♪ hello and thank you for joining us on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. the number of coronavirus cases in japan is relatively high. more than 500 infections were reported across the nation on monday. as the virus continues to spread, government is forging ahead with the plan to boost the economy.

one of government's main initiatives is the go-to travel campaign. they kicked off last week and promotes domestic travel by y offering discounts on transport and accommodation. >> translator: i think it's necessary to strike a balance of social and economic activities while taking effective measures to prevent infection. >> but many worry the campaign could fan the spread of the virus. tokyo has been the hot spot and excluded from the travel campaign. they reported 131 new infections on monday with a daily figure exceeding 200 the past six days. and over the weekend, several prefectures had record numbers. 32,000 infections have been confirmed in the case. over 1,000 people have died. clusters have begun emerging in the most out of the way parts of the country. people on remote islands are especially worried, as hospitals there aren't well-equipped to deal with infectious diseases. on the southwestern resort island, 36 cases reported over the past six days. 10 cases are linked to the island's general hospital

inclcluding some staff and patitients. the hospital is now closed to out-patients, except for emergencies. and another cluster was linked to a restaurant. most of the island's 30 bars and restaurants are now closed. > translator: we have over 3 cases on an island of 5,200 people. the rate is very high. there are families with three generations living together. we'll do all we can to prevent household infections. >> municipal leaders and local hotel operate refers calling on people not to visit the island, for now. infectious disease experts are calling on japan's professional baseball and soccer leagues to review their coronavirus policies. it comes after two players and one staff member from a nagoya-based soccer team tested positive before a match on sunday, forcing it to be canceled. a joint task force held an

online meetiting on monday. club officials explained they did not have enough time before the match to establish who had been in close contact with those who were infected. decease experts urged sports officials to find a way to enable any affected team to conduct comprehensive testing before its next game. j league soccer officials said they will review current practices based on the new advice. they plan to number of spectator at each game at 5,000 just like pro baseball. staying with japan. internationally renowned japanese fashion designer yamamto kansai died of leukemia. he was known for avant's gard style dressing celebrities including musician davidid bowi. he died last tuesday in tokyo where e he had been receceiving treatment t since eaier r th year. he worked for other sisigner bebeforeecomominthe firs papaneseo hohold fashionhow in london.

he was 2at the time. he won acclaim for his novel designs and bold dynamic shows inspired by the traditional japanese performing art of kabuki. yamamoto kansai was 76. ♪ ♪ indonesia says its number of surpassed 100,000s. concerns are growing over the worsening situation in the country. the government confirmed over 1,500 new cases as of noon on monday bringing the total to 100,303. indonesia has gradually been easing restrictions on business activities from last month. but the hot spots for infection are capital jakarta and the second largest city of sirabaya.

the numbmber of jobless people forecast to increase by 3 million. the chinese government says the u.s. consulate general in the inland city of chengdu has been closed. beijing ordered the closure friday in retaliation for a similar move by washington as the faceoff between the two global powers continues. the e u.s. flag atat the consut general was lowered monday mornining, and itsigign covered up. earlier, china ordered the u.s. consule to be osed within 72 urs, theame deadne given

by t united ates. e u.s. eassy in ina post a twitr messagin chinese saying they bid farewell to the u.s. consulate general. the message highlighted its activities to promote mutual understanding with residents. china's foreign ministry said chinese authorities entered and took over the premises, stressing this was a legitimate and necessary response. >> the u.s. side bears the entire responsibility. we urge the u.s. to immediately correct its mistakes and create the necessary conditions for bilateral relations to return to the track of normal development. >> an expert on china's diplomatic policy commented on the escalating clashes between the countries. >> translator: u.s.-china disputes have reached their highest level diplomatically and their relations are almost entering a new cold war phase. it's not possible to say how serious developments will be. >> the u.s. and china have been at odds over the coronavirus and the security situation in hong kong. consulate closures may further

increase tensions between the two world's largest economies. australia has rejected china's claims of vast territory in the south china sea. it sent a note to the united nations saying the claims are not consistent with international law. the note was dated july 23rd. it says there's no legal basis for china's claims in the area based on drawing straight lines connecting maritime features and so-calalled island groups. it says australilia rejects any claims to internal waters, territorial seas or exclusive economic zones based on such lines. australia calls for all concerned partrties to clarify their r claims and peacefully resolve the issue e under r international law. earlier this month u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo issued a statement saying

china's claims to offshore resources across much of the china sea are completely unlawful. ♪ ♪ many people across japan have missed significant milestone events such as entrance ceremonies of weddings because of the coronavirus. but when it comes to funerals people tend to feel strongly

they don't want to miss that final moment with their loved ones. and this has had a major impact on the country's long held tradition. >> reporter: funeral ceremonies hold many customs and taboos. but funeral homes have had to make big changes in recent months. the number of people attending funerals have dropped by about half. >> translator: this room can accommodate about 20 to 30 people. the majority feel this space is sufficient. >> reporter: divided into the two separate groups ararriving different times. in many cases the traditional funeral meal is not offered. one company has even started live-streaming funeral services if asked to do so by the bereaved family. >> translalator: the main camer

faces the front, so it can capture the whole scene. >> reporter: this woman lives in tokyo, in may she gave up on the idea of attending her father's funeral in miyazakaki prefectur. at the t time people were e ask not t to travel across prerefecl >> t translator: i really wante to attend the funeral to see my father andnd say my final wordso him. so i made a difficult request to a funeral home. >> reporter: the funeral company made arrangements for an online link so she could observe the funeral in miyazaki. at the end of the ceremony tablet was hooked up allowing her to see her father in his casket. >> translator: he didn't show any suffering. he looked like he was asleep. i told him i was so grateful for everything.

