♪ thank you for joining us. from our studio in tokyo, this is nhk "newsline." we begin in japan where the rising numumr of corononavirus cases have reported a new for infebs thursday, breaking a record set only a week before. the capital confirmed 286 cases, a return to a recent trend

following slightly lower counts. the numbers prompted officials to exclude tokyo from an upcoming tourism campaign. those in charge of japan's coronavirus response consulted experts on the decision after local governments and opposition lawmakers s raised concerns. >> translator: they approved our plan to e exclude from the go-t campaiai trips to tokyo including travel within the cacapital and travel by tokyo residents. >> people in other parts of the country will still be eligible for travel subsidies aimed at promoting local tourism. the government hopes it'll encourage spending as people adjust to a new normal. across the country, more than 600 cases were confirmed thursday, marking the highest number of daily infections in about three monthsment it brings the national total to more than

23,000 cases. nearly 1,000 people have died. the united states, britain, and canada say a russian group is very likely to have mounted cyber attacks to collect research data on coronavirus vaccines. intelligence agencies made the announcement in statements on thursday. the u.s. national security agency says a cyber espionage group publicly known as apt 29 targeted organizations in all three nations. they include think tanks as well as governmental and health care institutions. the agency says it's highly likely the group intends to steal information and intellectual property related to the development and testing of covid-19 vaccines. it says the group is almost certainly part of the russian intelligence services. the u.s. statement says apt 29 is using custom malware known as wellmess and wellmail.

the agencies did not mention whether any vaccine information has been stolen. in response, a spokesperson for the russian president said we can say o one thing, russia had nothing to do with these attacks. the russian direct investment fund is seeking to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus. its chief executive officer said pepeople apprehensnsive about t success of a russian vaccine are trying to tarnish its reputation. the french prime minister has revealed a plan that would make it mandatory to wear masks in enclosed public spaces. it comes amid signs of a reresurgence of f coronavirus s infectctions. >> traranslator: weaearing mask willll be mandatorory in all buildingngs where orornary citizens can freely enter. >> castex says the measure will take effect next week. after france eased restrictions on economic activities, new cases began popping up in parts

of the country, raising fears the virus could again spread nationwide. on tuesday, president emmanuel macron suggested in a tv interview his government would require masks in all closed public spaces in the coming weeks. similar measures are being taken in other parts of europe. the british government plans to make it mandndatory for people wear face coverings in shops and supermarkets starting on july 24th. masks are already compulsory on buses and trains. in parts of spain, including catalonia and andalusia, wearing masks has been required in both indoor and outdoor public spaces. > nhk has learned the japanee government has decided on details of a plan to give financial aid to farms moviirms away from china and other countries. the subsidies are said to total

roughly $650 million. the government began discussing the plan after the plan saw face masks and other products stock earlier this year amid the global spread of the coronavirus. the shortage is stemmed partly from a heavy reliance on shipments from china. the sours say the government has decided to help fund 57 individual plants to ship factories to japan. the firm said to receive subsidies include a mask maker and a producer of alcohol disinfectant. the government will also support 30 other projects to move masks and other output to southeast asian countries such as vietnam and thailand. the government is said to publish a list of the firms getting subsidies as early as friday. the u.s. attorney general is accusing major tech companies and entertainment giantss of easily -- too easily bowing to

the demands of the chinese k communist party. >> over the years corporations such as google, microsoft, yahoo and apple have shown themselves all too willing to collaborate with the ccp. >> barr pointed to apple's recent decision to remove access for chinese customers to a news app that china's government took issue with over its coverage of hong kong protests. he also blamed hollywood for regularly censoring movies. barr called on the companies to resist chinese pressure. he said beijing takes aim at u.s. businesses through cyber attacks and the theft of ideas. the u.s. has recently ramped up its criticism of china. president donald trump signed an executive order this week that ends preferential economic and trade treatment for hong kong. other top officials have denounced china's maritime aggression. moving to taiwan where

president tsai ing-wen is stressing her military abilities. >> translator: security is not somemething that can be exploit by others. we d demonstratete that we are forces that will train during the peacetime and able to fight during times of emergency. >> the drill is intended to protect the island against a possible invasion from the chinese mainland.d. more than 8,000 military personnel from the army, navavy and air f force carried out a joint live fire drill in the central city on thursday. the drill scenario assumed that chinese war planes and vessels suddenly began a landing attack. taiwan's m main stain f-16 fighr jets and armored vehicles fought back from the air and land. officials say that on the

previous day, the drill also included submarine torpedo firing for the first time in 13 years. taiwan is becoming increasingly vigilant as chinese war planes have recently been spotted in airspace near the island. officials say such fly byes occurred nine times in june for a total of 16 this year. the number more than tripled from last year. meanwhile the u.s. is strengthen security ties with taiwan in a bid to counter china's move. earlier this month, washington approved a $620 million upgrade package for taiwan's surface to air missiles. protesters in the united states are refusing to back down. they say they'll keep marching to demand an end to racial injustice. and as we'll see in our next story, leaders in corporate america have been eager to show their support. >> reporter: the protests erupted in late may following

