♪ hello and welcome to this edition of nhk "newsline." m raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. we begin in the united states, where polling stations are opening on tuesday morning for election day. the world is watching to see if incumbent president donald trump is re-elected or democratic challenger joe biden wins back the white house. former vice president biden has been leading in national opinion polls, but trump has narrowed the gap. voters in the states of new york and virginia are among the first to go to the polls on tuesday.

as is tradition, two tiny communities in n hampshire cast their ballots after the stroke of midnight. the results were a sweep for biden, while in millsfield, trump won 16 votes to 5 for biden. the 2020 election is taking place amid the growing coronavirus pandemic and a risingocial divide in u.s society. the response to the coronavirus and the reopening of the economy have become major campaign issues. johns hopkins university in the u.s. says the total number of confirmed cases in the country stands at nearly 9.3 million. the death toll has topped the world with over 230,000. restrictions on mail-in voting were eased to address concerns about spreading the virus. millions of people opted to cast ballots early. turnout could be the highest in a century. there are concerns as voting gets under way. trump has insisted mail-in votes

are prone to fraud, and the results could be contested in court. some reports say trump may declare victory unilaterally before all the votes are tallied. there's also the possibility of unrest related to the election. people in new york fear riots and looting may occur as divisions between supporters of the two candidates have deepened. >> just in case, for the election. we don't know about the riots. maybe we don't, all right? stay safe. >> in washington, authorities are preparing for possible riots. several demonstrations are planned to be staged on election day. fences have been built around the white house. voters across the united states yet to choose their president, but a more complex system, called the electoral college, actually determines the outcome. here's how it works. any american citizen 18 and up can register to vote. unlike in most republics,

citizens do not directly elect a leader. instead, the vote outcome determines electors, and the presidency is decided by who controls the most electors, not by the popular vote. each of the 50 u.s. states and washington, d.c., get the number of electors roughly based on its population. nearly every state uses a winner takes off s s all system, award its votes to a single candidate. california has 55 electors, the most of any state. the candidate who receives the highest number of votes there, regardless of the margin of victory, will get all 55. to win the white house, a candidate needs a simple majority or 270 electoral college votes. america decides. nhk world japan reports. turn to nhk "newsline" and newsroom tyo for coverage of the u.s. presidential election and the issues that matter most in asia.

from tokyo, beijing, seoul and our bureaus here in new york, for a global view with an asian perspective. count on us, nhk world japan. police in austria are searching for a gunman behind a series of shootings monday in central vienna. the interior minister says at least one is an islamist terrorist. there's been multiple deaths and injuries. >> translator: the alleged perpetrator was armed with an explosive belt which turned out to be fake and an assault rifle. the perpetrator was a supporter of the terrorist organization, islamic state. >> the attacks took ace across six different locations in an entertainmt district at around 8:00 p.m. local time. one report says police shot dead one of the gunman. austria's chancellor urges people to remain vigilant, because the perpetrators are

believed to be on the loose. one of the shooters took place 500 meters from st. stephevens cathedral, a vienna landmark. honoring a teacher killed after showing pupils a caricature of the prophet mohamed. students observed a moment of silence with their teachers in memory of the tcher who used caricatus on a class about freedom of expression. one teacher at a junior high school in paris took the opportunity to speak to his students about the issue. >> translator: i hope they take away the idea that in france, there is freedom of exprsion. when you're not happy with an opinion expressed, you go to a judge. you never take justice into your own hands. >> after the teacher's killing, president emmanuel macron said france would never give up the right to have caricatures, but that stance angered muslims.

french prosecutors say an islamic extremist was responsible for killing three people last thursday at a church in nice. on saturday, an orthodox priest was shot and wounded in leon. in other news, the latest population survey in japan shows more people moving out of tokyo than migrating to it. and that's the first time in seven years the capital has seen a net drop in numbers. japan's internal affairs ministry says about 194,400 people moved to tokyo between april and september. but nearly 200,000 moved out. that coincides roughly with the coronavirus tbreak. and it's the first time since 2013 tokyo saw more outflow than inflow. more than half of those who left the capital moved to the neighboring prefectures of kanagawa, saitama and chiba.

two japanese stars are in the running for the highest pitching honor in major league baseball. darvish yu of the chicago cubs and maed a kenta of the minnesoa twins are finalists for this year's cy young award. darvish was runner-up in the american league in 2013. the 34-year-old right-hander is in his eighth season in the majors and third with the cubs. he became the first japanese pitcher to top a league in wins finishing at 8-3 with a 2.01 earned run average. maeda is a finalist in the american league. this is the first time he was nominated for the prestigious award. maeda is in his fifth year in the majors and first with the twins. he went 6-1 with a 2.70 era this season. but maeda faces stiff opposition for the american league award from shane bieber of the cleveland indians who posted an

8-1 record with an era of 1.63 and 122 strikeouts. this south korean player of the toronto bluejays is also one of the finalists. the winners will be announced on november 11th. tokyo and kyoto are the favored destinations for annual school trips here in japan, but this year, lots of schools canceled plans to those cities due to the coronavirus pandemic. many have opted for excursions closer to home. in northeastern japan, journeys to areas struck by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011 are becoming population. nhk world accompanied a group of students on one of those trips. this morning, this segment includes video footage from the tsunami disaster.

