maintain your health deliciously. ready when you are. nhk world-japan. ♪ hello. thank you for joining us on nhk "newsline." official here in tokyo are raising an alert following a spike in coronavirus infections, manyny of w which cannot be tra. the capital is warning residents to be aware of transmission hotspots with many cases known for entertaininment and night life.

>> translator: we decided that we need to raise the alert levels too warn residents that infection is spreading >> a surge in cases was rorted late last week when daily infection numbers topped 200 for totals have dipped slightly since monday, but numbers remain higher than in previous weeks. experts say it's becoming more difficult to figure out how people became infected. and they're concerned that trend will continue. >> translator: in four weeks, the number of untraceable cases could be 16 times as many as now. that means about 1,200 people. if it continues t to double, eit weeks from now the figure will increase by 256 fold. >> the governor is once again calling on residents to stay within the prefecture unless cross-border travel is absolutely necessary. she's also asking people not to

visit restaurants and night clubs that aren't practicing proper safety measures. the rise in infections is not limited in tokyo. 450 cases were confirmed across the country on wednesday, the highest since the nationwide state of emergency was lifted in may. so far, more than 23,000 people have tested positive. nearly a thousand have died. meanwhile, the japanese government will take opinions from experts on a package of measures to boost consumption and help the economy rebound from the outbreak. the government plans to launch its go-to campaign next week. it covers tourism, restaurant and other industries hit by the virus. but there are concerns the campaign could spread infection. opposition parties and some local governments are calling for the program to be cancelled or postponed. >> translator: i don't think this is t the right time to car outt the campaign across the

country givenen the cururrent circumstances. i'm against it. >> the government will hold a meeting of its panel on coronavirus measures on thursday. it includes infectious disease experts and prefectural governors. government officials plan to explain details of the campaign and hear views from the participants. >> translator: we hope to reboot the whole economy by aiding coronavirus-hit industries such as tourism and food service. >> some members of the ruling camp say the campaign should be rolled out in limited regions. the government plans to study measures to prevent infection and ways to carry out the campaign, taking the experts' opinions into consideration. south korean media say the late mayor of seoul mayay have been tippedd o off about a sexu

harassment complaint against him before apparently taking his own life. pack won-soon reported lee might have learned about the complaint on wednesday last week when police briefed the presidential office on it. his body was found in the early hours of friday. police believe the case was a suicide. in the complaint, lawyers say his formrmer secretary accused m of sexual harassment over at least four years, calling for a probe into the case. this week, seoul officials said they plan to investigate the allegations against park with outside experts. some civic groups have filed complaints against the presidential office and police for allegedly leaking classified information. a an eu court has anulled a ordeder by the european commissn for apple to pay a large amount of back taxes to irish authororities t. european union general court said the commisission did not provide

enough evidence showing apple was giviven an illegal advantag. in 2016, the commission demanded the irish government impose 13 billion euros or about $13 billion in back taxes on apple. it claims the back taxes on the it giant constituted illegal subsidies. paid $16.3 billion including interest saying the government was cooperating in tax collection as an eu member. even so the government disputed the decision and took the case to court. the eu has been taking a tougher stance on corporate tax collection, saying many firms including u.s.-based google, apple, facebook and amazon pay taxes that are considerably out of line with their huge profits as they have bases in countries with low corporate tax rates. but the ruling may have become a

setback for eu's stepped up measures. the apparent suicide of a japanese pro-wrestler is raising questions about what goes on behind the scenes of reality tv. she appeared in fuji television's popular reality show "terrace house tokyo." the program broadcast a scene where the 22-year-old knocked the cap off a cast mate who damaged her wrestling costume. the incident triggered a vicious cyber bullyingg campaign. the star's mother says the action was out of character for her, saying the staff told her to attack him. >> translator: hannah told me the staff suggested she slap the man. >> she says her daughter had to sign an agreement saying she would do whatever staff asked of her. now the mother is filing an ethics complaintnt with thee me watchdog group.

>> translator: if i don't do anything, people will rememembe hannah as a violent person. i can'tt allow that. i want people to know the truth. i want to restore my daughter's honor. >> she argues the show violated her daughter's rights by giving an inaccurate depiction of the type of woman she was. in the age of the coronavirus, people are staying home not for work but for socializing too. the setting is inspiring south korean drinkers to try fresh and exciting takes on traditional liquor. nhnhk world kim chan-ju has mor. >> reporter: going for a post-work drink has taken a new meaning in south korea.

people like this man used to hit the town, but now they invite frfriends home instead. >> kim's passion is traditional microbreweries. there are more than 1,000 across south korea. kim uses a new subscription seservice to get ahold of hard-to-find drinks. >> translator: there's nothing artificial. you can really taste the ingredients. every region ididifferent.t. when you sample a liquor, there's always something that stands out. >> reporter: these small batch drinks are made with local ingredients using time-honored methods. until recently, traditional alcohol was seen as something that only appealed to older drinkers. but now it's getting culture status among young people, who prize limited concoctions for their rarity.