even though it was only through the scscreen, i was glad i was able to convey my feelings to him. >> translator: it's long been considered a an absolute taboo show funerals on line. but a funeral is a ceremony to heal the hearts of those left behind. that's why we decided to make this change. >> reporter: now this company is arranging online hookups for most of the funerals it handles. the deep wish of the bereaved families to spend a final moment with their loved ones has given rise to a new funeral attrition. and it's time now for a look at world weather. residents in a part of the united kingdom saw a twister ravage the area over the weekend. our meteorologist jonathan oh has more in the world weather report. hello. over the weekend, thundershowers popped up leading to a twister sighted on the ground. take a look at t this video tht cameme out from the country.y.

as a mininor twisterasas caughtn camera in the united kingdom saturday e evening. with strong windnds battering sheds and knockingng over bins. ththe local media saying the uk experiences 3030-50 tornados a year with most of them being small. now we are talking about still a low pressure system that's located in the area, and that's creating a bit of instability for the north. down towards the south, a lot dryer and calmer. high pressure controlling the pattern. but up through the north the winds are going to be the story for monday and going into tuesday into the scandinavian peninsula. you'll be looking at some wet weather coming up for tuesday. even some thunderstorms in the stockholm and warsaw areas. down towards the central areas of the continent, mid-30s in places like vienna and rome. a bit on the warm side or hot side going through the day. meanwhile, across japan, it was

on the warm side. high up around 30 or so in tokyo, but clouds and rain are going to be a big part of the story across japan as we go through tuesday. we still have that rainy season front all the way across the country. and this low is going to lift up sosome moisture into the tohoku region, and that may bring some heavier rain into the northeastern portions of japan. western and central areas also looking at a bit of a wet weather scenario. and it is going stay wet for tokyo. for the rest of this week at least. so tuesday, wednesday and thursday looking at rain and temperatures dropping to mid-20s on wednesday. then back to 27 on thursday. sapporo staying try. osaka and fukuoka mid-30s and get drier, even sunnier as you head towards thursday. hope you have a good day, wherever you are.

♪

♪ that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. thanks for joining us. welcome to "newsline in depth" with no end in sight to the cocovid-19 crisis,s, the wo is felt by the socially and economically disadvantaged. japan is no exception. help it there, but not necessarily accessible to all. now there is efforts, various efforts, under way to fill that gap. in our first report, we're looking to the growing number of people worried about losing their homes, because their

income has shrunk. one real estate person who specializes in finding homes for low-income people have recently seize a rise. faces hidden to protect privacy. >> reporter: this s is in a prefecture affected by coronavirus. the company is owned by this woman. it offers rental units as less than half the market price, making them accessible to low-income tenants. this woman in her r 50s is lookg for a low-w-cost rental unit afr the pandemic cut her family's income. she's found her an apartment for $210 a month. the owner does not require a deposit. the company is fielding nonstop

inquiries from people who have lost their homes because of the coronavirus. in may, they received 200 inquiries. that's twice as many as usual. >> translator: we can't keep up with the increase in inquiries. >> reporter: experience at other real estate agencies inspipired her to s start her own company. >> translator: people in different circumstances woululd cocome to us, bubut company pol was to turn them away, because the job would involve more work for the commission. some people left in tears, because they had already been turned down elsewhere. >> reporter: her company is unique because it collaborates

with an npo that helps people on low incomes. the npo is based next door. this man in his 70s lives by himself. he was turned down by the owners of 19 rental units. they were worried he might die alone in his apartment. the npo persuaded the owner to renting to him on condition that someone checked on him regugularly. the negotiatioions took a month he doesn't mind the time and effort. >> translator: eldlderly peoplen low incomes are seen as risky. they might die alone or find themselves in some our trouble. we tell thememo leave itit to u

> reporter: and owner drorop in at her office. he has several vacant units for less than around $370 a month. he wants her to rent them out. >> reporter: she decides to take on two of the units. the next day, a man in his 50s shows an interest in viewing one of them. he suffered a sharp drop in income after his employer suspended operations in the pandemic. >> the man goes to look at an apartment that had been listed the day before. the location means a long commute to work, but he decides

to sign the lease. >> translator: finding a place to live was my biggest concern.. i'm so grateful to have a place to sleep, and that it won't affect my work very much. >> reporter: she believes putting vacant united nations to good use is a win-win solution. >> translator: owners are happy to process in a low-risk situation. so i'm helping them. i'm also helpingngeople on l lo income. i hope we can work togetheher t ensure that no one gets left behind. >> she has eve hadn't a fly-in from tokyo who walked 40 kilometers for a visit. in spite's number of people inquires about her services she said she won't abandon any client as long as people looking to are housing continue to come see her.

