♪ hello. glad to have you with us on nhk "newsline." i'm yamamoto miki in tokyo. we start this hour here in japan. a true travel campaign to bolster the country's economy is now underway. it comes as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise. the go-to campaign officially kicked off on wednesday.

the go-to travel campaign, rather, offers discounts on transportation and accommodation and coupons that can be u used tourist facilities and souvenir shops. the government is urging travel agents and hotel operators to take thorough preventive measures and plans to delist businesses that do not follow the request. >> translator: we are offering cotton swabs to reduce the ris guests can use them tovoid rectly touching buttons. >> the number of iections has been on the rise across japan. 632 cases were reported on tuesday. tokyo has been hit especially hard. in response, the government is excluding businesses and residents in the capital from the campaign. the announcement came after some in the capital had already made reservation. but the government says it will cover cancellation fees. it's also compensating travel agents and hotels for losses

caused by cancellations. the head of one of japan's biggest travel agencies is down playing the campaign's prospects. jtb president says the decision to exclude tokyo is a big blow for ththe tourism sector. >> translator: tokyo is a very big market. cutting out the capital city will make it extremely difficult to generate demand. >> he welcomed the government's decision to compensate people for cancelled trips to and from tokyo. he said, last minute changes in policy were inevitable given the circumstances, but has made it hard for his agency to do its job properly. in dealing with the coronavirus, philippine president rodrigo duterte is threatening to arrest rule-breakers. this comes as the government is trying to drastically increase testing to nearly double the currrrent capacity and test a

tenth of the population in less than a year. so far, authorities have tested over a million people. health secretary francisco duque told the cabinet they plan to bring that total to 10 million. duterte broadcast his intentions to punish anyone who refuses to wear a masask. >> we do not have any qualms in arresting people. during times of health issues, you can because it can be serious crime. >> the government previously said health workers and police will have the power to bring people with mild or no symptoms from their homes to isolation centers. the philippines has the second highest number of cases in southeast asia behind indonesia. cases surged after the

government relaxed lockdown measures last month. the infection total is now above 70,000. more than 1,800 people have died. u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo says he wants to build a global coalition to counter what he calls a threat posed by the chinese communist party. >> we want to see every nation who understands freedom and democracy and values that andnd knows that it's i important to their own people, their own sovereign country, to be successful to understand this threat that the chinese communist party is posing to them and to work both themselves and collectively to restore what is rightfully ours. >> after meeting with british leaders, pompeo told reporters that china has exploited the coronavirus outbreak to further its own i interests rather than help the world. pompeo said the country has been

bullying its neighbors a and pushing its claimss on maritime regions it has no lawful claim to. meanwhile u.s. secretary of defense mark esper has also criticized what he calls china's aggressive behavior in the east and south china sea. >> the pla has increased the numbmber and duration of waters japan's security role is growing. >> japan controls the islands in the east china sea. china and taiwan claim them. ththe japanesee goverernment maintains the islands are inherent part of japan's territory in terms of history and international law. it says there is no issue of sovereignty to be resolved. china is also facing criticism from taiwan which says four of its senior officials were forced to leave hong kong. taiwan's mainland affairs council told nhk the civil

servants returned home earlier this month from its defacto consulate in hong kong. it says authorities would not renew their visas because they refused to sign a statement upholding the one china principle which says taiwan remains a part of china. taiwanese authorities say they will not renew visas for hong kong officials on the island. the new hong kong security bill clamped down on the territory's freedoms and caused a wave of international backlash. two japanese museums dedicated to documenting the 1945 atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki plan to offer virtual tours online. this in cooperation with an international ngo devoted to the elimination of nuclear weapons. they are planning the events as the number of international

visitors to these mumuseums has dropped sharply due to the coronavirus pandemic. kawasaki akira, a member from the international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons, or ican, unveiled the plan online monday. the exhibits at the hiroshima peace memorial museum and the nanagasaki atomic b bomb museuml be shown live on instagram. volunteers and r researchehers universities w will explain the displalays in englglish. >> translator: we want to do everything possible online. we want to offer people abroad anand people who can't come to hiroshima and nagasaki an opportununity to find d out abo the e damage and a aftereffects the e atomic bombings. >> the hiroshima museum will hold a virtual tour on wednesday for about 30 minutes after closing time between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. japan time. the nagasaki museum will hold its online event on friday for

about 30 minutes before opening time between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. japan time. thursday marks the one-year cou countdown to one of the most anticipated olympics and paralympics in history. the coronavirus not only postponed the game. it also wreaked havocs for athletes and brought up issues of fairness. nhk world >> reporter: it's not a typypic practice, but it's what passes forr normal these days w. the olympic and paralympic national trainingng centers closed for t last five months, mexico's top

athletes are staying in shape online. coronavirus cases in the country are on the rise. deaths, the fofourth highest followingg the united states, braz, and uk. first time paralympian has been dreaming of bringing a table tennis medal back to mexico. but stay-at-home measures mean he has no table, training equipment or coach to play with. instead, he focuses on resistance training and analyzing how others play. but that's led to psysychologic stress andnd comparison to athletes elsewhere. >> traranstor: we startingg normal trainining in our area wl be delayed c compared to other countries. i'm very worried about what's happening in mexico. >> reporter: his teammates have

