♪ hello. and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yamamoto miki from tokyo. we start this hour here in japan where the government is easing restrictions to curve the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. more foreigners will be now allowed to enter the country, but one key segment is still being barred from entering,

tourists. people who have been approved for medium to long-term visas now eligible including medical professionals, students and business people. they can only enter if their visa sponsors ensure they'll stay quarantined for two weeks upon arrival. the number of people granted entry will be limited. the government plans to raise the cap as airport expands business capacity. business travel to and from taiwan, vietnam and other places that are under control has already resumed. the government says it will hold talks with other nations and could allow more people in depending on how the situation develops. meanwhile, japan confirmed er 570 newew coronavirus infections on wednesday, including nearly 200 in tokyo.

it comes as medical researchers are finding out new information about who is most vulnerable. the national center for global health and medicine published a survey about 6,000 coronavirus patient who is had been hospitalized since early last month. it shows that people who were in serious condition and had chronic kidney or heart disease had a higher fatality rate. another risk factor was people with diseases that affect blooz vessels and blood supply to the brain. people who are obese or have hyperliepemmia are also at risk. the center analyzes condition that could cause to worsen. over 1,500 have died. a closely watched survey on business sentiment shows that an improvement among japan's large

manufacturers. the index in the report was up but still in negative territory. the latest quarterly report came out on thursday. it shows that confidence at major manufacturers rose to minus 27. the bank of japan's survey covers about 10,000 businesses and gauges how executives feel about the economy. the previous report in june showed that the mood among the manufacturers plunged to minus 34 while the coronavirus pandemic battered the economy. that result was the lowest since 2009, soon after the start of the global financial crisis. but the improvement in the most recent quarter came as economic activity in japan gradually got back on track. japanese government ministries and agencies have submitted their budget request for the next fiscal year. the total is likely to top 100 trillion yen, or $947 billion

for the 7th year in a row. it's not yet possible to get an accurate figure because costs relating to coronavirus projects could still grow. the health labor and welfare ministry requested over 32 trillion yen as social security costs are expected to grow. that's a record figure and a third of the total. the defense ministry also set a record, asking for nearly 6 trillion yen to boost japan's defense capability. more than 25 trillion yen or a quarter of the total has been requested for interest payments and redemption of government bonds. covid-related budgets include spending for a project to establish pcr testing facilities throughout japan. they also include measures to support tourism businesses and to deal with the virus with an eye toward the tokyo olympics and paralympics. this just in, the tokyo

stock exchange hsays it has temporarily suspended all trading. it is citing problem with the system that distributes information. once again, the tokyo market has suspended all trading. it is citing problems with the system that distributes market information. we will have more information on this as they come in. plus in hong kong are on high alert amid the 71st anniversary of the founding of the peoples' republic of china. authorities have been stepping up their crackdown on protesters since a national security law that beijing imposed on hong kong took effect in june. demonstrators typically take place to mark the day, but they have been banned with police citing the need to conquer the coronavirus. but people on social media are still calling for rallies.

about 6,000 officers are being deployed in case pro-democracy protesters take to the streets. barricades were erected around a venue where government officials were said to mark the anniversary. meanwhile, criticism is mounting over the handling of 12 hong kong activists detained on suspicion of trying to smuggle themselves to taiwan. families say they haven't received any information since their loved ones were transported to a detention center. they also say the 12 have been denied access to lawyers. u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo said in a statement that his country is deeply concerned. clashes between azerbaijani and armenian forces continued for a fourth straight day on wednesday over their disputed region. azerbaijani troops stepped up their offensive in the northern

part of the area. the area lies in western azerbaijan but is populated by armenians. armenian forces posted photos online of wreckage of one of their war planes that was shot down by a turkish fighter jet. azerbaijan and turkey deny the claim. vladimir putin has urged the republics to call a cease fire. but dialogue requires appropriate atmosphere and kuwait has sworn in a new amir. the 83-year-old was sworn in before parliament on wednesday.

he succeeds his brother who was 91. he made strenuous efforts to stabilize the gulf region, playing the role of mediator. the new emir expressed his intention to rebuild the country's economy. shaping work for kuwait's reconstruction as social affairs labor administrator after the gulf war in 1991. he became crown prince in 2006. attention is focused on whether the new emir can make his presence felt in the region where tensions are running high. in japan, one in every seven children lives in poverty. children's cafeterias offer free

or inexpensive meals, but not all of them are accessible because they are few and far between. so, as we will see in our next report, a volunteer group has hit the road to get this critical service to where it is most needed. >> at first glance, this looks like an ordinary bus, but when it stops it transforms into a children's cafeteria. the service was launched this year by a volunteer group in aomori prefecture. this man started the group after hearing about single parents who couldn't afford to feed their children. >> translator: when i reset the number of children's cafeterias in aomori prefecture, i learned we had the second lowest rate of any prefecture in the nation. when i discovered that children had this need, i decided to find a way to solve the problem.