information is vital to live through this tumultuous time but those who are abroad who don't understand japanese it can be harder. one organization is stepping in to provide information and peace of mind. >> reporter: the streets of central tokyo are seeing more and more people as coronavirus continues. a growing number are foreign nationals. for many, the coronavirus has changed the course of their lives. some are facing economic hardships. others worrying a medical treatment. >> i lost my job because of the coronavirus. >> personally, i've been afraid, like, if i get sick, i don't really know what to do. >> reporter: people in government and in the nonprofit sector have been trying to help by pushing out information in different languages. but many are still finding it hard to locate the resources that are available. this person recognized the

problem and run as start-up that normally helps with visa applications, but under the pandemic, his staff has shifted focus. >> translator: we need to create an environment wherere foreign residents can get the informatioion they need. that would help citizens and foreign residents live together. >> reporter: he launched the #japanwithoutborders project. his company teamed up with a translation agency to public information online related to the cocoronavirus. in easy japanese, chinese, korean and english. it cover, things like, how do

get a prescription without visiting a hospital. or, how to access financial aid. staff also do consultations online, and by phone. they're getting 20 times more calls for help since the pandemic hit. and many callers are desperate. they even accompany users to government offices or hospitals, all for free. this chinese student called for help getting an i.d. card at his local city hall. >> translator: there is a lot that i still don't know about japan. so thank you very much for your help. >> reporter: one thing that sets the service apart is that the company used its existing business network to get the message out. up to 750 employing workers were told about the project and he says he's determined to make the tough times into an opportunity. >> translator: we've been good at building a support system, because we know a lot of people in human resources. we have a big role in the product sector to create a

network that will get the needed information into the hands of our target audience. >> reporter: this expert says that such initiatives in the business world are a welcome step, but governments should do more on the isissue as well. >> translator: the public sector needs to create e a relationshs and provide information to people who plalay a centntral r in expatriate communities. i think it's important to have this kind of network to work with day to day. >> reporter: he started #japanwithoutborders to help. this is crucial not only during the pandemic but to create a diverse society in which people support each other regardless of nationality. now i have something i want to show off. handmade by my colleague.

this is part of the movement to show support for covid-19 patients and health care workers who haven't become targets of verbal abuse and prejudice. now, a movement to push back against discrimination is gaining momentum in japan. >> reporter: a ribbon buy three loops. people attach them to their bags, on name tags, even printed on the sides of the propane gas cylinders. the three loops have a meaning. they represent the community, home and the workplace, or school. it's a demonstration of support for people who have tested positive for the coronavirus, and a stand against discrimination. it was built up by a citizen's group in this prefecture and called the citrus ribbon project, because the prefecture is famous for its oranges. they began the project after witnessing verbal and online abuse directed towards coronavirus patients. >> people who spread the virus should be executed. >> where do the patients live?

i don't want to go near them. >> reporter: abuses like these are widespread on social media platforms. >> translator: we e launched th project t to help peoplele retuo daily lives s with smiles s on r fafaces. >> reporter: the citrus s ribbo has also been adopted by people on the front line in the fight to contain the virus. employees of a cleaning company in tokyo wear badges printed with the ribbon's symbol while theyey work. even though they wear full protective gear while doing their disinfecting work, they, too,o, have been targetsts of a and accused of spreading the coronavirurus. >> translator: it's disappointing when we get negative comments. we're just doing the best wewe n to makaksure our customers arer happy.

>> reporter: just at the point when they were starting to lose faith in their work they learned about the citrus ribbon project. >> translator: we have regained our courage, confidence and prpride. we will maintatain our senense mission and we will nonot allow prejudice to disiscourage us. >> this movement doesn't aim to collect donations but rather to raise awareness about discrimination and prejudice in our society through wearing the ribbons. a cross-group alsstarted creang the rbons. yoube showg how toake to ashe movemt spres, it's nnectingeople withhe mmon goaof creatg a worl >>the pandic has realed vulnabilitieand ongoing problems in our society, such as discrimination and economic disparity. on the other hand, widespread efforts to promote compassion and solidarity point to wisdom

that may help us face up to the pandemic together. such endeavors show that vaccines and medical treatment alone won't be enough to tackle

>> a accusations and denials. conflicting reports of a confrontation on the israel-lebanon border. >> this is "al jazeera" live from london. tough restrictions if spain cannot reverse its coronavirus spike. honoring a civil rights leader. john lewis lies in state in the u.s. capital. and drivers stopped and questioned, but zimbabwe's leaders deny the lockdown is to