♪ hello. thank you for joining us on nhk "newsline." beyond borders. we begin here in japan where travel restrictions across prefectural borders due to the coronavirus have been lifted. friday is also seeing the launch of the country's first virus-tracking smartphone app. the government had asked people the avoid non-essential travel

to and from five specific prefectures including tokyo where the number of infections remained relatively high. the government is also releasing an app designed to notify user who is come into close contact with someone confirmed infected with the virus. the app is called covid-19 contact confirming. it will record encrypted data of users when they come within a certain distance of each other. if a user tests positive for the virus, they register their information. people with the app who spend at least 15 minutes within about one meter of them will be identified. the app deletes contact data after 14 days. it also does not collect phone numbers, location data, or other information that could identify its users. the government says it can better protect user privacy than similar software introduced abroad. >> translator: this will be an important tool to protect lives. i hope many people will install

it. >> the app was developed under the supervision of the health ministry with the goal of preventing the spread of the virus as the country continues to reopen. turning now to the u.s. where some states are seeing a sharp increase in new infections. the spike is affecting states in the south and west that were among the first to resume economic activity. the southern state of texas reported 3,129 new cases on wednesday, the highest ever daily figure. arizona recorded about 1,800 cases, four times more than one month ago. reports say the occupancy rate of intensive care units in the state reached 83%, sparking fears of a shortage of ventilators. the icu occupancy rate in alabama has reportedly risen to 96% in some areas. governors in these states say they'll not impose further lockdowns despite criticism that

they were too quick to lift them. a tally from johns hopkins university shows the number of confirmed infections worldwide topped 8.4 million on thursday. the global death toll now stands at more than 450,000. china a has sharply criticid a statement by foreign ministers from the group of seveven natio on the country's proposed security legislation on hong kong. the g7 ministers expressed great concern over china's move and called on it to reconsider. the legislation is belelieved t bebe aimed at t cracking down o anti-government protesters in the territory. >> translator: we urge the countries to thoroughly study the chinese constitution and the basic law of hong kong and stop meddling with hong kong affairs and interfering with china's internal affairs. >> china's spokesperson said the security legislation represents

the one country, two systems principle. he said it will protect prosperity and stability in hong kong. the draft legislation was submitted to a three-day meeting of the national people congress' standing committee that began on thursday. it's expected to be enacted soon. meanwhile, taiwan says it will set up a dedicated office next month to support hong kong residents hoping to migrate to the island. the officice will help cover living expenses for people fleeing hong kong on political grounds. consultation services on schooling, job hunting and starting businesses in taiwan will be offered. the office will also support the relocation of civic groups and companies to taiwan. the relief plan was compiled on ororders from the president who has voiced her support for the pro-democracy protests in hong kong. taiwanese officials believe accepting funds and skilled

labor from hong kong will help improve the island's economy. about 5,800 hong kong residents acquired permission for long-term stays last year. this is a jump of 40% from the previous year. there is speculation that china's security legislation for the territory may boost the figure. north korea has threatened further provocation against south korea saying its army has the right to take the next action against its enemy. the north's ruling party newspaper carried the comment on ththursday. it said the demolition of an interkorean liaison office in kaesong was just a first step. the paper also had a photo of north koreans raising their fists. it said the liaison office was useless, and its destruction was

a deserved penalty. the peoples' korean army has deployed plants. the army said t the plans will presented to t rulg party's central military commission. tensions between thewowo sid have been runni h highor weeks. north korean defectors in the southavave bnn flying balloons carrying ananti-rime leaflets across the border. pyongyang slammed the government for not doing enougugh to stop e campaign. > south korea has reopened complaint with the world trade organization over japanese controls on technology exports to its neighbor. south korea is asking a wto panel to examine its claim that japan has broken international trade rules. last july, japan tightened restrictions on exports of three high-tech materials to south korea, citing sesecurity c conc. in november,r, south kororea suspended an initial complaint to the wto in the hope of negotiating with tokyo.

but president moon jae-in's administration is now approaching the wto again, frustrated by what it sees as a lack of progress on the issue in the last six months. tokyo says the restrictions are necessary for national security and do not violate wto rules. june 25th marks 70 years the start of the korean war which pitted the south against the north. the former combatants are old now and are gradually passing away. one girl in south korea has been working to keep their memories of the war alive. nhk world's kim chan-ju reports. >> reporter: this week, an event was held at a square in central

seoul to remember the victims of the war and pray for peace. this 12-year-old read out a poem in front of veterans and representatives from countries in the war. ♪ >> reporter: asia is the youngest activist in south korea. her father is canadian, and her mother is south korean. since she was little, she often visited the park with a memorial cemetery for the united nations military forces. that sparked her interest in the korean war.