>> at first, he set up cafeterias for children using community centers and city offices. but he soon came across a problem. he learned that some children couldn't make it to their location. that's when he came up with the idea of going mobile. using crowd funding, he raised enough money to buy a used bus. he built the kitchens and tables himself along with a ventilation system. but it's not just his handyman skills that have proved useful. others on the team point to his personality. >> translator: he doesn't get angry and never says mean things. he sets an example of kindness that everyone around him follows. >> reporter: the first day of serving meals in the bus and a group of local volunteers has come to help out for the big

occasion. at this stop, there are 45 stomachs to fill. but when the team starts cooking, there is trouble. the equipment has suddenly stopped working. >> reporter: after this hiccup, cooking resumed without a hitch. today's bus fare, sausages and scrambled eggs. >> i'm glad we got to see the kids so happy. we plan to go to small towns and villages that don't have a children's cafeteria. and we're also offering fun

events as well as feeding them. >> reporter: the bus is on the move. and with fun activities spicing up the menu as well, it looks like children will have even more reason to get on board. let's check out the world weather with our meteorologist tsietsi monare. so, tsietsi, people here in tokyo woke up to gray skies, rainy weather. how long will we have to carry our umbrellas? >> well, fortunately not very long. i looked at the models and i thought, oh, my goodness, we might be going for a wet weekend. it's going to turn out fine. today is like a little bit of a break from the sunny skies we had just out of the week. but the sunny skies again. and warm weather will also be coming through. let's look at the amount of moisture we can expect. we saw the low pressure system started off in

the bad news is that temperatures are slightly getting warmer again over the next couple of days. so, by saturday/sunday you could see warm weather towards western japan and also very close towards central japan. and you need to remember over the last couple of months, lep any august we saw a lot of heat strokes and people being taken to hospital because of these hot conditions. and those are set to come back again. so, please do be care. make sure you stay hydrated and stay cool as much as possible. look at the temperatures. in fact osaka will be 29 on thursday. these are well above arch for this time of year. please make sure you are safe at all times. across the subcontinent in india, we see rainy weather across the central going towards the western side. we're expecting more rainfall to

come through in mumbai. some flooding could be very possible, so take care at all times. make sure you are not in unsafe zones. otherwise hot and dry weather still expected towards much of the united states. in fact, still remaining quite hot towards northern california and along the south, going in toward it is four corners as well. a little bit of unstable weather towards the great lakes and crossing over the canada-united states border, things could be cooler there. winnipeg, single digits, toronto 14, moisture and sthouers expected there. extremely hot for the west. las vegas, upper 30s the next couple of days. los angeles also pretty warm. that's where i'll leave it for your weather. take care. ♪ ♪

that's all for this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm yamamoto miki in tokyo. stay safe and stay healthy wherever you are. thanks for watching. ♪ ♪ welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm yanaka marie. dealing with plastic waste is a major global problem. according to a recent interpol study, illegal trade in plastic waste has been rapidly growing. that, since china, which was once the world's primary importer, closed its doors almost three years ago to

protect its own environment. now, much of the world's waste is unlawfully making its way into malaysia. that means the plastic is neither cleaned nor sorted when entering the country. to process that waste, illegal recycling factories, which disregard regulations, are cropping up all over the country. our first report looks at how malaysia is cracking down. >> reporter: much of the illegal plastic garbage slips past inspectors and is taken to various parts of the country. one destination is not far from malaysia's biggest port. it is a town dotted with factories and empty lots. this man leads an environmental ngo. he has been uncovering dump sites and factories run by illegal recyclers all over the

town. this was the first site he identified. this footage shows how the site looked two years ago. morere than 5,000 tons of the illegal plastic garbage had been piled up. most of it was smuggled in from wealthy countries like the united states and japan as well as europe. next to the dump site was a factory, where workers separated the salvageable bits from the trash piles and sold it to recyclers. tan found that dirty waters used to wash the plastic waste was coming out of the factory. he also obtained proof that the plant was burning non-recyclable plastic garbage during the night to get rid of it. air pollution from the plant caused dozens of people living nearby to contract serious

respiratory illnesses. >> translator: there was an awful strong smell at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning. the local residents were not able to sleep. these companies that deal in plastic garbage have no concern about the environment. their only goal is to keep making money. >> reporter: tan found more than 40 illegal factories operating. he reported them to the authorities and all were closed by the end of last year. but tan still keeps a watchful eye, as there are indications the plants have not shut for good.