the shift is h helping to breat new life into the scene. >> 29 this is 29-year-old opened the brewery in seoul last year. he makes a popular drink made with fermented rice and water. he was inspired by some unusual beers from the brewery in denmark where he was studying at the time. >> translator: one beer was made with burnt kelp, others with things like cucumber and coriander seeds. it was so unique and interesting. i was like, wow, can beer really be made with these ingredients? >> reporter: lee realized the same approach cocould be used. he started by infusing his brews with pomegranate and hibiscus. for his first attempts, he found the flavors largely disappeared after fermentation.

so he borrowed a method used in craft beer and added his ingredients inin the final stag of production. after some trial and error, he had a product ready for market. >> mm, verery sweet. it traditionally has a heavy milky taste, but compared to that, this is very light to drink. >> reporter: some were quick to dismiss lee's drink as inauthentic,c, but he wasn't toe deterred and his drinks gradually earned a reputation for their distinctive qualities. he now has 80 clients across the country. >> translator: i want to change the image. by expanding the range of flavors, i want to make a drink that complements a whole range

of cuisines whether it be pizza, hamburgers, chinese or italian. >> reporter: young people with bold new ideas are shaking up traditional thinking on alcohol. and adventurous young consumers are giving them the support they need to break through. kim chan-ju, nhk world. and now for world weather we turn to our meteorologist tsietsi monare. hello tsietsi. >> hello. >> so, let's start with italy. it was hit by rain on wednesday leading to devastatation. whatat's the situation on thursday. >> the last 24 hours have been quite unstable for s southern italy. the weather turned a little bit there. they saw heavy rainfall that plummeted the area. let's get a look at this footage to get an idea of what happened there. over 125 millimeters of rain fell in just two hours. many vehicles were submerged.

two people died in the flood water. quite devastating events that took place in southern italy. and over the next couple of hours into your thursday we're seeing a little bit of development just across the southern regions there. some moisture developing. some strong winds are coming up. but things should turn slightly back to normal except maybe for temperatures slowly rising along those parts. most parts of europe are experiencing as well. there are low pressure systems that are causing unstable weather there. strong gusts could be coming in. possibility towards much of high wind as a cold front and low pressures develop there. temperatures as i mentioned getting much hotter. if you look at lisbon, 38 degrees. some parts could go as high as 40 degrees. spain getting hot. warm air coming in from africa affecting the weather there.

in the united states, similar weather. towards the west, they've been struggling with hot conditions across the four corners. temperatures in places such as death valley going towards 50 degrees. the there is a cold front across the midwest leading to unstable weather conditions, thunderstorms, possibility of tornados in some areas have been reported so take area. across airbor across asia, we'll see rainy conditions return towards much of western japan. slightly clear weather coming up for tokyo. a bit of a break thursday. temperatures increasing about 27 degrees and cooling down to 24 by friday. that's all for now. take care. ♪ ♪

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that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." thank you for staying with us. ♪ ♪ welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm yanaka marie. the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped the world and changed how we live. these days, we're doing many things remotely, whether it be working from home or drinking with friends online. even so, many of us miss the interaction and convenience that only face to face meetings can

provide. today, we look at some innovations that are lending our isolated lifestyles a social touch. our first story explores the wonders of a new kind of consumer experience, shopping in the virtual world. it's a growing sector that offers enormous flexibility for retail. and unlike traditional ecmerce, it has a personal element. the scene will look familiar to tokyo residents. it's the back up for a vr shopping event. like any vr world, t the user adopopts an avatar t to move ar. it's like a 3d puppet, a puppet that's ready to shop. and virtual market is the place to spend real money. lastst held in april, t the eve attracted 43 companies to set up stores. ranging from convenience chains to clothing outlets. let's start with a show room for

a german auto maker. inside, an impressiv display of electric vehicles. visitors can take a ride before the cars arrive in japanese dealerships. that's done from within your vr goggles, offering a realistic driving experience. for companies, the big advantage of vr is the abibility to stati staff in their virtual stores. at this department store, staff use physical demonstrations to pitch their products and highlight why it's a must-buy for the customer. here's what's happening behind the scenes. store employees working from home are controlling their avatars remotely.

