♪ hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasasawara. we start this hour here in japan, people in many parts of the country are preparing for a wet and possibly dangerous weekend as weather officials warn of more heavy rain. the extrereme weather has left more than 60 people dead and over a dozen missing over the past week. heavy rain continues to pound the southwestern island of kyushu due to a seasonal rain

front covering over japan. the region has borne the brunt of the damage. people in the affected areas are trying to recover what they can between downpours. one resident says all the furniture and appliances on the ground floor of his house were damaged by flooding. >> translator: i want the rain to stop. i hope it stops as soon as possible. >> volunteers are working with residents to clear out mud. only people within the prefecture are allowed to help as a precaution against the coronavirus. people at evacuation shelters are also trying to maintain social distancing. more than 6,000 houses have been flooded or damaged across 19 prefectures. officials are still trying to get a full picture of the destruction. people across the krunt are donating food, bottled water and other necessities to h help tho in hard-hit areaeas. prime minister abe shinzo say

police, firefighters and self-defense force personnel have rescued more than 2,300 people. >> translator: i want officicia to do all they can to save lives, search for missing people and h help those who live in ars cut off by the disaster. >> abe says the central government plans to provide local authorities with funds to help them rebuild affected areas. officials in tokyo are dealing with a jump in coronavirus infections. the number of new cases has now topped 200 for two days in a row. it's the first time that's happened since the start of the pandemic. on friday officials reported a record high of 243 new cases. the capital recorded 224 the previous day, but the government says that so far there's no need for another state of emergency. tokyo's governor says s she

realizes that many residents are concerned,d, but she says an increase in testing to 3,000 a day is behind d the surge. >> transnslator: >> translator: operators of nighghtlife entertainment establishments which found their employees infected arere cooperating. some are holding group tests. but we are urging people to exercise greater caution due to the situation. >> koike is calling on residents and business owners to carry out preventive measures. meanwhile in neighboring kanagawa prefecture, 32 new cases were reported. in ibaki prefecture, also next to tokyo, the gov now has asked residents to r refrain from non-essential travel to the capital. over 21,000 people have

contracted the virus across japan. the death toll stands at more than 980. despite the surge, government officials are going ahead with plans to ease restrictions on attendance at major events. starting friday, authorities are raising the maximum attendance allowed from 1,000 to 5,00000. organizers of professional baseball and soccer leagues are allowing up to 5,000 spectators into stadiums for friday's games. organizers are calling on spectators to observe social distancing. other measures include wearing masks and temperature checks at the entrance to stadiums. another state of emergency may be off the table for now, but the recent surge is prompting concerns among some health officials. our next story looks at how medical facilities in tokyo are coping. >> reporter: it's been a hectic

few w weeks for frontline workr at this hospital. fortunately, mosost of thehe ca it's dealt witith so farar haven mild. but this doctor wonders what will happen if the situation escalates. >> translator: if the e number cases continues to rise, the health care system couould beco overststretched. i'm most worried about infections spreading to the elderly, who may get severely ill. >> reporter: recent data shows a steady uptick in infections since late last month. officials say more people in their 40s and 50s are contracting the virus. atibuting itit to a lax restriction n as the economy reopens. this public health center has been inundated with calls from people who think they may be infected. >> translator: workers are getting nervous. the rise of infections clearly signals a second wave. >> reporter: despite the relatively high numbers, there

are some encouraging signs. as of thursday, there were only six patients in tokyo classified as seriously ill. that's compared to just over 100 atat the end of april. this medical expert says the health care system is not strained right now but that the situation could change quickly. >> translator: if infections spread, more age groups will be affected, including the elderly. and severe cases will increase. medical facilities need to be prepared. >> reporter: on thursday, an expert panel held a meeting to discuss the latest developments. as a result, the tokyo metropolitan government raised the alert for health capapacityo the second highest level on a scale of one to four. >> translator: i hope to secure more hospital beds and open new

recovery centers in case more people start testing positive. >> reporter: the situation remains unpredictable, and with no easy solutions. officials and medical workers are being forced to adapt and find new ways to confront uncertainty. a group of researchers in japan says the anti flu drug has fallen short in a clinical study regarding its effectiveness in treating covid-19. researchers at institutes including fujita health university in it prefecture conducted the study in march on 88 patients with the virus. the study was meant to check the drug's effectiveness and safety. the patients were divided into two groups. after six days the virus was not detected in nearly 70% of the

patients given avigan from the start. but it was 55% on the group on which the zrug was not used in the first five days. the study also shows it took an average of about two days for the temperaturess of those in te first group to return to normal. for those in the second group it took 3.2 days. >> translator: although there wass a tenendency that those gi more avigan showed some improvement, tests couldn't confirm statistical significance. >> researchers plan to offer the data to the government if requested. the head of the world health organization says it's launching an independent inquiry into how the body and n nional gogovernments h have responded the cororonavirus pandemic. >> it's time for a verery hones reflection. all of us must look in thehe mirror. >> t tedros said the panel will prpresent an intnterim report t november and a substantive

