whether you are living in japan or visiting, rely on nhk world japan. stay safe with us. ♪ thank you for joining us. from our studio in tokyo, this is nhk "newsline." we begin in japan where the country's n new prime minister starting his first full d day i officece. susuga yososhihide says he is r to get down to business. >> translator: i'm determined to

work hard for the japanese people and will try to live up to their expectations. >> at wednesday's news conference, suga reiterated that he will push forward with the efforts his predecessor abe shinzo's government had been making. abe stepped down due to poor health. suga also revealed his vision for the post coronavirus era, mentioning the need for further digitalization in an online world. one departure from abe will be the end of cherry blossom viewing parties. abe was accused of using taxpayers' mononey to entertain constituents at the annual gathering. suga said he won't be holding such parties, and vowed to revamp a number of issues from the previous administration. reaction to the new prime minister on the streets has been

mixed. >> translator: i think it't'll like the stable administration. >> transnslator: i wishh thehere more women in n the cabinet. >> suga already has several major political and diplomatic events in his schedule. he's expected to deliver a a policy spepeech at an extraordinary session of the diet in the coming weeks. a g20 summit in saudi arabia and the u.s. presidential election are scheduled for november. and the country's gearing up preparations for the tokyo olympic and paralympic games, set to begin next july. over 5 million coronavirus cases have now been reported in india. it's the second country in the world to r reach that mark, aft the united states. india's health ministry reported just over 90,000 new cases on wednesday, pushing the total above 5 million. over 82,000 people have died, the third most, after the u.s. and brazil. this month alone, india has

reported more than a million cases. and some are w wondering if ananother lockdown is needed. >> this is the time when we should have it, not that time. this is the time to take proper measure. and people need to be more careful. >> infections have been spreading fast in rural areas, as the government eases restrictions on the economy and the movement of people. new cases have been rises in the capital new delhi. budget airline jetstar japan is struggling to absorb the plunge in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. management has asked 200 pilots and 400 cabin crew to take voluntary retirement or long-term unpaid leave. the company doesn't expect a recovery any time soon. jetstar japan has domestic capacity this month. all of its international flights

remain grounded. officials warn services could be scaled back even further. six domestic routes and one international flight linking kansai airport to manila face possible cancellation. another low cost carrier is suspended all domestic flights once again, starting from next month, citing a slower than expected recovery. the affected flights operate out of aichi prefecture. the airline resumed flights last mont but hasn't bounced back as hoped. the leader of european commission has proposed increasing the target for the european union to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. the commissioner said the new goal should be cut compared to 1990 level. that's considerably more ambitious than the current

target of a 40% reduction. she made the proposal at the european parliament on wednesday. it's unclear whether all eu members will support the higher target. some countries still rely on coal power generation, which produces large amounts of greenhouse gases. >> i recognize that this increase from 40 to 55 is too much for some and not enough for others. but our impact assessment clearly shows that our economy and industry can manage this, and they want it. >> the commission wants the eu to play a leading role in fighting global warming, as the united states has said it's withdrawing from the paris agreement on climate change. the former head of world athletics governing body has been jailed for two years for covering up doping by russian athletes.

a french court, on wednesday, ruled he solicited or accepted over $3 million from athletes suspected of cheating. he was sentenced to four years in prison with two years suspended and fined about $590,000. the presididing jujudge said th exceptions, quote, undermine the values of athletics and the fight against doping. diack's lawyer said he woululd appeal the judgment, describing it as unfair and inhumane. the 87-yeaear-old led the international association of athletics federatitions, now calllled world athletics, from 1999 to o 2015. diack's son, who faced similar charges, was also found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of $1.2 million.

french prosecutors are investigating whether the transfer of $2 million from the tokyo olympic bid committee to a singaporean company amounted to a bribe. the compapany is believed to be related to diack. this year marks the 19th anniversary of the september 11th terrorist attacks. while much has changed since 2001, some people in the u.s. say a new wave of bigotry reminds them of the prejudice that followed in the wake of 9/11. nhk world's sam suzuki reports. >> hello. nice to meet you. >> hi, nice to meet you. >> reporter: robin lives in massachusetts. on 9/11, her life changed forer. her mother was killed while working for an insurance company at the world trade center. [ sirens ] the attacks s killed nearly 3,3

peoplele. americanans across the country were filled with confusion and anger. in response to the attacks, anti-muslim sentiment and xenophobia spread throughout the united states. she says she too initially felt anger towards the terrorists, but her perspective changed when a friend invited her to an interfaith book club to learn more about islam. she came to understand that radical islamic extremism does not represent the overwhelming majority of muslims in the world. >> how can i throw out billions of people as all having bad intent for what 1% or less did and do? that also doesn't seem fair. >> reporter: she joined a group of family members of 9/11 victims committed to bettering the world and booked speaking engagements throughout the country wiwith the goal of e en racial and religious prejudice. >> i wanted to use that anger

and that energy that, you know, thinking they were angry about something. you know, how can we build better bridges so people don't feel like this about other people, people who are different or people they have an argument with or people they disagree with or people where there are huge cultural misunderstandings? >> reporter: emily chen lives in california. on 9/11, her father was a passenger on american airlines flight 11. hijackers took over the plane and crashed it into the north tower of the world trade center. >> translator: i kept calling his cell phone. later, all i got was his voicemail. >> reporter: her father was 48 years old and worked for a buddhist organization. he doted on emily.