the police murder of george floyd. the demonstrators are mostly young and ethnically diverse. they say that inaction leads to ignorance and a continuance of racial oppression. their voices have reached the board rooms of some of the world's most popular compapanie. leaders at nike reacted quickly, posting support of the movement on their website. the ceo kicked off his june earnings call with a pledge to take action. >> over the past month, we've seen racial tragedies expose systemic prejudice and injustice in america. and nike has a long history of standing up against inequality, driven by our values and rooted in the power of sport. today, we are uniting bliehind r black athletes, teammates and communities as nike continues to

lead with purpose. >> reporter: demographics may be one reason that businesses have been swift to act. the protests include people of all ages but most are in their 30s or younger. that's the segment of the consumer market called millennials and generation z, companies try hardest to attract. one analyst says supporting the goals of these young protesters makes good business sense. >> this generation is liberalal mostly. they believe in, for instance, climate change. that's an imporortant issue for them. they believe in social justice. and this is a huge social justice issue that they want companies not just to say, yes, we support this cause, but to actually do something about it. i i think in general, it's not wise strategy if you're

targeting young people. >> some companies have already made substantial donations to the black lives matter movement. with no end in sight to the protests, those gestures of support are likely to continue. and now for world weather, we turn to our meteorologist yoko coup yoko komagata. hello, yoko. people in japan may be facing potentially dangerous weather this weekend. what are the main concerns. >> we still have active rainy season from china to japan on friday. so, large amount of rainfall has already fallen in the area. but more rain is expected on the front throughout the weekend. into tokyo this morning and that may become heavier at times especially along the coastline. and heavier rain is also likely in okinawa with up to 100 millimeters possible. may have stormy weather on

friday with a high of 29 degrees. a few showers are expected in tokyo and gloomy skies will persist in the area throughout the weekend. meanwhile, fukuoka has a chance of sunny skiesment for the west we have the same frontal system extending into central china. people have been experiencing major flooding and landslides and heavy rain is not over yet. auththorities inn chihina a are seriouou stepsps t t ppare for more floododg. almost 30,000 closures and some helicopters have been working on high risk rivers. water levels have remained extremely hi in parts of f e riversrs for days in a row people were advedo stay alert for m slide as me rai expecd. chongqin s more tha 150 llimeterof rainn the pt hours o topf tt u t

300 llimeter of adsh nal rainfa toughouthe next4 hour be t biggest concern.desill expect stormy weather with a high of 27 degrees and some showers will move into shanghai as we go into friday. finally in europe, people in the balkans are dealing with hot and dry weather. the recent drought conditions have created wild fires no. rainfall is expected for the next few days. the high will be 32 degrees on friday. that's all for now. stay safe. ♪

that wraps u up this hour. thank you for staying with us on nhk "newsline." ♪ ♪ welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm yanaka marie. the coronavirus pandemic has been driving many businesses to the brink. with shoppers avoiding crowd. today we look at some creative responses that aim to turn the negative into opportunity. japanese manufacturers are famous for quality.

that's because big brands have solid ties with the small factories that make their parts. in a coronavirus world, however, these connections aren't always the best thing. our story looks at a service that may provide a solution by matching factories to hidden possibilities. >> japan'ss s supply chain has n ravaged by the ongoing health crisis. without being able to receive parts, many large manufacturers were forced to stop production. this didn't just affect larger companieies. it alslso had a d devastates im on the smaller local manufacturers that they outsourced to. these smaller companies often rely on only two or three main clients. the need to break this reliance on just a few large clients, this m man set out to expapd thr clientele.e. > most of these smamall manufacturers have tradiditionay

depended on l long steadady relationonships with an extxtre limiteted numberr of c clients. it s sounds eye doleideal. this can be quite risky. if justt one of the clienents cancels,s, it can leaead to rui. we ananalyze the strengths a an spialtiess each has so w we can set pricing commensurate with the surveillance services they offer. >> he created an onlinine p plam toto help match thehese local companies with clients from all over japan. popotential client companies upload their desesign sophistications for unique algorithms to analyze. they cross reference the design requirements with fraction capabilities and pricing of all 600 member companies. in just seven seconds, prospective clients are provided with the best company to suit their needs as well as a cost estimate. the key to making estimates so accurate is the degree of information member manufacturers supply about their capabilities.

his company gathers 500 points ranging from technical capabilities and product quality to delivery and pricing details. this allows the system to accurately quantify and evalulue the proroduction capabilities o member manufacturers. in addition to providing the evaluatition service, its compa alalso act as an additional lev of quality control, checking each order before sending it on to the client. >> by usising our plplatform, clients c can receive c compone from cututting edgee produducera competetite price. d our member manufacacturersan ususeur p platform too find n n clientss that cann make usese o ththeir unique offerings.. so, w we really do facilitate win/win relationships. >> recently, demand for medical equipment such as ventilators and medical grade air purifiers has exploded in response to