>> reporter: tan peered over the fence and could see that plastic scrap was scattered around. just then, a man who appeared to be the plant manager came out. it turns out the factory had re-opened without authorization. but the man was not apologetic. >> translator: come on, enough is enough. how much money do you think our businesses lost because of you guys? >> translator: no, you had it coming. you should care about the environment. the smell was so bad here we thought we might die. >> translator: the authorities haven't been able to keep up with these illegal plant owners. sometimes they're tipped off ahead of crackdowns.

what's worse, i understand many of the business owners have corrupt officials in their pockets to help them get permits. >> in brennan, there has been no crackdown by authorities, and the illegal operations continue. still, the malaysian government is reinforcing measures at its ports of entry. in january of this year, it announced that it was sending back 150 containers of illegal waste to 13 countries. it also plans to further tighten inspections. >> if there are people who would like to see everything possible. >> malaysian authorities continue taking bold steps to

prevent the illicit dumping, yet plastic waste is still entering the country. according to environmental activist, tan, even more shutdown processing plants are covertly resuming operations. of course this is keeping him busy, as he uncovers and reports them to authorities. now, plastic waste is also taking over our ocean. it's harming aquatic life and posing risks to human health. the problem is especially acute in indonesia, where large volumes of plastic waste end up in the sea. we look at the situation in the country's tourist resort, bali. > reporter: the pristine beaches and turquoise waters of the island attract tourists from all over the world. but in recent years, the rainy season carries increasing amounts of plastic waste into the ocean.

>> translator: you'll be surprised to see how much waste is in the sea. >> translator: as someone who lives here, i find the plastic pollution very distressing. it's also damaging local tourism. >> reporter: how does so much used plastic go astray? the answer can be found by looking at indonesia's waste management system. this dump site is where every kind of garbage ends none of this is sited. the waste infrastructure is extremely poor. there's not even a single incinerator in the country. workers at the dump site sort the trash by hand. surrounded by the stifling odor, they pick out plastic items and aluminum cans that can be sold

for recycling. >> translator: 300 tons of waste is brought in each day. nearby dump sites already full. so, we have to deal with this incredible volume. >> as plastic waste piles up, some people are taking action. a group of volunteers have started regular clean ups of the beaches and valley. a local ngo is also trying to change the mindset of residents. it launched a program to reward recycling, calling it the waste bank. children bring used plastic bottles, cans, and other items from their homes twice a month and deposit them at the bank. recyclables are weighed and given a value. each family receives around $10

every six months. >> translator: plastic waste is a serious problem. it's not biodegradable and animals could die by eating it. that's why we need to collect and recycle it. >> since banning single use plastics in 2019, environmental awareness in bali has been rising. one local supermarket has even ditched plastic for banana leaves to wrap its vegetables. the movement for phasing out single use plastic has accelerated in recent years. japan recently started mandatory charging for shopping bags. one survey found the move has led to 70 plkt of customers declining them at checkout. other countries have banned them all together, such as kenya. we look at how the east african nation is using fines to get the

message across. >> reporter: at a market in the suburb of kenya's capital nairobi, plastic bags are a taboo site. shops can only offer wrapping of nonwoven fabric or paper. >> translator: when the measure first took effect, we all worried how it would work, but we feel we are managing. >> reporter: the ban applies to retailers as well as consumers and tourists. but not everyone is on board. some stores still secretly use cheap plastic bags. so, authorities have been cracking down with stiff penalties, even arrests. over the past two years, more than 1,000 people nationwide sbrn hauled nor breaking the

law. violators could be fined up to $40,000 or imprisoned for up to four years. zb. if they continue defy the ban, we're actually going to close the markets completely. we are out every single day. we are going to carry out arrests until kenya is plastic-free. >> kenya enacted the law as it grapples with a garbage crisis. the government lacks the resources to clean up the waste in these areas. plastic trash often ends up blocking rivers and causing problem for farmers whose livestock eat it by mistake. >> when the ban came, they tried to say no, the law is vendors, the common man. but i think when we saw the food, nobody wants to live in that environment. there's a lot of support. >> reporter: some owner of small stores and street sellers are

still having trouble with the hard line approach. charles roni runs a retail business. he secretly kept using plastic bags after the law took effect. they are much cheaper and keep his sugar canes from drying out. he had to pay a fine of 5,000 kenyan shillings or about $50. >> reporter: surrounding countries are now taking similar measures. as plastic bans spread, it remains to be seen how strict enforcement will be and how much people will accept it. >> the world is increasingly waking up to the hazards of single use plastics. but the coronavirus is undoing some of the progress that has been made with people spending more time at home.

online shopping and food delivery services have spiked, translating into mountains of plastic packaging and container waste. so, what can we do as consumers? it's a tricky dilemma, but at the most fundamental level, we must consider how our every

>> army asia -- our media and by armenia and azerbaijan continue to struggle and look to our media for support -- look to -- you arare watching all jazeera. coming up on the program -- is hard to get any word in. >> the presidential debates promises changes for the next two after the first between donald trump and joe