♪ hello, and thanks for will come to nhk "newsline." i'm oshie ogasawara. we start in tokyo, where the metropolitan government is considering lifting its coronavirus alert. if this happens, the decision is expected to come into effect starting friday. the government issued a tokyo alert on june 2nd, after a spike in cases. the alert urges residentnts to remain vigilant against the virus.

>> translator: e experts will study the number of cases and consider the situation of the e medical care systems. once this happens, we will make a decision. >> so far, tokyo has reported 22 newly-confirmed cases on thursday. the previous four days the daily figure was below 20. covid-19 states for the rest earn region are disproportionately low. the world health organization says about a quarter of the population lives in the region, but it's seen nearly 3% of the world's coronavirus cases and about 2% of deaths. nhk world spoke with an expert from the w.h.o. to find out why. >> reporter: it's been widely discussed around the world. why did asia see the beginning,

but not the worstst off this pandemic. mamatthew griffith has been clososely monitoring the spreadf the virus since china's initial outbreak was discovered in december. he says it's too early to g giva full explanation, but points the one key strategygy. >> contact tracing in this region has been set up in many countries as a strong system and as a fundamental component of the response. >> reporter: griffith says vietnam shows how tracing the route of the infection in the earliest catess can make a big difference in the long run. the country has so far reported no covid-19 deaths. >> vietnam has had a very aggressive contact tracing system and that is appropriate for the stage of transnsmission ththat vietnam was at. so mostly vietnam's cases are imported cases. so they're actually doing

tracing of contacts of contacts. >> reporter: japan took a similar approach, deploying so-called cluster busters to identify not only contacts, but also situations in which the virus can easily spread. >> once you start to investigate more and more of these clusters, you start to understand which places might have a higher risk forr amplifieded transmission. in other words, if you go to this place, there's a higher chance that you're going to get infected if there's a case there, and that feeds directly into risk of communications. the government has a very clear, very direct way of communicating the the public. >> reporter: griffith says genetics has so far not proven to be aa factor. individual behaviors seem to matter a lot, from the way people greetet each other to wearing masks in crowded areas.

griffith says countries which dealt with disease outbreaks before have also created strong lines of communication between medical experts and decision makers. but he warns that everyone needs to stay on guard. >> the big challenge that's coming upp now is how do preven resurgence of cases. it's brand new to all of us. we draww on the lessons from sars, draw on the lessons from influenza, draw on the lesson from mers. this virus continues to challenge us. it presents new obstacles that we're trying to get ahead of. >> as countries brace for a second or third wave of infections, griffith says his team is working closely with leaders so they can come up with system that protect both people's lives and livelihoods. nhk world, tokyo. the coronavirus pandemic has

darkened the mood for japanese businesses. a new government survey shows that sentiment among large firms has plunged to one of the lowest levels on record. >> the business sentiment index is minus 47.6, the lowest since january 2009 after the global financial crisis hit. business communities feel the business environment has turned south compared to the previous few months. the mood soured at firms as the coronavirus pandemic kept people at home and wallets closed. a seniorcoconomi a at th institutute of resesearch says figure is evenen worse than expected. >> translator: foror v vulnerab sesectorsuch ass nonon-manufacturers and smamall mimid-sized companies, the figu is l lower than during the

global financial crisis. in fact, it's safe to say that compared to the january to march quarter, the economy is worsening at one of the fastest paces we've seen in the current quarter. >> the number of furloughed employees soared to nearly 6 millllion in april, a recorord . he worries if the economomy dodoesn't signgnificantly y imp manyny of them might not be returning to their jobs. >> translator: the employment situation has gotten h help fro mamassive government assistatano companies that have kept their workers on t the payroll, but t measure will end in september. the questition is to what exten will ecoconomic activities have sumed by then.n. if they y are back at 10100%, at all furloughed employeyees wille ablele to return to o work. but if not, there will be a shararp increase in unemploymen. wewe can't rule out the possibility that employees taking a leave of absence could lose their jobs en masse from the end of september to october.

>> kobayashi believes it will take at least two years for japan's economy to bounce brack to where it was before the coronavirus. in the meantime, he sees opportunities for companies that can quickly adapt to the changed landsca landscapape. > translator: the more businesses shift to accommodate remote work, the better they'll do. companies in the service sector that offer e-commerce and deliveveries can expect more customers. going ahead, invnvestment in the areas is the key t to success. there e are also industries whe new demands are emergiging, suc as telecommunications, online services, software, semiconductors, and medical care. i believe these sectors are receiving an enormous boost right now. the ongoing protests have made racism a key issue in the

november's u.s. presidential election. on wednesday, president donald trump invited some of his african-american supporters to the white house. at the meeting, trump boasted how his administration revived the economy and carried out criminal justice reform. >> we've done a lot for the black community and done a lot for all communities. it's a great honor to have you folks with us. thank you very much. >> but trump has been accused of stoking racial tensions in recent weeks including sending in troops to quell protests. meanwhile, calls are mounting to rename military bases that honor leaders of the cononfederacy whh supported slavery. the u.s. army said earlier this week says it is open to a discussion on the topic but trump is rejecting the idea saying the u.s. trained and deployed our heroes on these hallowed grounds and won two world wars.