>> reporter: these middle school students from iwate prefecture rarely have opportunities to see the ocean. their school trip to tokyo was canceled, but they got the chance to take a special study tour instead. this train show s areas where te tsunami hit along the coast. suzuki is the teacher who organized the trip. for years, suzuki was only able to teach students about the disaster in the classroom because the school's tight schedule prevented her from taking them to the coastal areas. then the coronavirus pandemic hit. >> translator: this excursion is replacing the trip to tokyo, so we could have decided to take them only to fun places. but i think it is important for them to see the coast and learn the truth about the devastation.

>> reporter: a tour guide provided by the local railway company talks about the reconstruction work that is still going on. >> translator: construction to raise the road is under way. i think it will take another two years. >> reporter: the train always stops at the station to allow visitors to say prayers for the victims. the next stop is a iwtae tsunami memorial museum. suzuki is not the only teacher who thinks it is important for students to learn about the disaster. the museum has been packed with teachers and students from the prefecture recently. >> translator: it's been almost ten years since the disaster, and some children don't even know about it. they need to understand the

importance of life and learn about disaster prevention, starting at an early age. we have a responsibility to teach them. >> reporter: suzuki allows the students to watch footage from the tsunami. she obtained their parents' consent first, because these are the most disturbing images in the museum. >> translator: in nature, anything can happen, and i think that's scary. >> translator: i think this experience will help me if there is another disaster. >> translator: some students said it was a meaningful trip. we see only part of the world in front of us as we do about our lives, so i think it was a good opportunity to learn about the coastal areas that are so close and, yet, so far.

>> reporter: tokyo may have been the city they were all eager to visit, but by staying close to home, suzuki and her students discovered memories of a disaster they never want to forget. ishikawa, nhk world, iwate prefecture. now for a colorful blast from the past in the southern prefecture of okinawa. on tuesday, a dynasty parade was held in naha city to pray for peace and a good harvest. like most events these days, it was scaled down due to the coronavirus. ♪ the procession recreates a new year visit to a temple by the ryukyu royal family. the king and queen made their way across the site of suhuri castle for 40 minutes. it typically takes place every november 3rd, japan's culture day, but it was canceled last year due to the devastating fire

at the castle, and also in 2018 due to heavy rains. >> translator: last year, everyone seemed to be sad, but now people are recovering and trying their best. >> the parade featured 20 people, or just 1/10th of what it normally would. this time, it didn't move onto the streets around the castle to prevent crowding. now, the three-day outlook for weather in selected cities around the globe. ♪

♪ and that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. there's much more to come here

on nhk world japan, so please stay with us. ♪ welcome to "newsline in depth." today, we are looking at transport and mobility, obstacles and opportunities in an uncertain world. the coronavirus pandemic stopped many of us in our tracks, changing where, how, and even if we move around in our daily lives. that raises many questions about the future of personal mobility. both airlines and automakers have been hit hard by the economic impact. business leaders in these industries have had to find creative ways to stay afloat.

let's start with the airline industry. travel restrictions during the pandemic have crippled airlines across the globe. they've been forced to lay off staff and slash air routes. asian carriers are no exception. faced with the task of making a profit without flying planes, operators are moving into uncharted territory. >> reporter: the malaysian airasia group is asia's largest low-cost carrier. it grew with a combination of rock bottom fares and increasing routes. 85 million passengers were served at its peak a year. the coronavirus pandemic forced the airline to ground its international flights. although some domestic routes have resumed, its revenue in the second quarter of 2020 was down a staggering 96% from a year ago. looking for a lifeline, the

company has turned to a surprising source for income. in-flight meals. the airline once sold 24 million in the skies annually. now, they're hoping to replicate that success at restaurants. their most popular dish is a malaysian spicy coconut rice, nasi lemak. another is singapore style chicken and rice. >> a lot of people fly, and, surprisingly, one of the reasons people choose to fly with airasia is because of the food. >> reporter: at this restaurant, 30% of the business is from food deliveries. >> here you go. >> thank you. >> reporter: this in-flight meal fan orders them three times a week to capture some of the magic of air travel. >> don't feel the desire to fly, but i feel the desire to eat in-flight food, definitely. yeah, it can make me happy. >> reporter: airasia's restaurant business is seeing brisk sales of more than 700 dishes a day.

the company plans to franchise and aggressively increase the number of restaurants selling in-flight meals in malaysia and overseas. last month, thai airways opened their own restaurant. the royal orchid dining experience. business is booming with more than 1,000 customers served a day. the restaurant's selling point is business class level meals. as cabin attendants serve customers with a smile. guests sit in seats that have been removed from the planes by maintenance staff. pilots sometimes stop by to appear in photos. the company is trying to give staff in all divisions the opportunity to work as much as possible. >> translator: my last flight was in march, and i have not flown once since then. i have no income from flying. this restaurant is on the

ground, but i feel very happy. because i can offer the same services as i did in the sky. >> translator: we hope these activities will help thai airways make it through. i am rooting for them. >> reporter: the airlines make much less from the business of food than the business of flying, but they are pulling out all the stops to weather the economic turbulence as they chart a course to recovery. >> translator: we're experiencing a new normal, so we have to change our approach. it is critical for the company to meet new demand and raise revenue within thailand. >> an update on airasia, the company announced it'll shut down operations in japan in december and pull out of the market. despite the creative measures, many remain under pressure throughout asia, with no end in sight to the epidemic.

