♪ welcome to "nhk newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. we start with the covid-19 situation here in tokyo. the number of confirmed new cases on friday is 258. that's the second day in a row it's over 200. there have now been over 18,800 cases in tokyo. officials are urging residents not to travel to other prefectures. neither should they visit their hometowns for family reunions, or go out to dinner in groups.

>> translator: the number of newly confirmed infections are still at a high level. infections are spreading throughout the city, and to all age groups, including elderly people who are prone to becoming seriously ill. >> the governor called on residents to stay on high alert and take every precaution in their daily lives. ministers and experts met on friday to discuss s how to figh the virus. they talked about who should get vaccines first, once they're available. the plan is to give priority to didical workerers, the elderly d people with pre-existing conditions. officials will also consider prioritizing ambulance attendants, health care -- health cenenter officicials, pregnantnt women and nursing ho workers. the governmentnt has agreed d w the u.k. pharmaceutical company

astrazeneca and pfizer of the u.s. on a supply of vaccines once they're developed. the government is also backing the efforts of domestic companies. it aims to start distributing vaccines in the first half of next year. more than 61,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in japan, over 1,100 have died. nhk has learned that japan is planning to ease a reentry ban on resident non-nationals, that is currently in place, as part of the measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. the move will allow the reentry of nonjapanese permanent residents provided they take pcr tests and self isolate for two weeks at designated hotels. about 2.6 million foreigners hold residence status. the new rule will be similar to thatat applied to japanese citizens. officials are preparing to expand testing capabilities at narita and two other major airports and plan to ramp up

testing to cover 10,000 people a day next month. japan currently denies entry to people from 146 countries and territories. the restrictions even apply to permanent residents and students with exceptions only for relatives, funerals and childbirth. but calls have been growing to relax the ban to spur the resumption of social and economic activities. a study by researchers in the u.s. has found that the effectiveness of face masks may depend on the material. a team of scientists from duke university tested 14,000 commonly available face coverings and used a laser beam to track the droplets a peperso produces when n speaking and th measurured how many papass thro the various tytypes of matateri. the study found that double layer polypropylene reduced droplet emission by 90%. the material is the most commonly used in face masks. common masks cut droplets by 70

to 9 90%. knitted masks reduced them by 65%. and double layer bandannas cut them by roughly 50%. but the study found that neck gators actually increased droplets by 10%. the team says the fleece mateterial seems t to break upue drdroplets intnto smaller r one the researchers adadd that the e of sucuch masks mimight be counterproroductive as these smaller droplets remain airborne for longer. the united states is moving to restore sanctions against iran, including an arms embargo. the trump administration accuses tehran of violating the terms of 2015 nuclear deal. >> our message is very, very simple. the united states wilt never allow the largest state sponsor of terrorism to freely buy and sell planes, tanks, missiles and other kinds of conventional weapons.

these u.n. sanctions will continue the arms embargo. >> mike pompeo maintained that iran is enriching uranium beyond the limits set by the deal. in a letter to the u.n. security council, this process could trigger a so-called snapback mechanism included in the 2015 agreement. it allows any party to the deal to demand the resumption of u.n. sanctions if iran is judged to have breached the agreement. washington withdrew unilaterally from the deal in 2018. the other countries had been trying to keep it alive. the foreign ministers of france, germany and the u.k. issued a joint statement saying the u.s. effort is incompatible with their efforts to support the deal. russia and china denounced washington's move as illegitimate. iran's ambassador to the u.n. says he is confident the. security council will reject washington's claims. >> the u.s. is not a jcpao participant and has no right to

trigger the so-called snapback mechanism, and its arbitrary interpretation of resolution 2231 cannot change this reality. >> nhk has learned that the current head of the international atomic energy agency is planning to visit iran for the first time as early as next year. rafael grossi is expected to ask tehran for cooperation over the iaea inspection of two facilities suspected of storing undeclared nuclear materials. tehran has been refusing to grant u.n. inspections across, or access to either site. in the u.s. where former vice president joe biden has -- in the u.s. where former vice president joe biden has delivered his acceptance speech for the democratic presidential nomination, he is now officially set to take on donald trump this november in what could be one of the most important elections in

u.s. history. nhk world kurihara takeshi reports from washington. >> reporter: biden's speech came two days after he was formally nominated to run for the country's top job. it brought down the curtains on the democratic party national convention, which was held virtually this year because of the pandemic. >> i'll work hard for those who didn't support me, as hard for them as i did for those who did vote for me. that's the job of a president, to represent all of us, not just our base or our party. this is not a partisan moment. this must be an american moment. >> reporter: the 77-year-old promised to respect diversity and help unify a country that has become increasingly divided with president trump in the white house. biden also hammered home his campaign slogan, build back better.