she remembers how much he loved to make other people laugh. she was tormented by the anguish of losing her father so suddenly she says she managed to sooth h heherself by watching family vacation videos over and over again. now, 19 years later, chen has a family of her own. the experience of being a mother to her two daughters sparked an interest in teaching. she earned a master's degree in education and is now pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher. she hopes to promote cross- cultural understanding in schools. >> translator: each individual has his or her good points. each culture or race has its strengths. i want children to understand this. today, we're facing trouble with the pandemic and racial

injustice, and i want people to focus on one person, the person right in front of them. and think about how much you can treaeasure and cherishsh them instead of focusing on hate. >> reporter: 19 years have passed since the horrific terrorist attacks that shook the nation. how americans will confront the divisive atmosphere of today remains to be seen. sam suzuki, nhk world, new york. and now for world weather, we turn to our meteorologist tsietsi monare. so, tsietsi, we're looking at the u.s. hurricane sally is affecting the state of alabama. what's the latest on the situation there? >> people are trying to recover from the impacts and the aftermath of the storm. the situation is dire in the amount of rainfall still expected to fall and the strong winds still lingering along those parts. people are still taking precautions, especially across

the coastal cities and also even in towards florida with the outer bands there causing some havoc. let's take a look at this v vid, focusing on what happened in gulf shores in alabama state. when the alabama made landfall has a category 2 storm last night, trees toppled and power was cut to businesses. the coast has been inundated with water and rain which went to 46 centimeters in just 48 hours. the storm is leaving at 11-miles-per-hour. it will leave a lot of rainfall in its trail in georgia, parts of the carolinas, and much of the united states. jumping towards southeast asia, this is noa moving away from the

philippines, just toward the central part of vietnam. so, cities such as impacted. be careful. there could be a lot of rainfall coming your way along those parts. as you jump over toward southeastern china and japan, you saw heavy rainfall due to the frontal system that is stationary along the parts. it's developing low fronts. that could lead to low conditions. do expect up to 120 millimeters of rainfall and people in places such as northern kyushu could see even 200 millimeters coming your mind. you must also keep in mind that that area has been saturated with a lot of water because of previous storms that have passed there. temperatures are going to be

warm for places such as tokyo, a degree or two. that's all for your weather. take care. ♪ ♪

that brings us to the end of this edition of nhk "newsline." thank you for watching, and hope you'll join us again. ♪ ♪ welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm yanaka marie. covid-19 has been forcing changes on the world, and the industry of agriculture is no exception. today, we look at how agricultural businesses are

responding with innovative ideas. the coronavirus pandemic continues, but hopefully these seeds of inspiration will help the industry blossom. first, we go to south korea, where work opportunities have taken a hit from covid-19, especially for young people. a recently monthly survey by a private think tank found that unemployment among 15- to 29 years old is the worst in over two decades. but a new trend is s seeing cit dwellers moving out of town for a life on the farm. >> reporter: south korea's sweet pepper farms are in the midst of the busy season. but this worker is new to the job. she turned down a position as a pastry chef in seoul, as she wouldn't have made enough money following the pandemic. she looked to the country side.

>> translator: i realized farming was tough, but it might be the toughest work in the world. >> reporter: this man's income dried up in february when he put his 30-year-old travel agency on ice due to the coronavirus. >> translator: when i was home, there were times i felt like i was going crazy. i truly experienced how fulfililling physisica l labor . >> translator: the people coming from seoul are dedicated to their task. they are all highly motivated. >> reporter: this man is acting as a bridge between the city and farmers. he sends workers from the city to the countryside for anything from a week to months end. king, who studied agriculture in britain sees enormous potential in plugging rural labor short annals with people from cities.

the name references a korean term meaning to support each otheher through the exchange of labor. >> translator: the number of people engaged in farming is declining worldwide. but the demand for safer foods keeps growing. if we can c connect farming communities and cities, you are ban developments can be supplied with healthy foods and rural villages can develop with the help and the manpower they need. >> reporter: adjusting to life in the country isn't easy. so, it's important for kim to make sure the workekers are coping. >> translalator: so far so good. it makes me feel good wororking here. >> reporter: the number of applicants from the city h has

been growing rapidly. kim holds workshops teaching them not only how to handle agricultural machinery but also offer insight into daily life on farms. some applicants are keen to follow his example and foster closer links between the city and countryside. >> translator: there are far more retiering farmers than young people moving to farmville lajs. i think morore people would opto settle there if they realized farming not only generates income, but helps create new values. i believe they are the future of the agricultural sector. >> for generations, chunks of the countryside emptied as people were drawn to the bright lig lights of the big city. kim hopes to turn that on its