>> reporter: three years ago, asia visited the netherlands after winning a contest for writing letters expressing gratitude to former un soldiers. she developed a strong sense of purpose after listening to the accounts of former servicemen there. >> reporter: back home, asia worked on a request from former dutch servicemen who wanted to find out the names of 20 south korean soldiers in their unit. she managed to identify 13 of them.

>> hi! >> well, how's my girl? >> well, howow's it going these days? >> reporter: asia is like a granddaughter to the former servicemen. she talks to those living overseas via video link. she meets w with thosese stitil the country face to face. this 87-year-old veteran says he looks forward to talking with asia more than anything else in his daily life.

>> reporter: asia wants to create a forum for veterans to share their experiences with people born after the war. the actions of this girl may inspire many adults to reassess how they look at the war. kim chan-ju, nhk world.

turning to world weather. heavy rain is pouring in western and eastern japan on this friday morning. our meteorologist yoko komagata tells us what to watch out for. >> a rainy season front is stalling in the kyushu region ththis morning. a wave of moisture iss producic heheavy downpours. over 200 millimeters were reported in comb mow toe in the last 24 hours. water levels are getting high in some rivers. part of kyushu woke up to more heavy rain on friday. this caused the risk of flooding and landslides to be increased to level three which is the serious warning. people are advised to avoid low bridges. some major trainlines have been disrupted. the rainfall will continue to increase in pretty much the same locations into friday morning.

another 100 millimeters of rain is expected in the kyushu region through the next 24 hours. flooding and landslides could be primary threats. heavy downpours will also develop in tokyo on friday. temperatures will be much cooler than what we saw earlier this week. the high will be only 20 degrees in tokyo on friday. hot and dry conditions will return to the country as we go into the weekend. highs may reach the 30s once again in osaka and fukuoka on sunday. people in the central u.s. are facing severe weather overnight thursday as a cold front passes through the midwest all the way down to the plains, severe thunderstorms can develop and produce heavy rain and damaging winds. ahead of the storm, southern winds will create heat across the eastern u.s. well above average temperatures are expected in ottawa and boston. the highs will be 32 degrees on friday which is about 10 degrees

warmer than usual. meanwhile in the west, much cooler conditions are expected on friday. the high will be only 20 degrees in denver and 21 in winnipeg. that's all for now. stay safe and have a nice weekend. ♪

thank you for staying with us on this edition of nhk newsline. we'll be back with more. ♪ welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm marie yanaka. what do you look for when you buy clothes or footwear? some people focus on functionality and the price tag. others consider the design. and then there are those who base their decision on the brand name. today, we'll be looking at how

companies are adding extra value to their products to make them more desireable. a major motivating factor is exclusivity. it seems to be human nature to crave things that are in short supply. nowhere is this more evident than in the sneaker business with its limited edition runs as we see in our first story. >> reporter: an early morning n inni in ish buaya. a strict dress code is enforced. they have to wear these shoes to get inside. >> translator: i really want a pair. they're limited edition. >> reporter: but standing in line for hours are not enough. customers also have to get lucky in the store lottery. and this is what all the excitement is about, a special edition collaboration between hip hop artist travis scott and

nike. 500 people showed up ready to buy, but the firm is only selling 100 pairs. >> translator: if it is something anyone can buy or something that's so overstocked the store can't sell it all, well i'm not sure i'd want something like that. i think the sneaker manufacturers are doing a good jo job of attracting attention this way. >> reporter: the customers are known as sneaker-heads, and theirr addiction for rare footwear is crisscrossing the country. >> this is sneaker con, one of the largest sneaker conventions in the world. it's the first time to hold it in japan, and locater sneaker-heads have flocked here to buy, trade, and talk about their favor sneaker. vendors are set up here, most of them are retailers. they buy rare shoeses and sell them unused at a higher price. all these items are limited edition. in some cases the maker only

