest to become a space superpower by 2030.

>> translator: the manned space flightht programam is progressi and worked to construct the space station, now in full swing.g. the plan is to finish construction around 2022. without the development of science and technology, it is impossiblele to improveve peopl lives. the exploration of mars and the exploration of the moon a are journeys into an unknknown worl. and are s symbols of the progre of human society. the earth is the cradle of man kind, but you can't stay forever in the c cradle. >> china's cosmic ambition has not gone unnoticed by

washington. as reflected in the recent establishment of the u.s. space force. washington has made clear it is ready to defend its interest in an arena that's now crowded with newcomers. space missions today are not just about exploring the last frontier. they have a real impact on the daily lives on earth. the global positionining systems just one example. it keeps eyes in the s sky f fo bothth c civilia and military purposes.. given the high stakes, china's condemnation of the u.s. space force comes as little surprise. beijing calls it a direct threat to outer space peace and security. dedespite the e rise in global tensions, yang is carareful to keep w well above the fray. turning on the charm, he wins new friends in the audience.

>> translator: is it warm inside the rocket? >> translator: when a spacecraft enters the atmosphere, frictcti causes high temperatures. the temperature is between 1,600 and 1,800 degrees celsius. it looksks like a fire balll wh we look outside. but engineers choose materials to ensure a good environment for the astronauts. so for them, it only feels a few degrees higher. i have a little gift for the one who asked a question. >> the two astronauts agree that the success of future space exploration lies in cooperation. and they seem to mean it saying

being astronauts have given them a different perspective of space and eartrth. >> translalator: seen from oute space, the earth has no national borders. air, water, birds, and plants move and grow freely regardless of borders. astronauts do not represent their country but the entire earth. >> translator: when you look at earth from space, you feel that there is no reason not too love and protect our planet. i think k that's a natural emotion. >> mohri says that inviting yang to japan, he wanted to talk about how nations can better cooperate in space exploratioex. that's against the backdrop of aerospace becoming increasingly crowded with government organizations, businesses, and even individuals joining the race. i ask him for his take on the future of space cooperation.

>> translator: in the former soviet union, space development was a military undertaking. all the cosmonauts came from the military. the soviet union became russia and many civilians became astronauts. but in china, their 16 astronauts are all military personnel. the space authorities there are expected to recruit new astronauts in 2020. scientists and researchers from different fields will be allowed to apply just as in japan. in the not so distant future, chinese space development will become more open and exchanges will be more active beyond national borders. >> the united states is hoping

to increase its own presence in space as well. what should we expect? >> translator: the u.s. has its own position that it must remain the number one at all times. china's space development could threaten that position. and it is directly linked to military affairs. just as the u.s. was wary of the soviet union during the cold war, it is now suspicious of china's space activities. to the united states, space development is also about enhancing national prestige. but for china, national prestige has still greater significance. in japan's case, civilians went into space from the beginning. so for japan, space development is about practical applications.

rather than for national prestige. >> mohri thinks the big international players need to get over their obsession with the power game in space. > translator: i think concep such as national prestige are already things of the past. japan must think in specific terms of what it can do to contribute to such causes as sustainable development goals from the viewpoint of all human kind. for example, when i passed over china aboard the international space station in 2000, i saw many black dots on the snow covered plain that were caused by factories burning goal.

pollution on the earth is clearly visible. i hope china, too, is aware of the situation from a space viewpoint. i am sending this message not just to china but to others as well. that's my theme today. we are responsible for the entire earth. that's my message to young people. >> u.s. president john f. kennedy once said, when men reach beyond this planet, they should leave their national differences behind them. over 60 years later, two astronauts are embodying that message and they know exactly what it takes to foster cooperation in space no matter the challenges. that's it for today's "newsline in-depth." thank you for watching and see

you again next time.

at thisour top stories hour -- a warm welcome back. we start with heavy rains and winds whichever been -- which have been reported in india and while authorities have been scribbling to secure mass evacuations away from the path, , which is already taken e life in being the --. the storm is targeting a vulnerable and densely populated region which is still under a coronavirus lockdown. yesterday, it was categorias