head. kim chan-ju, nhk world. >> the program has been steady growing with three farming villages now hosting workers from metropolitan areas. their produce makes it back to the city, creating a cycle of sorts. traditionally the word pum shi applied to farmers helping each other out during busy times. but kim's efforts have been expanding its meaning by incorporating people from different areas and walks of life. next we go to thailand which produces a wide variety of tropical fruit. there's been a boom in recent years due to strong demand from china, but the coronavirus has made overseas distribution difficult. so, farmers are turning to new sales and marketing strategies. >> reporter: thailand produces a wide variety of delicious fruits year around. now is the best time to buy, but

this year fruit exports are expected to shrink by about $3 billion. to cover the decline in the overseas exports, the domestic market needs a boost. so, the government has synced up with an e-commerce giant. fruits that sell on street stalls are just a click away. grab thailand is a top lar ride hailing and food delivery app. on the online farmer's market, people can make direct orders from local food stalls and get home delivery. >> we have 3 million members already in thahailand. so, this project, we're not only selling in bangkok and also we're expanding nationwide. >> in thailand's rural provinces, farmers are starting to enjoy the benefits of the digital trials.

this woman runs an organic farm growing coconuts and durants. she's experiencing the worst sells in her career. this year's income from her produce has dropped by a third compared to last year. to try to improve the situtuati, she h has signed upp for government-provided lectures by popular online sales people. she's learned about e-commerce and techniques to make online sells. >> translator: i'm planning to sell dur yans on facebook live. >> translator: try telling your audience to interact with you in the live comment, and offer special prices for those who do. >> later that day, while interacting with her viewers on a live stream, she put them to a test. she asked her customers to type the numbers that appear on the

weigh scale. the ones at the quickest got the fruit at a special price. >> translator: without the training i didn't know what to do or say during my life's dreams. the lesson was very practical and the results were satisfying. >> with thai farmers struggling, the government came up with another idea to allow them to secure sales roots with foreign buyers byy setting upp preferential export chahannels. government officials hosted online business matching events in which overseas buyers could place d direct orders witththai farmers. the officiaia were on handdza t provide language assiststance.. >> traranslator:r: during thee , i got to meeeet new buyerss fro many countries, such as france and india. it was a good opportunity to discover a new market. >> reporter: thai fruit farmers

are discovering new business opportunities after taking their first steps into the e-commerce world. perhaps this will serve as a model for others to thrive in the pandemic and beyond. nhk world, bank dock. >> online platforms are helping the traditional industry regain its footing. the government-led matching event has seen about 200 companies register, including giants alibaba and amazon. officials are now planning to set up a new e-commerce department to further nurture this trend. moving on to australia, a local specialty there has been affected by the coronavirus. but that's not all. a natural disaster has also damaged the industry. it's now trying to recover from disruptions in both production and sales. >> reporter: hunter valley is known for its wine.

it has been made here for nearly twoo centuries. today, the valley is home to around 150 wineries. it's also a popular tourist destination. >> there's a lot of variety of wines. we love it up here. we come up here every year or two. >> we've been s sampling somome winenes and stuff. so, yeah, it'ss been lovely, yeah. >> reporter: however, hunter valley is now in an unprecedented crisis. large scale bush fires broke out in surrounding areas from november last year. the spoke affected the grapes' flavor. then came the coronavirus outbreak. restrictions have prevented tourists from visiting tear. around 80% of local businesses have been forced to implement full or partial closures. >> we've seen $160 million running loss. we're r really conscious that is going to be a long road to recovery here for the hunter valley.

>> some people are getting creative to help hunter valley recocover. this wineryy t teamed up with a distilling c cpany and bought over 50 tons o of smoke taintnt grapes. red wine is made by crushing grapes together with their skins before being fermented. but as the skins were tainted by smoke, the fermented liquid was distilled to get rid of the smell. this is whatt it turnened into, spirit with an alcohol content of 40%. 1,000 bottles were put on the market. another match will be left in barrels to m mature as branandy. >> it's just providing a different angle on what we can do, anand it is aboutut support the grower. without grape growers, we don't have a wine industry. >> reporter: other wine pruz producers are taking a different approach to survive the crisis.

they have turned to the internet in a bid to connect with wine lovers who cannot visit due to the coronavirus. >> light bright, refreseshing style of line. > reporter: a wine drinker a guest discuss a aroma and flavo. the winery is receiving lots of positive responses, and orders are flowing in. >> it's been for us to give and it's been hopefully been good at the other end for our consumers. we were constantly thinking and working together, how can we build connections? >> reporter: the people in auststralia's oldest wine producing region are not taking the crisis sittingng down. they're doing whatever it takes to revitalize their industry. nhk world, hunter valley. >> calamities like epidemics and natural disasters are unpredictable. but it seems farmer who used to,

working with temperamental weather conditions are experienced to trials with nature. agriculture is at the root of us all. it feeds and sustains us. as the sector you struggles with the coronavirus, we, as consumers, might want to think

>> united nations investigators find evidence of crimes against humanity by venezuelan security forces and say president nicolas maduro supported it. hello again. you are watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up -- torrential rain and 160 fivive kilometer pr hourur wind -- a powerful storm smashes the u.s. gulf coast and is expected to cause unprecedented flooding. india's internationally recognized prime minister says he will leave his post by the end hi