♪ hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara. we begin in japan. officials are warning about the approach of what might be one of the most powererful typhoons to hit the country in decades. it comes after another powerful storm brought severe weather to the country in the southwest. typhoon haishen is building strength over waters south of

japan. the powerful stotorm is expecte to approach the southwestern part of the country from sunday through monday with nearly its full force intact. >> translator: it is necessary to fully consider the possibility that the typhoon will have a bigger impact than we've ever experienced. >> it's the second major storm to hit in a week. typhoon maysak brought heavy rain to the kyushu region earlier this week. the storm left at least five people injured and hundreds of thousands of homes without power. a search is underway for the crew of a cargo ship. it was sailing wednesday morning when it fell out of contact. of the 43 crew members on board, one has been rescued so far.

he told rescue workers that an engine malfunctioned and made it unable to cruise and the ship capsized when a wave hit it from the side. the storm system barreled across the korean peninsula inundating hundreds of homes achd leaving one person dead. south korean officials say they recorded more than 1,000 mill meet ergs of rain in the course of a few hours.s. it forced the shutdodown of fou nuclear reretors, but t the operator s says thehere were no safety issues. the stotorm h headed out to seae but made landfall again i in th northeastern part of north korea. state-run media reported some damage to farms and flooded roa roads. to find out more on what we can expect fromhaishen, let's bring in meteorologist

sayaka mori. >> haishen is drifting towards the west. this water is extremely warm. it's actually the record warm. that means it will likely intensify significantly. haishen is packing sustained winds of nearly 140 kilometers per hour. it's likely to intensify to a strong typhoon by friday and could become a violent typhoon by the weekend. the central pressure currently is 955 hecto pascals. the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm. the pressure could go down to 915 hectopascals, very dangerous and fierce winds are expected on sunday. and then it will likely get very close to or even more over kyushu and likely head towards

the korean peninsula. if haishen makes landfall in kyushu with a central pressure of below 930 hecto pascals, it could be one of the three strongest typhoons to hit the country since 1951. a lot of heavy rain, powerful winds, even unpress differented strong winds are possible in western portions of japan. so prepare for the storm as s sn asas possible. ♪ japanese lawmakers hoping to take over for prime minister abe shinzo are giving party members a preview of their campaign pledges. three contenders are leading the race to become president of the liberal democratic party once abe leaves his post to deal with

health issues. the government's top spokesperson, suga yoshihide, met with supporters to lay out his plans. the chief cabinet secretary has already picked up pledges from most of the party's largest factions. hehe's vowing to carry on babe' policies including making tokyo more assessable. >> translatotor: and contributeo the community or their profession. we will hold the tokyo olympics and paralympics next year. we need to do all we can to make the games a success. >> ldp policy chief kishida fumio is framing his candidacy on creating economic policy focused on middle income earners. his platform includes raising the minimum wage and reducing the financial burden of education and housing.

>> translator: domestically, i must tackle the issue of economic disparity. i must also point out that globally, social divisions have created problems. >> forrer ldp secretary general ishiba shigeru appealed to lawmakers who feel they're underrepresented. >> translator: if the public thinks a small group of people are making the country's popolitical decisions or that popoliticians only care about their personal ininterests, the vevery foundation of democracyc will crumble. this e election will decide wha kind of nation japan is. i will do my best for that cause. >> 394 ldp members will vote to

choose their new leader on september 14th. local chapters representing the country's 47 prefectures will decide how to designate three votes each. the new party president is virtually assured to win a vote on the premiership ton diet two days later as it's controlled by an ldp-led coalition. as the coronavirus pandemic continues, the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention has reportedly notified all 50 states to be ready to distribute a potential vaccine as early as november 1st. but some health experts are warning the timeline may be too ambitious. u.s. media reports that the cdc have sent documents advising early planning for a covid-19 vaccination program. it plan lays out who should get it first, how it should be stored and other logistics. the head of the food and drug administration has suggested

granting emergency approval for a vaccine before clinical trials have been completed, if data shows it's safe and effective. u.s. media have quoted some health experts who are worried the process may be rushed. there is speculation donald trump may want a vaccine leading up to the november presidential election. the u.s. has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases at more than 6.1 million. nearly 186,000 people have died. south korea has been one of the bright spots in the pandemic showing the world how to effectively contain the virus, but lately the country has been fighting a spike in cases, this time centered on the capital. earlier my colleague spoke to nkk world's kim chan-ju in sole to find out more about the situation. >> reporter: the number of daily infections has risen into the triple digits in recent weeks.