report next may. he also said former new zealand prime minister helen clark and former liberian president ellen johnson turley have agreed to serve add co-chairs of t the evaluation committee. clark is also former chief of the n. develelopment program. johnson turley is a nobel peace prize laureate. earlier this year, member states adopted a resolution calling for a fair and independent inquiry into the agency's response to the pandemic. u.s. president donald trump has accused the w.h.o. of being china-centric. his administration officially notifified the u united nanatios week that it would withdraw from the health organization in july of next year. the u.s. is its largest donor. the u.s. state department

has approved the possible sale of 135 f-35 stealth fighters to japan. the deal would be the second largest single sale of t the equipment to a foreign country after selling the jets to saudi arabia. the department notified congress on thursday about its decision on the deal worth about $23 billion for 63 f-35a and 42 f-35b aircraft. japan's air self-defense force already operates f-35a conventional takeoff and landing aircraraft. f-35b's short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft can be deployed on mararitime self-defense f force destroyers. u.s. officials are to provide technical support and training to japan for up to 25 years. a u.s. state department official told nhk it will support the

u.s. economy and employment. the sister of north korean leader kim jong un has hinted that denuclearization of her country is not off the table if the u.s. moves away from what pyongyang calls hostile e policies. in a statement released on friday, she says north korea has no intention of threatening the u.s., and that her brother made that clear to u.s. preresident trump. the statement adds, quote, we are notot saying we will never denuclearize, but we cannot do it now. the statement suggests denuclearization would be possible if washington were to drop what the north calls its hostile policies. kim jong un's sister also refers to speculation that another summit with trump could be held befofore the u.s. prpresidentia election in november. she says such a summit could take place as a result of a sudden decision by both leaders, adding that no one knows.

she says a summit would be unnecessary and useless for pyongyang as long as there is no decisive change in washington's attitude. the statement also stresses the good relations between both leaders, sayaying kim jong un wants to convey to trump his best wishes for success. the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted work around the world. in south korea some city dwellers struggling to find jobs locally are heading out of town for a taste of life on the farm. nhk world's kim chone joou has more. >> reporter: south korea's sweep pepper farmgs are in season. this worker is new to the job. he turned the position as a

pastry chef in seoul as shehe wouldn't have made enough money following the pandemic. she looked to the countryside instead. >> translator: i knew farming was tough. but when i actually tried it, i realized how hard it is. it might j bust the tough eflt work in the world. >> reporter: this man's income dried up in february when he put his 30-year-old travel agency on ice due to the coronavirus. >> transnslator: when i was hop there were times i felt like i was going crazy. i truly experienced how fulflfilling physicacal labor i. >> translator: the people coming from seoul are dedicated to their tasks. they're all highly motivated. >> reporter: this man is acting as a bridge between the city and farmers. he sends workers from the city to the countryside for anything from a week to months on end. kim studied agriculture in

britain sees enormous potential in plugging rural labor shortages with people from cities. his firm is called dprfoomashy meaning to support each other through the exchange of labor. >> translator: the numberr of people engaged in farming is declining worldwide. the demand for better, elgtier and safer foods keeps growing. if we can connect farmville lajs and major cities, urban residents can be supplied with healthy foods. rural villages can develop with the help of the manpower they need. >> reporter: adjusting to life in the country isn't easy. so it's important for kim to make sure the workers are coping.

>> translatotor: so far, so go. it makes me feel good working here. >> reporter: the number of applicants from the city has been growing rapidly. kim holds workshops teaching them not only how to handle agricultural machinery, but also offering insight into daily life on farms. some applicants are keen to follow his example and foster closer links between the city and country side. >> reporter: there are far more retiring farmers than youngng people moving to farmville lajs. i think more people would opt to settle there if thehey realized that farming not only generates income, but helps create new values. i believe they're the future of the agricultural sector.

>> reporter: for generations chunks of the countryside emptied as people were drawn to the bright lights of the city. kim hopes to turn that on its head, ushering an era of poomasy. nhk world. as we've been reporting, incessant rain is bringing a critical risk of landslides and flooding. our meteorologist sayaka mori joins us. >> the risk of heavy rain will likely continue into tuesday across western japan. it's been a week since the heavy rain started to pound the kyushu region. since then we've got over one meter of rail fall in parts of kyushu and she queue queue region. over 1,100 millimeters has fallen. that's half the annual rainfall for this area andnd more rain i on t the way unfortunately. this is the radar over the past

six hours. you can see torrential rainfall hit many areas of kyushu. the rainy season usually moves upward as the season progresses. it hasn't done that. it has been with us over the past seven days or so. it will likely stay near japan into next tuesday. more ample moist air will be flowing in. that will cause more rain fall. from tonight into saturday, a long line of heavy rainfall stretching from kyushu into central japan. thunderstorms, even tornadoes are possible along the front. the total rainfall for the next 48 hours could be up to 350 millimeters, although some areas have already seen nearly one meter of rainfall. more rain will definitely raise the potential for flooding and landslides and due to a low pressure system, the toe uk queue region will see drenching rainfall into the region. heavy rainfall in many places of

china. take a look at this impressive video. residents in southern china are dealing with devastating heavy rain and flooding. high water levels have caused rivers to expand past its banks, inundating homes and stranding people. state media reported at least 1400 people have either died or gone missing. rescue workers have been doing all they can to help others to safety including a week-old newborn baby. unfortunately more rain is on the way, but this front will likely shift towards the north a little bit. areas to the north of wuhan will see heavy rainfall. nearly 200 millimeters of rain is possible for the next week or so. additional rain will likely cause more disasters in china. temperatures are going to be in the 20s in many places of china, 31 in seoul and tokyo, 29 on

your saturday. that's it for me. stay safe. ♪ that's all for this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara in tokyo.