the longer the health crisis drags on, the harder it will be to keep their businesses going. time to change lanes now and see what's happening in the auto industry. car makers are slowly recovering after taking a beating in the initial phase of the pandemic. but many questions remain about their plans to push into electric vehicles and green energy technology. to find out what lies ahead, we visited one of the world's biggest motor shows, which kicked off in beijing late last month. >> reporter: about 800 autos are here. the focus is on electric vehicles known as ev. their development is a national strategy in china. with ev sales in the country representing nearly half its global market. but china's ev industry is

facing some challenges. overproduction is a problem. beijing is addressing that with reduced subsidies. that, in furturn, is causing financial troubles for some manufacturers. there's also some big competition. the united states firm tesla is now selling made in china models, taking top spot in the new energy market. china's domestic car makers are trying various strategies to compete. ross the industry, the buzz word is cake, connective autonomous shared and electric. autonomous shared and electric. an emerging car maker has developed a system that enables the vehicle to find its own space and park.

>> translator: it's important to develop and offer products and services the customers demand. it's the only way to survive. >> reporter: one of china's largest automakers is a partner in a start-up autonomous venture. >> translator: we manufacture electric vehicles, but what's more important for us at present is smart functionality. that's where the industry is headed. >> reporter: the start-up is called we ride. it offers robo taxi services. a ride-hailing service using self-driving cars. >> translator: i used to be a bit worried about the safety aspect, but that's no longer a concern for me.

>> reporter: nearly 100,000 people have used the service since its launch in november last year. the robo taxi fleet has traveled almost 3 million kilometers. an experiment is also under way into completely unattended driving on public roads. remote control via 5g technology is the emergency backup. instead of the person who typically sits in the driver's seat of the robo taxi. >> translator: it's completely automatic driving, if it becomes a reality, we'll probably be able to use the car's glass windows as screens, for example. there's potential for a wide variety of added value with wonderful business opportunities. >> reporter: the engines may be silent, but the vehicles of the future are roaring to life as

competition heats up in china and beyond. iga akito, nhk world. we're now joined by christopher richter, an automotive analysts in japan. thank you for joining us. >> you're welcome. >> evs are positioned to become the mainstream means of car transportation, but they are still significantly more expensive than the gasoline vehicles. what challenges do you see ahead for the ev industry and the hurdles automakers face amid this pandemic? >> first, there's two types of electric vehicles. the battery ev, or b.e.v., which has a large batter the other is the plug-in hybrid, with a smaller battery and an engine. b.e.v.s are still too expensive. for example, one battery ev, tesla's model 3, costs $50,000. while a lot of progress has been made in lowering battery costs,

they're still high, and that's a problem if you mandate them. we worry about the price of raw materials like rcobalt and nickl if you go mass market. the auto industry needs to be profitable without subsidy. plug-in hybrids with smaller batteries might be a partial solution. charging structure is also limited. and the government will probably need to provide the infrastructure. >> okay. decreasing vehicles' carbon footprint is also a challenge for the car industry. critics say, though, evs don't necessarily decrease the necessary environmental impact. any insight on this? >> well, if you're burning coal to make electricity, the benefit of evs is limited. ultimately, however, this isn't the auto industry's problem but the electric power industry's. the governments need to reduce emissions from electricity

generation, as well as cars. so it is a tough problem. there's also a problem with recycling batteries, something the ev industry hasn't fully cracked yet. >> and besides selling cars, any other ways the auto industry can stay profitable? >> many services have an element of transportation attached to them. food delivery, garbage removal, health care, patrolling, street sweeping, and postal package delivery. and the development of vehicle autonomy can take humans out of the equation and avoid the spread of current or future viruses. thus, it is time for automake s automakers to think of themselves as service providers, too. toyota developed an autonomous van which can be anything from a restaurant to an office on wheels. >> what other changes will automakers be forced to make due

to the decreased revenue from the pandemic in their shift to mobility of the future? >> then inevestment in autonomy is huge. auto makers are collaborating to spread the costs. for example, honda worked with g gm on fuel cells and vehicle autonomy and recently tightened the relationship to add vehicle development, including evs. toyota has stakes in suzuki, subaru, and mazda for the same reason. it's also fueling the merger of fiat in europe. we'll probably see more deals going forward. >> thank you, mr. richter. we'll keep an eye on that, too. >> you're welcome. >> governments are another player to watch in this space. just last month, the state of california, for example, is planning to ban all new gasoline cars by 2035. so plenty of changes on the horizon for transport and

mobility. industry leaders will need to ensure they strike the right balance between the needs of business, users, and the environment. thank you for watching, and see you again next time.