>> if a clench a sale, staff c n direct customers to the store's website to make a purchase. this store manager says he's impressed by the customer engagement in the virtual world. >> the virtual store had ten times as many visitors as we expected. >> a big hitter in telecommunications was just as busy connecting with avatar customerers. it believe vrvr shopping can accelerate uptake of 5g networks. >> t translator: withh 5g, imim will be sharper, and responsnse times will be quickcker which wl lead to more enjoyable vr experienence. >> accordiding to the event organizer, that realistic experience offers retailers a powerful new way to market their

products. simply put, it brings the salesperson back to life. >> translator: this is a step beyond ecommerce. we call itrc it offffers unique experiences like virtual staff serving customers. as a business, it has great potential. >> his company plans to hold another event at the end of this year. far from slowing down, the coronavirus may actually be taking the brave new world of shopping to the next level. >> in this new world of vr commerce, shops are no longer bound by geographical barriers even when offering semi-real interactions. now they have access to potentially unlimited markets and opportunities. but reta but retail isn't the only area where vr is breaking down physical barriers. as our next report shows for the growing ranks of employees punching their time cards from home, virtual reality is helping to make remote work feel a

little less remote. >> reporter: thiss woman works n an office in suburban tokyo. she and her colleagues work at an advertising firm. they clock in at 9:00 a.m. from various locations. >> i can see my team members here. this is me. this person is in saitama. and this guy over here is in nagano. the other three have logged in from chiba. >> employees feel like they are working under the same roof. that is partly because thehey c easily see what each other is doing. they set their status too avavailable, away, o on thehe p or busy. when they want to check if someone is available, they move the cursor over to the person's

avatar and the status pops up. this service is designed to provide something that many remote workers feel is lacking, close communication. a recent survey shows that nearly half of such people believe they don't give or receive words of appreciation like they used to. about 40% say they have less opportunity to chat and share ideas with colleagues, do not pay attention to colleagues' work progress or help each other as much as before. the president of the company believes that a common problem of remote workingng is that tea membmbers can't s see what each otherr is up to. >> japanese workers try to read the situation and carry out their duties accordingly. since we cannot see other situations while teleworking,

think many workers find it hard to communicate. >> she calls on colleagues directly even for small issues, as long as they are available. >> in a real office, i have experienced great ideas coming out of casual conversation. i thinink this system provides very close environment. >> an expert in teleworking thinks vr offices could catch on in japan in the future even if the coronavirus g goes away. >> japanese firms have recognized the importance of workining together in the samam office, feeling the sincece of unity. in a crowded offiloud office, pe together spiritually, so i think more offices will have vr offices. >> vr offices are becoming theh new normal in japan. some are proving that online

workplaces don't just keep people connected but can foster strong team worork no matter whe they happen to be. nhk world. > it's easy to see how interacting this way could work for people who already know each other well and are familiar with the work flow. but according to the company, it's's not a as effective when training new hires. i says the dee key to finding t best approach for everyone is flexibility. managers are working on determining the right working environment for each task. so far we've seen how avatars can be useful in the virtual world. our n next r report shohows how can be just as effective in the real world. >> a robot glides around a room at this support center.

on the screen, a mother and son are joined with the computer in their home. they check with staffff as they inspect the titles on the shelf. this robot service went on trial for two weeks in may, winning positive reviews. >> translator: i'm still anxious about taking my son out, so i decided to give this a try. it was really fun. he w was able to use thehe robo pick out a book. >> the machine is the creation of a start up. the on set of coronavirus pandemic has forced them to use ththe robot in a w wide range o scenarios. >> previouslsly a lot of people approached us because we can use the r robot for privavacy tetechnologigies or iot stuff. but now peoplple come up with

specificic use case like w we w to use your robot in our store because the customer cannot come. >> the avatar is proving useful in hospitals where it provides the safe way for people to communicate at distance. this hospital in kaga are using the robot to connect families with their sick loved ones. they say even though it's a machine, it provides a personal touch. and unlike other form off technology, it offers comomplety hands free so medical staff don't need to be present to assisist. >> translator: the avatar can move around and makes you feel as if someone is really there. the robot will help to ease the loneliness our patients feel.

>> an avatar service can work in all kind of situations and help to make the transition to a new way of life smarter and safer. nhk world. >> operating the robot is easy. alall you need is access to a computer to. steer, you simply press the arrow keys. another factor in its favor is comp. facilities can rent one of these robots for a thousand dollars a month. that's why local governments are taking a keen interest. after all, medical facilities and family support centers need to be accessible for everyone. kaga city was so impressed with the robot at its hospital that officials put avatars in some of its schools too. the developer is now working on a new project, a vr system that allows the user to remotely control a pair of robotic hands. it even transmits exactly what the avatar hands are feeliling.

it's the kind of idea that could allow experts in all kinds of precise manual work to assist people anywhere in the world. as the saying goes, human beings are social animals. we need the company of other people to survive. so, it's difficult irony that isolation is now proving equally important for our well being. the challenge is to resolve this dilemma by finding new ways to bring people together. it's a quest that's driving exciting innovation. throughout history, humans have shown that in times of crisis, they will always find ways to adapt as we are right now. and that's all for this edition of "newsline in depth." thank you for watching our program, and make sure to do so next time too. ♪

>> egypt asks for claririficatin after ethiopia announces it has started filling a controversial dam on the blue nile. this is "al jazeera" live from london. civilians dozens of have been killed in saudi-let airstrikes in yemen. the u.s. intensifies pressure on beijing announcing visasa restrictions on chinese technology companies including huawei. and the u.s. trial of