thanks for watching, and do stay with us for more. the coronavirus has sent chills through the aviation industry as it grounds flights around the world. noww japan's ana holdings is freezing most of itsts hiring. all nippon airways budget carrier, peach aviation and other group firms had plans to hire about 200,0000 peoplee includining graraduate studentst sbring. that's beeeen put on hold due t thee cloudy out put.

the group has canceled or reduced about half its domestic flights in july and around 90% of its international journeys. but offers made to about 600 vocational stool students will not be canceled. they can still expect to start next spring in jobs such as loading cargo at airports. this is "newsline" biz, i'm gene otani. japan's largest convenience store operators are reporting a loss in profits as covid-19 keeps customers at home. the lawson group saw operating profit fall more than 80% from march to may from the same period a year earlier to around $24 million. family mart's profit fell 54% to $84 million. 7 seven japan was down 13% to around $490 million. the companies say a drop in business due to emergency measures during the period

forced them to close stores and shorten operating hours. the decline in sales was especially sharp at outlets in office districts a and resort areas. slipper manufacturers in northern japan are getting a boost in orders due to the coronavirus pandemic. some people overseas where shoes are usually worn in the home now want to use the i indoor footwe to reduce the risk of infection. one company in yamagata prefecture has been making slippers for more than 100 years. it began producing them for e port for the first time after reaching a deal with a u.s. firm last month. >> translator: japan's unique and clean hief style in which people take their shoes off when entering homes is attracting attention from abroad. we want to seize this opportunity to tap overseas market. >> the company has modified

markets made of canvas originally intended for the domestic market to meet the needs of foreign buyers. a special artificial leather is used for the sole. it's highly breathable and said to produce less harmful waste when it's disposed. the company plans to ship the first 240 pairs as early as next weekend. other manufacturers in the town are also gearing up for export. presumptive democratic presidential nominee joe biden has unveiled his plan to put the u.s. economy back on track. he says the proposals would create 5 million new jobs in manufacturing and other sectors as unemployment surges amid the cocoronavirus. >> when we spend taxpayer's money, we should use it to buy american products and support american jobs. >> biden said his administration

would spend $700 billion in his first four-year term. $400 billion of that would be used to buy american-made goods and services. the remaining $300 billion would be spent on research and development of leading-edge technologies, inud colluding the development of artificial intelligence, the next generation 5g communications platform and electric vehicles. biden also said the united states cannot sit back and watch china engage in violation of intellectual property rights and unfair trade practices. japan's government is pushing to solve a dispute over its super fast transport lynn north korea the country. the conflict is threatening to delay the $84 billion maglev train project. on friday vice transport minister met the president of

central japan railway which is building the line. the maglev will zoom from tokyo to nagoya and up to 500 kilometers per hour. j.r. tokai plans to open the link in 2027. a dispute between the firms and local authorities over the construction of a tunnel in the prefecture could derail that. the government is worrieded abo the impacact on water resources. fujita urged pushing ahead with prpreparatory work for the tunn but holding off on construction until a panel of governmentt expertss gives environmental clearance. the president said he would take firm action to resolve the situation. fujita later asked the prefecture to allow the preparatory work to begin as soon as possible this month. but the governor refused to agree. passengers on the line will be able t to travel the nearly 30

kilometers to nagoya in just 40 minutes. a venture business has begun testing its digital local currency using blockchain technology at a university in northeast japan. they developed the digital currency i in cooperation witite universisity in fukushima prefecture. testing started this month at the cafeteria's universities and shops. users need to download a special app on their smart phones. they can exchange yen at checkout counters. when a salesperson enters the price of a product into a tablet computer, a qr code will be displayed. the user scans the code with his or her smart phone camera to make a payment. officials say the blockchain technology prevents duplicate payments and counterfeiting with a high degree of security. >> t translator: it t was a lon rocky road for researchers. i'm very glad we were finally

able to introduce this digital currency. >> the officials say they hope to increase the number of shops where the currerency can be use in the city. let's have a look at the markets.

from the "newsline biz" team in tokyo, i'm gene otani. thanks very much for joiningng .

>> the u.k. list quarantine roasted dozens of countries, paving the way for british holidaymakers to jet off to the sun and tourists to come back to london. we will speak with a correspondent and moments. poland's presidential race is on a knife edge. the two are neck and neck in the polls on this final day of campaignin