another concern due to the postponement because she has no idea wt her physical conditition will be one year from no >> translator: when feelings start to haunt me and i think that the pain could get worse, i always try to focus on finding the positive. >> reporter: team mexico's predicament is resonating in the host country. this man coached the members in mexico for a year as a government sponsored volunteer. he says he saw first hand the physical, economic and psychological barriers the team members had to beat to earn a paralympic birth. now he's seen them face new hardship and are cheering them on from the other side of the

world. >> translator: i'll be a lucky guy if i can see them play in tokyo. i knoww how hard it would have been if they make it herere. >> r reporter: coach ito's enencouragement is hopinghe athletes stay positive. >> translator: i f feel so popowerlesss not being able to the training, but i can't be dragged down by the situation. >> i want itto to see me playing better than ever. >> reporter: the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus has been a huge blow to many athletes, but they ar holding on to the hope that their devotion to sports will lead to a golden opportunity, the chance to represent theirir country i tokyo. nhk world. let's check out the world weather with our meteorologist tsietsi monare. so, tsietsi, the risk of growing fires in parts of the united states is a major concern in recent weeks. what's the latest situation

there? >> yeah, there are some critical fire danger warnings and fire danger conditions that we should expect due to hot and dry weather just persisting across much of western united states. and for the next couple of hours or so we need to look for severe conditions including dry conditions, windy weather and also hot weather. so, those combination will lead to the spread and development of those fires. and also the possibility of dry lightning causing m more fires. let's drufjump into the footage see where a fire in rural california grew too almost 50 square kilometers on monday. several communities have been evacuated and essential fiberoptic cable was damaged impacting communication over those parts. some highways have been closed due to the smoke. you can see the smoke is going to be quite thick and will lead to some visibility being quite a problem and a challenge along those parts. in other parts though, right across the central part, going all the way towards the east we

see severe thunderstorms developing due to the warmer temperatures that are circulating around low pressure and causing unable weather conditions to continue. temperatures across the u.s. stretching toward the central south as well as into much of the eastern side of the united states going to be quite hot, las vegas around 41 on wednesday, new york at 30 also coupled with thunderstorms, so could be quite devastating in certain parts. theest are of the united states and towards north america, we see slightly cooler conditions for canada, vancouver 22, winnipeg quite warm at 29. and cloud cover stretching across the plains going towards the midlantic. across asia there's the strong frontal system leading to heavy rainfall in parts of china. they're dealing with some evacuation as well as some preparation. it's all quite strong, especially effecting from the west going back through the yellow sea as well as over in south china sebringing heavy rainfall and leading to flooding and also temperatures still

quite warm. seoul at 26. tokyo around 28 degrees. and we'll see central and western japan being warmer into those lower 30s from fukuoka towards osaka. that's all for the weather. take care. ♪ ♪

>> that's nhk "newsline" for this hour. i'm yamamoto miki in tokyo. thank you for staying with us. ♪ welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm shibuya aki. if the coronavirus has changed two things in society more than anything else, it's how we work and the way we interact. adapting to life in the pandemic presents challenges to us all, especially to the most

vulnerable. today, we look at two groups of people searching for a way forward in a vastly altered world. in our first report, we visit a business which, like many, is being hit hard by falling sales. for the time being, the workers are carrying on by reaching out to the community that has supported them. the company's making products to give rather than sell. >> reporter: it looks a bit like jelly, but these colorful fruit-shaped creations are actually bars of soap. the company that makes them sells 200,000 a year. the products are the handiwork of a dedicated team of 26 disabled employees. these workers have earned a reputation for their impressive skills. three years ago, they helped the company become profitable. but now as the coronavirus batters the economy, their efforts are under threat.

the head of the company has responded by adopting strict hygiene practices in the workplace. >> translator: to ensure physical distancing there's a limit of people in the room. >> make up more than half of his disabled employees. he also speaks with them before work each day. >> translator: is it really essential that you go out? if not, then you probably shouldn't. obviously you need to eat every day, but if you have clothes, you don't need to go shopping for more. >> like many businesses, the company has recorded a sharp drop in sales. shops that sell the soaps account for 90% of earnings, but they all closed or cut back their hours. to safeguard jobs, the company split its workers into two

groups, reducing crowding and limiting the risk of infection. >> translator: our sales could opotentially drop by 60% or 70%. >> reporter: one employee approached him to seek reassurance. >> there a are so manyny things going on due to the coronavirus, but we won't lose our jobs, right? >> translator: we're going to think very carefully about your jobs and do our best to protect everybody. that's the responsibility we have to you. >> reporter: all of the employees have been thinking about what they can do to help the company make it through this difficult time. one idea involves giving to the community. we hope everyone will wash their hands and stay healthy every day. the company is reusing scraps from its m manufacturing proces to create free soap.