he added his administration will not consider renaming these magnificent and fabled military institutions. he will hold a campaign rally next week in the southern state of oklahoma. he has not held a large scale event since march due to the coronavirus outbreak. the commander of the u.u.s. troops in afghanistan say attacks by the taliban will need to stop if u.s. forces are to fully withdraraw from the count. president trump's adminisistratn agreed to a peace d deal with t taliban in february. the u.s. aims to pull out all its forces from the wore-torn nation by the end of next april. general frank mckenzie, the head of u.u.s. central command said an online lecture on wednesday that the tl ban continue to attack afghan securityy forcrce >> if conditions allow, we're prepared to go to zero. those conditions would be, can

we be assured that attacks against us will not be generated there. frankly, if asked my opinion, i don't think those conditions have been fully met. >> the troop withdraw has been one of trump's campaign pledges. u.s. media reports have suggested that the president may try to bring the troops home earlier to boost his prospects of being re-elected in november. now to the latest with the postponed tokyo 2020 olympics and paralympics. the head of the international olympic committee has welcomed local organizers' plans to simplify the gameses i in l lig the coronavirus. ioc president thomas bach said they've seen great progress in reducing the complexityy and costs, but h he strtressed t th number of athletes would l like not be cut. > our focus is and are the athletes. i thihink it would be the wrong

end to start from if we would take a decision first to reduce the number of athletes. >> the olympics were originally scheduled to start negotiate but were postponed for a year due to the pandemic. now the tokyo organizing committee says its new top priority is providing a safe environment. officials say they'll consider talks with international sports bodies to help reduce the number of participants at the games. but the head of the committee insisted that calling off the games entirely is not on the table. >> translator: there has been no discussion whatsoever of canceling the games. it's not r right to speculate e discuss hypothetical scenarios. >> tokyo organizers say they aim to come up with a final plan for

cost reductions in september. the japan meteorological agency says the rainy season has officially started in eastern japan on saturday. our meteorologist sayaka mori joins us now with the details. >> food can be damaged easily because of high temperatures. be careful of food poisoning. today it began in northern kyushu. for central japan it was three days later than normal. northern tohoku is the only place that hasn't seen the rainy season yet. hokkaido doesn't have a seseaso. you can see a wide a area of r stretching from the wes t to th north. thee heaviestt rain n has falle kyushuhu. record-breaking heavy rainfall has hit parts of central japan.

72 millimeters in three hours in kanazawa. the heaviest rain will likely fall into friday. 180 millimeters could fall. for central japan, especially tokyo, y you might see heavy rainfall in the morningnghours. let's go to north america. it's dry, hot and windy. conditions are favorable for wildfires in california. take a look at this footage from the los angeles area. scorching temperatures and the santa ana winds have been creating perfect weather conditions for wildfires. some 200 firefighterers and wat dropping helelicoptersrs fought blaze on wednesday. a record high of 33 degrees celsius was set in parts of los angeles on wednesday. we will continue to see hot, windy conditions plus dry conditions into friday at least in california. 31 is your expected high in l.a.

on thursday. rainy weather for the pacific northwest and temperatures on a cooling trend in washington, d.c. new york has a 27-degree forecast. that's it for me. stay safe. >> that's were the top stories

for this hour on nhk "newsline." i'm i don't shish ogasawara in tokyo. thank you for joining us and do stay with us for more. welcome to "newline in depth." i'm maria naka. today we feature innovative approaches to support people coping with health conditions, programs that add something extra to conventional medical care are proving effective. our first story is about easing the anxiety of hospitalized patients. their stress can, according to some research, even lead to serious physical conditions.

so a pioneering hospital in western japan is developing up lifting programs. >> who k knew medical chic had become a thing. it seems the trend setters are a hip gang o of 12 suffering f fr serious cancer and family members. all inpatients at a hospital in western japan. their makeup done by a pro. and for the clothes, it's out with the drab robes and in with the vivid pjs. clearly this isn't your typical hospital experience, but it worked w wonders on those who tk pa part.