overall, the country has reported 20,000 infections, and 70% of the recent cases have come from seoul or the surrounding metropolitan areas. government officials have responded with stricter social distancing measures. people in this city will be noticingng the changes to restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries. they have been told to close by 9:00 p.m. or only offer takeout and delivery. the e number of night buses in operation is alslso being g red. here's what some residenents ha to sayay about the situation. >> it causes inconveniences in day-to-day life. things like going to restaurants or taking g public transitit ar morere difficult. >> traranslator: a lototf plpla have c closed anand many eventse beenen postponed since t the fs wawave so ththese new measures more draining. i'm more exhausted now than i

was then. >> right. well, chan-ju, can you remind us of exactly how this latest outbreak started? >> reporter: more than a thousand cases traced back to a conservative christian group, its members held a rally against the government here two weeks ago. they believe the anti-virus guidelines constitute an abuse of power and violate religious freedoms. health authorities are struggling to do contact tracing effectively, partly because members of the church are refusing to cooperate. the country's centers for disease control and prevention says over 20% of the cases are untraceable. president moon jae-in is calling for criminal charges for those who disobey the rules. >> and chan-ju, what about the medical situation, how is the medical system coping so far?

>> reporter: hospital beds are filling up in the capital, and there are concerns that there could soon be e a shortagege he. the korean medical association is threatening to hold a nationwide strike next week to fight proposed health care reforms. so public health officials have their work cut out for them as they try once again to stop the virus in its tracks. in japan, the atomic bomb dome in hiroshima stands as a reminder of the horror of nuclear weapons. on thursday, the work began to preserve the structure built more than 100 years ago. the work includes removing rust on the steel framework of the dome and repainting it brown, the color it was after the atomic bombing. the mortar binding thehe brick work together will be prepared.

the city originally planned to start the conservation work by last march but was forced to postpone it when no companies bid fofor a contract. >> translator: it's hiroshima's mission to pass on the reality of the effects of the atomic bombing to the next generation. we hope we can enable people to see what the dome looked like just after it was bombed. >> the restoration is scheduled to be completed by the end of march next year. this week marks 75 years since world war ii official li came to an end. many of the emotional scars remains decades later. nhk world's yos moto june reports on one project that aims to heal old wounds by returning long-lost artifacts from across the world. >> envelopes arrived from all over the united states and

beyond. inside a are heirlooms kepept b american families, each one representing a life cut short. they are japanese flags taken from the battlefields of world war ii. a non-profit group called the obon society has been returning them to japan a all these years later. they've been receiving more lately as people stuck at home in the pandemic go through old boxes. u.s. troops often took jap nieces soldiers' belongings as badges of victory. the most common were flags. they are inscribed with well wishes from friends and family. the soldiers carried them as am let's until their last moment. tako ze founded the group after

receiving the flag of her grandfather. his remains were never returned. she says g getting the flalag b 6262 years later feltt as if hi soul hadad finally come home. >> we thought we wanted to maka more miracacle to another famil in japan. >> reporr: a and that't's what they'r doing,g, as moree people come forwaward withh relics pas down from relatives. >> m father came home fromhat war, hwas nev the me. heame home fromm that war andnd is y's dad didn't. >> , my gosh,hey found him, theyouound a relate. theye going be ableo return the fl. >> reporter: this stepfather gave him a bloodstained bullet-holed flag in 1963. he didn't know how to get it to the soldier's family until he heard about the group. lelee says he wanted to teach h grandchildren a lessonn about te realities of war.r.

>> it's history but we don't repeat it. i'm not talking about our two countries. i'm talking the world as a whole. the organization found out the flag belonged to a man who diei fighting in the philippines when he was 22. his niece received it in july at a ceremony in the northern japanese city of yokotay. >> like keiko, they never received any of his remains. >> translator: this is the only treasure we have from him. i can't think of this as anything but a miracle. we can't change this sad history, but we should remember this piece is based on the sacrifices of generations that came before us. we should live with that knowledge in our hearts.

r reporter:r: the socieiety ha retued a about 370 flags so far. they wt t to bring back more, one for every day of the yeaear. >> there can be p pce a and amererica and japan enjoy peace and otherer peoplple in otherer of t the worldld can do the sam. >> i wantt the peoplee to feel , not just only to see it and inspire the people to feel about peace and the friendship and reconciliation. >> the ziaks are showing that strangers in different parts of the world can help bring each other closure and use these symbols of war to weave bonds of people. yachts moto june, nhk world. our meteorologist sayaka mori is back with more on the weather. >> as we've been reporting,

typhoonn maysack made landfall n thursday morning as a very strong typhoon. it caused copious amounts of rainfall, we saw over one meeter in the island. the pressure was 952.5 hecto pasc pascals. this is the second highest pressure ever observed in south korea. we saw the national record high for the month of september, the high rose to 40.4 degrees. maysak has become a low pressure system over northeastern china bringing rainfall plus strong winds. now, haishen is a typhoon and expected to intensify rapidly and as a violent typhoon it could move over am mammy as we go into sunday and will likely make its way towards the north. it could hit kyushu or the korean peninsula from sunday

into monday as a strong typhoon. now, niigata and tokyo will see unusually high temperatures for the next couple days or so. niigata, 34 on friday and 33 on saturday. under such conditions heat stroke could happen. so watch out for heat stroke, drink plenty of water,, consume salt and usese air conditioning and don't leave pets and kids unattended inside your vehicle. let's go to europe. we saw a powerful storm affecting the island. copious amounts of heavy rainfall hit island as also strong winds as well. severe floods over the area because of a low pressure system which is very intense. right now the low pressure system is making its way towards the north. iceland will likely be hit by powerful winds, plus snowfall in the higher elevations. stay safe. that's it for me. have a nice day.