it's donated 3,000 bars to the local government and sent out more than 8,000 to people who send requests. >> translator: there aren't many places where people with disabilities can work. i feel that if we don't stand by them now, they'll be forced to return to a society where they struggle to find employment. >> reporter: kambara recognizes the voofl community building. just as he has nurtured a team of disabled workers in his business, he understands that reaching out to the wider community could be the key to its survival. >> andnd as you've probably guessed, the soap donations were in high d demand and much appreciated. meanwhile, kambara worries how the coronavirus will affect societies. it's only in the last few years that job opportunities have

increased in japan for those with disabilities. if there's any solution, he believes in human relationships. the local community supported him when he was setting up his company. now, he's giving something back, building on a relationship that has taken an unexpected turn with the outbreak of the virus. meanwhile, stay-at-home orders are changing the lives of another culture group, the elderly. japan is home to more than 6 million people over the age of 65 who live alone. unlike younger generations who can interact over smartphones and computers, many seniors struggle to navigate the internet and social media. a recent survey of 4,000 elderly people in tokyo asked how they're coping with the pandemic. many answered they're lonely without anyone to talk to while some said they simply feel stressed out. others said they most feared dying alone.

we've visited with a housing complex in tokyo where many single seniors are deaealing wi this new levevel of isolation. >> reporter: the new town complex has 12,000 house holds. about a third of them are elderly people who live alone. many people in their 30s and 40s moved here with their children around 30 years ago. now, they're getting old. this 78-year-old is ahead of the complex's volunteer association. more and more residents a elderly people on their own, so he organized activities to help them socialize. he held events almost every day and saved elderly residents from becoming isolated.

♪ but now there's almost no sign of life around the complex. that didn't change even when a state of emergency was lifted in late may. this assembly hall used to bustle with people at events. the metropolitan government demanded it be closed in early april. >> translator: thehe assembly hl is the heart of this complex. if it's not open, the complex will die. >> reporter: since may, volunteers have been giving residents face masks and other supppport. but koyama feels the situation for elderly peoeople is grave. >> translator: will life get better for the elderlyly people? in my opinioion, absolututely n. without human contact, they're completely losing the courage and will to live.

>> reporter: this 90-year-old lives alone. he hasn't been out since march. he lost his wife 12 years ago. since then, his only pleasure has been karaoke in the assembly hall. he says he won't go out because he's afraid of catching the coronavirus. he was alarmed by a mass outbreak at a nearby hospital. 57 people got the virus in april and may. 7 died. and that's not his only concern. >> translator: that'ss a testin center. >> reporter: he can see a pcr

testing center from his balcony. it was set up in early may. he knows the testing center is necessary, but he's worried it might cause him to get the virus. >> translator: i accept that there's no need to worry at the moment, but someone my age has most risk of getting seriously ill. i tell myself, this might be the way my life ends. all sort of things go through my head. >> reporter: meanwhile, an elderly couple have a different concern. this is 84-year-old matsubara massamy and his wife. massamy has mild dimension, but he feels their symptoms got

worse when they stayed indoors during the state of emergency. >> translator: he's getting carefully forgetful. it's not good. >> reporter: he had been going to day care twice a week to slow the progress of his dementia. the daycare facility has reopened, but fear of catching the virus is keeping them away. tammiko asked his doctor whether it was safe to send him back to day care. the doctor said they should make their own decision. >> translator: i'm still fretting about what to do. it's so difficult. i guess no one knows. >> reporter: koyama has spent

years helping elderly people who live in this complex. >> reporter: every light he checks the lights in the windows to make sure the residents are safe and sound. >> translator: i hope everyone's doing well. i wouldn't be surprised if someone died alone tonight. the coronavirus is doing so much damage to people's healtlth. some peoplple are depressed. some have become less mobile. it's become much more likely that peoplee will die alone, an that really worries me. >> reporter: how can elderly people be saved from social isolation in the midst of the pandemic? the search for ansnswers continues. >> the assembly hall reopened on july 17th after setting up anticoronavirus measures. whether it will keep operating as a communal space remains to be seen. elsewhere in japan, the

public and private sectors are working together on ways to keep seniors connected. university students have been exchanging letters with elderly people, and one community has set up a mobile cafe with outdoor seating. meal deliveries have taken a twist as well. a number of communities have started providing affordable meals to elderly people in their homes. in some cases, it's seniors themselves doing the work. they can also stop in for a chat, providing a sense of connection to combat feelings of loneliness. with less physical contact and interaction, it's easy for anyone, not just the elderly, to feel stressed and even depressed. but at the same time, the pandemic gives us the opportunity to stop and look at what's happening and realize other people's feelings may be very similar to our own. whether it's by donating something you've made or checking up on your neighbor, there are ways to be part of our

communities we may not have explored before. thank you for watching, and see you soon. ♪

president trump: it will probably get worse before it gets better. >> coronavirus briefings return. he insists the u.s. is doing well. the statistics do not agree. this is al jazeera, live from london. charges 210 his men were trying to steal research and accuses china of sponsoring them. u.k. government actively

avoided investigating russian interferenn