he pledged to deliver economic relief for families, small businesses and communities struggling due to coronavirus. mr. biden is widely seen as a statesman who understands the pain of the public. in his speech, he alluded to losing his first wife and one of their children in a traffic accident. speakers at the convention included a number of celebrities and even some republicans, helping to drive home his message of unity. they stressed the longtime senator's caring personality and talked about their friendship with him and biden's accomplishments during his decades-long career in politics. that could be a sign of what to expect on the campaign trail going forward. >> staying with u.s. politics, another former advisor to donald trump has been arrested. federal prosecutors have charged steve bannon with fraud over a fund-raising drive to build a wall along the border with mexico.

bannon has been released on $5 million bail after pleading not guilty. prosecutors allege bannon and three others orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors. the scheme involved an online crowd funding campaign that raised more than $25 million to build the wall. bannon is suspected of having received over $1 million and used part of the funds for private purposes. bannon was one of the architects of trump's 2016 presidential campaign, and later served as chief white house strategist. >> i haven't been dealing with him at all. i know nothing about the project other than i didn't like -- when i read about it, i didn't like it. i said this is for government, this isn't for private people. >> the president has distanced himself from bannon, stressing he had nothing to do with the project.

south korea's intelligence agency says north korea's leader has delegated part of his authority to his younger sister and other close aides. the national intelligence service says in a report kim yo jung will now overersee policy south kokorea and d the united states among other issues. it was reported on thursday. a lawmaker who attended the session quoted t the report, so of kim's aides are now set to be playing a role in economic and military affairs. the e agency s says, although k jong-un has handed over some responsibilities, he has not designated a successor and maintains absolute authoririty. a powewer shift t is reportedly aimemed at relieving pressure o kim jong-un, and also avert responsibility in the event of policy failure. south korean's defense ministry

said in june that kim yo jung may have effectively assumed the role of number two. in belarus, opposition politician svitlana tsikhanouskaya is calling on the united nations security council to take upup the issue of allel government repression of its opponents. the momove comes aftfter prosecs in the country opened a criminal investigation against activists seeking the resignation of president alexander lukashenko. mass protests have occurred since e lukashenko won in an august 9 election to secure a sixth term in office. protesters claim the vote was rigged. opposition leaders have set up a council to negotiate a transition of power with the government, but the prosecutor geneneral sasays the council is aimed at seizing powower and damaging national security. she is now living inin exile in neighboring lithuania. she met estonia's foreign minister to urge him to raise the issue at the u.n. security where estonia is a nonpermanent

member. eu leaders have discussed the matter. the leaders of france and germany say tatalks will be key. >> translator: we, the e.u., along with russia are ready to provide support for brokering a dialogue if the people of belarus want it. >> the two leaders also agree that the e.u. should stand by the protesters in belarus. teenaged shogi sensation fujii sota says he is overwhelmed to be the youngest ever holder of two professional titles, the japanese board game has eight major titles. the 18-year-old fujii took the title on thursday, winning four straight matches in a best of seven series. he said at a news conference he is now gunning for a t third title. >> translator: m my most importt

goal is s to improve my skills. in the short term i want to fight hard in the league for the title which starts this fall. the participants are all very strong. >> fujii was defeated in the final match last year after losing the final match to decide who would face the title holder. the victory on thursday makes him the eighth dunn, the second highest rank for shogi players. the organizers of tour de france say they will end the tradition of having two female hostesses appear with the winner at the podium ceremony. the move was prompted by mounting online criticism. media outlets say the director of the world's most prestigious bicycle race made the announcement at the start of the competition august 29th. one hostess from now on and one male host will accompany the champion instead. previously the so-called podium girls handed out gifts and flowers and kissed the winner. more than 30,000 people signed on online petition calling out