released a few hundred pairs. they run into the thousands of dollars. this man is scoring the tables for a rare type. he usually shops online. >> translator: many of them i've never seen inn real life. >> something has caught his eye. released in 2012, this was a collaboration between nike and supreme. the original price was $148. today it is eight times higher. >> translator: that kind of price jump happens all the time. if i really want it, i just have to pay. there's no choice. >> reporter: this retailer just opened his own story in tokyo after years selling shoes online. he offers the perfect spring board for his new business. he says he's not really in the

pro business, he's selling high-priced collectibles. >> translator: my customers don't view sneakers as footwear. they see them as something much more special. one of them paid me $1,300 for one pair and told me he was getting a good deal. >> some analysts believe the u.s. sneaker market is close to saturation that those in the supply state don't agree. >> japanese sneaker-heads are very big geeks. i think it continues to grow and bring in new people and new ideas and new brands and new collectors. so, it's going to continue to be a very big community globally. >> it's all about engineering desire. sneakers have become a status symbol, and suppliers are making sure they stay in short supply. nhk world. >> fashion can excite us. but the industry has been coming

under increasing scrutiny for its impact on the environment. so, some companies are focusing on recycling. others are moving away from fur and leather goods in favor of plant-based vegan fabrics. japan has been late to the game in terms of considering social responsibility and eco-friendly optio options. but that's all starting to change. >> dior, chanel, louis vuitton, whatever the topop names show a paris fashion week may e end upn your closet. the latestt trerends are inn stelel mccartney is aioneer of mo than 75% of f e matatial inn her designs are v van or recycled. she sayayhis is her most

sustainablee yet. her inspiration, the next generation advocating change. this 16-year-old activist made a plea that got to her heart. >> we are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is the money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. . w dear you! reporte the fashion industry i a majolluter th from prodtion and trtransportatition. thee united nations saidd it produces 1 10% of global cararn emissionons, more thann w produced by maritime shipping and international air travel combined. at the un climate change conference, stop fashion companies threat to cut the emissions by 30%. some companies are going farther, hoping to change the

industry from the inside. >> and when you work in fashion, you can see it. fashion is a very pollutant industry. the material, the water, the dye in materials, everything is doing a lot of harm and especially the business model which is around fashion. >> the company takes sustainability seriously. it hires fishing vessels to dredge trash from the ocean floor. then use whatever plastic it can salvage to create yararn. a japanese company is now looking to take on the grant. at first it needs to convince department stores to put economic clothing on their shelves. >> translator: i think japan is a little behind on sustainability. i'm very interested in such a brand comining into japan. >> reporter: the company's timing may be perfect. buyers are already thinking about benefits of sustainable

breathing because of recent events. >> typhoon hagibis caused massive damage to the country with many blaming the storm on climate change. >> transnslator: japan was hit two typhoons which should have each beeeen oncnce in a century event. i feel something is changing. there is something we can do. >> reporter: all that's left is convincing consumers, and that may not be too difficult. this fashion editor says young japanese readers are asking for environmental options. >> translator: if the fashion companies don't act, consumers will look elsewhere. those in generation z, the digital generation, tend to take a hard look at companies to see if they'reaking products that are environmentally friendly.

>> reporter: stores in japan may soon be stocking more sustainable apparel. but the real test will come later in the change rooms and at the checkout counter. nhk world. >> the movement towards a sustainable future for fashion seems to be catching on. and in the future it may look a lot like this. a team of young japanese creators is reducing waste with every cut of their fabric by drdrawing o on in artificial intelllligence. ♪

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it'll be interesting to see how advances in technology and innovation by creators will bring us new products. fashion helps us express who we are. and with more choices like those we saw today, what we wear will help reflect our fundamental values even better.

>> the united states supreme court's announced young undocumented immigrants can stay in the u.s. and a major setback for donald trump. ♪ host: this is al jazeera, live from london. >> i do not think he is fit for office. i do not think he has the competence to carry out the job. u.s. revelations about the president from his former nationalal security adsor fromoa tell-all book. iraq demands that turkey withdraws troops from the north of the country after military