♪ >> that's all for this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara in tokyo. thanks for watching and do stay with us for more.

♪ this is "newsline" biz, i'm gene otani. late night revelers and communers in the japanese capital will soon have to make some adjustments to their schedules. many will be forced to head home earlier from next year when the operator of some of tokyo's major rail networks shortens its daily services. officials with east japan railway will bring forward last train departure times by about 30 minut on many lines

including the yamamoto two and seoul boot lines. the change will take effect next spring. the decision follows a decline in the number of late night passengers during the coronavirus pandemic. it's designed to make it easier for the hard working maintenance staff. gr east officials say attracting people to the job is getting harder due to the irregular hours. the firm is also considering pushing back departure times for the first trains of the day on some lines. the officials hope the move will allow rail and other maintenance staff to get through their daily operations. >> translator: we don't expect passenger traffic will return to prepandemic levels even after things are under control. we're aiming to reform work practices on our rail networks. >> west japan railway is planning similar measures for

last train servicetion on some lines in the kansai region next spring. tokyo's benchmark stock index rallied on thursday tracking big overnight games on wall street. the nikkea average erased deep losses triggered in february and march by concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. the index finished the day at 23,465, up 0.9%. investors in tokyo snapped up shares after new york's dow jones industrial average also regained its pre covid level on expectations for a recovery in the u.s. analysts say another factor is the massive mond tear easing measures. investors expect to see progress in the development of vaccines in the u.s. and europe and in business activities getting back to normal. the u.s. government has projected to run its largest ever budget deficit this fiscal year. massive spending to prop up the

pandemic-hit economy and shrinking tax revenues are expected to push public finances deeper into the red. the congressional budget office says it forecasts a deficit of $3.3 trillion in the period from october 2019 through september 2020. the figure is easily more than double the $1.4 trillion logged in fiscal 20 09d in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. the government has ramped up spending to support jobless people and small and mid-sized businesses. congress is considering more stimulus as the number of infections in thehe country sho no signs of slowing down. analysts say debates on restoring the government's fiscal health have effectively been put on hold. people in southeast asia are having to change the way they do business as the coronavirus pandememic hits hard. many of the region's economies have enjoyed steady growth over the last two decades, but travel restrictions in particular are

making a severe impact. nhk world has the story. >> reporter: tourism is thailand's key industry. its flagship carrier thai airways filed for bankruptcy in may. many of its pilots are grounded including this man. his income is half with most flights canceled. he's dipped into his savings to own a japanese restaurant near bangkok. attracting customers is a challengnge and the bubusinessss an uncertain future. >> translator: i miss flying. i vice president been in a cockpit for five months. >> reporter: he serves the captain for almost three decades. he's concerned about the possibility of layoffs as thai airways we builds. >> translator: i'm a highly paid veteran. i'm worried i might be the first

to be let go. >> reporter: the thai government is promomoting domestic tourism. one pillar of this campaign is a smart phone app for travelers. the app is part of a $720 million campaign called we travel together. thais aged 20 and older can register. they receive a 40% accommodation rebate with a ceiling of about $95 per night. guests also get a $20 daily discount coupon for restaurants and spa services. >> translator: the app is easy to use. with the qr code, the payment process is quicker and the price is cheaper. >> reporter: its occupancy rate has picked up from around 30% to 80% on weekends. it's not just thailand that's feeling the pinch. southeast asia's largest economy, indonesia, is

struggling with its first downturn since the asian financial crisis. this store sells home made traditional sweets and dishes, but after sales halved, the owner changed its offerings. it now operates online selling frozen food to the stay-at-home market. >> before the pandemic we only have tee variances. >> reporter: t the leading e-commerce platftform plays an important role in keeping small firms afloat. many businesses have joined the online markett that has 90 million users each month. >> even currently it's being stabilized because of the e-commerce. >> reporter: people throughout southeast asia are finding ways to adapt to the changed environment brought about by the coronavirus. some businesses and individuals are showing the new approach.

nhk world. >> okay. let's have a look at the markets.

from the "newsline biz" team in tokyo, i'm gene otani. thanks very much for joining us.

♪ >> france is unleashing a 100 billion euro plan to help revamp the economy battered by the coronavivirus pandemic. that could be key for macron selection i -- macron's reelection in 2022. the trial over the charlie hebdo attacks continued this thursday, taking place under heavy security, five years after the multiple attacks on charlie have no, a kosher supermarket and a policewoman which left french in shock. coming up in our program at this hour, outrage, after germany says vladimir putin's critic was poisoned with a powerful nerve