what they called sexism. the race is 3,500 kilometers over three weeks. in other sports, formula one motor racing stopped using models known as grid girls at grand prix events two years ago. here is a look at what the weather will be like in your part of the world. ♪

that's the news this hour. i'm gene otani. for all of us here at "nhk newsline," thanks very much for joining us. ♪ welcome do "newline in depth." i'm aki shibuya. if coronavirus has done anything, it's changed the way 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 our 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 is making products to give rather than sell. >> 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 gear. the products are the handiwork of a dedicated team of 26 disabled employees. these workers have earned a rereputation for their impressi skills. three years ago they helped the company become profitable, but now, as the coronavirus battered 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 three people in the changing room. >> reporter: he has put up posters to help individuals with intellectual disabilities. he speaks wiwith them before wo 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. >> reporter: like many businesses, the company has reported 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 potentially drop by 60 or 70%.

>> reporter: one anxious employee approached him to seek reassurance. >> translator: there are so many 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 b best to prote everyone. that's the responsibility that 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 manufacturing process 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 recognizing the value of community building, just as he's nurtured a team of disabled workers through his business, he understands reaching out to the wider community could be the key to its survival. >> as you've probably guessed, the soap donations were in high demand and much appreciated. meanwhile kambara worries how the coronavirus will affect society. 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 social 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 smart phones 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 were lonely without anyone to talk to while some said they simply feel stressed out. others said they most feared dying alone. we visited a housing complex in tokyo where many single s senio are d dling with h this new l l of isosolation.

>> reporter: the complex has 12,000 households. 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. 78-year-old coy yam ma is the head of the complex's volunteer associati association. more and more residents are elderly people on their own. so coy yam ma organized activities to help them sociali socialize. he held events almost every day and saved elderly residents from becoming isolate d. but now there's almost no sign of life around the complex.

that didn't climate 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: the assembly hall 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 othere supporort, but koyama feels the situation for elderly people is grave.e. >> translator: will life get better for the elderly people?? in myy opinion, absolutely not. without human contact, they're completely losing 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 the assembly hall. he says he won't go out because he's afraid of catching the coronavir coronavirus. he was alarmed by a mass outbreak at a nearby hospital. 57 people got the virus in april and may. seven died. and that's not his only concern. >> translator: that's a testing center. >> reporter: he can see a pcr testing center from his balcony. it was set up in early may. he knows the testingng center i necessary but he's worried it

might cause him to get the vivirus. >> translator: i accept that there's no need to worry at the moment, but someone my age has the most risk of getting seriously ill. i tell myself this might be the way my l life ends. all sort of things go through my head. >> reporter: meanwhile, an elderly couplple have a differe concern. this is 84-year-old and his wife. he has mild dementia, but she feels his symptoms got worse while they stayed indoors during the state of emergency. >> translator: he's getting terribly forgetful. it's not good.

he forgets what happened two or three minutes ago. >> reporter: he had been going to daycare twice a week to slow the progress of his dementia. the d day care facility has reopened, but fear of catching the virus is keeping them away. tomiko asked his doctor whether it was safe to send his back to daycare. 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. every night he checks the lights in the windows to make sure the residents are safe and sound.

>> translator: i hope everyone is doing well. i wouldn't be surprised if someone died alone tonight. the coronavirus is doing so much damage to people's health. some people are depressed. some have become less momobile. it's become mucuch more likely that people will die alone, and that really worries me. >> how can elderly people be saved from social isolation in the midst of the pandemic? the search for answers continues. the assembly hall reopened on july 17th after setting up anti coronavirus 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 hapappening 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 a neighbor, there are ways parts of our community may not have explored before. thank you for watching and see you soon.

>> firires blaze in northern california with tens of thousands evacuated and hundreds of homes destroyed. this to governor, gavin newsom, has said the wildfires are proof that climate change -- of climate change as they broke out near a severe heat wave and unprecedented lightning strikes. choose hope over fear -- that is jo