covid-19. medical device makers who cannot get enough components from their standard suppliers are using the platform to find new suppliers to help them ramp up production. this small company recently received orders to create parts for medical devices. while they mainly produce components for sesemiconductor makers, adding new clients in completely different fieldlds h allowed them to obtbtain a h hi degree off risk aversion. >> i think things will continue to be tough, but we're getting a lot of orders coming in from new clients that we never could have imagined wororking with befofor. i wawas realllly l lucky to fin platform when i did. otherwise, whoho knowswshat wou hahave happened to us during th health crisis? > he feelss his platfororm dt just connect companieses it maximizes t t busininess popotential foror its memberr manufafacturers. > translatotor: suddenlyy shg to m making parts for an entnti

newwlient i is challenging. once t they get ovever the leae curve, their skillll and prowes can take over. i hope to change the industry by getting these smaller companies to broaden their clientele. >> each small factory has its area of expertise. so, being able to choose the right one can lead to higher quality and speed. by introducing companies to each other, the online platform reveals hidden potential. it's a great way to deal with the crisis and could inspire other industries in these difficult times. speaking of adapting to the post-coronavirus world, our next story looks at a couple of companies that are taking technology intended for one purpose and using it for another. they're coming up with safer shopping or dining experiences to deliver their customers peace of mind. >> a home improvement store near

tokyo. since may, the building has had monitors and 3d sensors at every entrance. the sensors keep track of people entering and leaving. and the monitoring indicate how crowded it is inside. the level of congestion and indicated by the color. when there are moree than 500 customers in the store, the display turns red. the app responds by temporarily restricting the number of people coming in. >> we can see how many people are inside, so we don't need to woworry. potential customers can also see how crowded it is, and they might use that information to decide not to enter. so, it's a plus for both sides. >> the original idea behind the technology was to help shops gauge customer movements and purchasing habits. but with the spread of the coronavirus, the developer realized the potential for the system to measure congestion levels too.

>> translator: of course customers are important for business, but the benefit of the system is that it reduces stress for the staff. >> this promotional video explains a new kind of restaurant ordering system currently in development. a menu is projected on to a table. customers navigate it by touch. there's no need for interaction between the staff and diners. that reduces the chance of infection. diners can use a qr code to pay at the table so they don't have to hand over cash or a card. because the system doesn't involve printed menus or hand held devices, employees only have to disinfect the table. >> translator: the original purpose for this was to address japan's labor shortage. but we could see that it's also useful for preventing close contact between people.

we're hoping to commercialize and releas it soon. >> with a few tweaks to existing technology, businesses are findining noin vative ways to kp consumers safe from harm. now our final story looks at a fun promotion for japan's fishing industry. it began as a light-hearted campaign before the coronavirus, but it's now become a booster for the industry at a time when orders are down due to falling restaurant sales. this playful program shines an affection n affectionate light on the individuals who catch our dinner. >> fishermen proudly striking a pose.

>> this collection the called aomori appetizers after thehe pt of aomori in northeastern japan. the series currently features about 40 real fishermen displaying their catch and physique. the cards are only available with the purchase of seafood. >> translator: i bought a lot. it's fun because you can see the faces behind the products. you feel the connection. i'll enjoy my seafood tonight thinking about these fishermen. >> translator: i have six cards. aren't they great? the models exude such confidence, and they're so handsome. they should be thrilled to be in the project. >> reporter: the master mooimin behind the collection is an

employee of aomori prefecture's fishery's department. >> translator: this project is turning out to be a big hit. people can't get enough of them. they're selling like hot cakes. >> reporter: from the design to printing, he does all the work himself. the project is meant to address a serious challenge, falling consumption of fish in japan has led to a drop in prices, putting the entire industry in a tight spot. after their launch in december, the cards instantly became a hot topic on social media. they're now in high demand across japan. qr codes on the back link to a website with more than 600 recipes as well as tutorials on how to filet a fish. >> translator: the point is to entice people to buy and eat more seafood. the cards are an interesting and

fun tool to create a kind of cycle. then people will realize how good our seafood is and they'll purchase some more. isn't that great? >> reporter: he steps out of the office to add one more card to the collection. this man owns a fishing company that ships live skid to tokyo. his business has taken a heavy hit from the covid-19 pandemic.

>> translator: even the connection to fishermen will cause people to eat more s seafood. aomori sea food is excellent but it's also fun. we'll continue these campaigns to promote a fun image. >> reporter: who knew? the hearty fishermen ofomori are proving themselves to be quite a catch. >> i'm not a big card collector, but i started to feel like i really want some of these. it's reassuring to see the faces of people who provide your food, and the project is done in a way that's playful and friendly. the recipes on the back are a practical touch, especially now as people who may not usually cook are increasingly eating at home. and that's a look at some positive developments in the post-coronavirus world. living in fear of the virus can be overwhelming. finding creative ways to

overcome the difficulties can help us in our lengthy battle. and that's all for today's "newsline in depth." thanks for watching our program and make sure to do so next time too.

>> russia denies accusations from britain, the u.s., and canada, that it is trying to steal information from researchers working on a covid-19 vaccine. ♪ >> i am lauren taylor. this is "al jazeera," from london. the fbi says it is investigating how hackers hijacked twitter accounts of high-profile people like barack obama, bill gates, and in all and -- and elon musk. the u.s. records more than 3.5 million coronavirus infections. dates and stores take the lead in requiring people to wear masks.