>> in fact, the hospital has been finding ways to help inpatients feel more upbeat for a while. walls have come to life with color. rooms with no views have been given virtual windows. it's all about stimulating the five senses. >> translator: when people are hospitalized, they spend a lot of time in bed and they don't eat much. this means they often get weaker. cognitive function and physical strength decline. we should stop this happening so they can recover effectively. stimulating the brain boosts immunity. >> 76-year-old fumio tack naki says it had a profound effect on

the way he deals his illness. last yearr his entire body mysteriously lost mobility. he was bedridden and couldn't breathe on his own. he was hospitalized for five months. >> translator: at first my muscles weakened and i couldn't move. i couldn't even lift my hand. i just stared at the ceiling. >> after a long period of rehabilitation, fumio was making progress and finally he was able to get around in a wheelchair, but then a bolt from the blue. he needed surgery for a tumor near his armpit. worried about fumio losing momentntum, his doctor suggeste the photo shoot. >> translator: the doctor said it would be good to leave something of myself as a commemoration of sorts.

so i decided to at least do the shoot. >> fumio's wife hiroko couldn't believe it. simply put, he's always hated having his photo taken. the last time he allowed it to happen was 12 years ago. >> translator:r: when they shoh us the application form, i thought he'd take one look and cast it aside, but he actually applied. i was stunned. >> the day of the shoot finally arrives. fumio wants his picture taken together with hiroko. hiroko has never had her makeup done by a pro. it's definitely a first for r fumio.

>> translator: your skin tone looks much better. tran tran yeah, it has really improved. >> translator: can you tell? >> translator: are you nervous? >> at first fumio appears a little hesitant, but as the shoot progresses, he looks more at ease. tran tran shall i stand up? you know i can, if it's for a little bit. >> fumio even gets out of his wheelchair so he and his wife can be side by side.

>> translator: i feel really good. >> translator: his expression is totally different. >> afterward, fumio lets us in on a little secret. >> the couple got dressed up

together and fumio had his photo taken for the first time in 12 years as a thank you gift to his loving wife. later the photos were put on display. the aim was to offer a fun conversation starter and provide the patienen with a little pick-me-up. fumio takes a long look at his photos before going under the knife. it's given him all the courage he needs. >> translator: every day is a battle. i finally made some progress. and if the surgery goes well, i'll be able to go home. i'll be happy to have the photo to commemorate this whole experience.

>> it's been a month since the shoot, and fumio's surgery was a success. finally he's homeward bound. >> translator: thank you so much for your care. >> translator: we are very glad. be well. >> fumio has now recovered enough to walk with a cane. of course, treatments are crucial to a speedy recovery. but as this hospital has shown, staying upbeat and in fashion can play just as big a role, especially if you have a precious photo to show for it, just like fumio and hiroko. >> now, in our second story we look at animals helping patients. for people with diabetes, blood sugar can be a matter of life or death. when their levels become

dangerous, special alert dogs can tell by smelling their breath. meet japan's pioneer pooch in training. the hero pup is helping a girl with a rare type of chronic diabetes, which is not caused by lifestyle and usually develops at a young age. >> 11-year-old will probably have to live with type one diabetes for the rest of her life. sadly she has to get injections at least four times a day. her body cannot produce enough insulin or hormones that regulate blood sugar. >> translator: i'm so used to its, i almost don't realize it eeg being stuck by a needle. >> it can produce areas of dangerously low blood sugar. if the patient doesn't eat something sweet right away, they can lose consciousness and even

die. the disease can be particularly hard for children likee ririan mananage. family members have to keep a close eye on their blood sugar, especially at night. >> translator: most of the time my daughter sleepsight through without knonowing whethther she low b blood sugar, and that terrrrifies me. >> service dogs a are helping patients likike rian andnd nort america. the animals can detect whether someone has low blood sugar by the smell of their breath and alerts them to avoid danger. while there aren't any in japan left, that's about to change. an ngo started training the service dogs here two years ago. this man also suffers with the disease and launched the product

after facing discscrimination. >> translator: people used to tell my family i was undisciplined, cursed or doomed. alert dogs will help people understand that patients need injections every day to control their blood sugar. >> this is their most successful student. his name is animo, and he's undergone extensive coaching with the help of an expert from sweden to detect the right scent. after finishing his basic training, the next step begins in the real world. he's sent to live with rian for more than a week. she shows him her room, his workplace. the conditions are tougherer because there are so many new

smells. with animo be able to detect low blood sugar on rian's breath? his training resumes in these new surroundings. and just two nights later animo successfully alerts rian. >> translator: he's like a hero who is protecting my life. he feels like family. >> translator: i feel much better having one morale lie to watch over rian. >> animo looks set to become japan's first diabetic alert dog. it's a small step but could lead to big changes for patients across the country. >> animo cannot only save rian's life but also provide tremendous

emotional support. as we saw today, japan's health care system is evolving. its emphasis has long been on physical care. now it's looking to integrated personalized programs that help patients cope and heal on

processors --m protesters in the u.s. continue to target confederate monuments. donald trump says he won't even consider renaming military bases that are namamed after confedere mililitary leaders. confirirm covid-1919 cases in te u.s. past 2 million. the figure troubling in just six weeks. india reporting almost 10,000 new daily cases for the first time. we will have an update. and the european force of human rights says they were wrong to prosecute a group of