♪ hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara. we start in tokyo with the latest on the coronavirus. experts are warning the number of patients in serious condition is expected to rise, and risks putting further strain on the medical system. tokyo's daily average has hovered around 400 in the past week, including 481 new cases on thursday. the number of seriously ill patients is also increasing. it reached 60 on thursday for

the first time since the nationwide state of emergency declaration was lifte in may. 40% of hospital beds allocated for serious covid-19 cases are occupied. officials plan to double the number of such beds from 150 to 300. but it's not clear how quickly hospitals can do that. >> translator: we're on the verge of a serious situation, where ordinary health care must be sacrificed. strict measures should be taken immediately to prevent the spread of infection. >> experts are requesting people take basic preventive measures. they're also cautioning against nonessential travel to and from areas where the virus is rapidly spreading. tokyo officials have asked bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to close earlier starting this weekend. local officials are making the same request for businesses in osaka, sapporo, and nagoya. more than 140,000 people have

tested positive in japan since the outbreak began. more than 2,000 have died. many restaurants in the capital are now facing a difficult decision about whether to do what's being asked of them. as nhk world's sakamoto mari reports, the timing only adds to their dilemma. >> reporter: the message from tokyo's governor was stark. >> translator: we need to prevent deaths, prevent serious cases, and prevent the collapse of the medical system. >> reporter: with the number of infections continuing to rise in the city of 14 million and the growing number of patients in serious condition, koike is asking businesses to help turn the tide. she wants establishments that serve alcohol to close at 10:00 p.m. for 20 days, starting on saturday. owners that comply will receive about $4,000 in compensation.

for sugimoto kaori, the announcement had an element of deja vu. >> translator: this measure has already been taken twice. the situation is very tough for restaurants. >> reporter: she renated her restaurant earlier this month to help prevent infections. heaters were installed on the terrace so customers can dine comfortably and safely outdoors. she was expecting to be busy with year-end parties, which often go late into the night. but in the last few days, people have started calling to cancel reservations. >> translator: we have tried to shift our business hours to be open longer during the day, and we sell takeout lunches. but our sales are still down sharply. >> reporter: this economist says closing early during the season will deal a heavy blow, since many restaurants rely on the

end-of-year boom in business. >> translator: i think the metropolitan government wanted to avoid requestg shorter operating hours in december, but if the number of patients with severe symptoms continues sing, a state of emergency may be declared sooner or later. that would be even worse for the local ecomy, so i believe tokyo officials are making this request now to avoid such a scenario. >> reporter: restaurant owners will be hoping their sacrifices won't be in vain, as health authorities try to bring the situation under control ahead of the new year holiday. sakamoto mari, nhk world. globally, the coronavirus appears to be spreading faster than ever. johns hopkins university says over 60 million people have been infected with cases jumping by 10 million in just 17 days.

1.4 million people have died. the largest outbreak is still in the u.s., which has logged more than 12 million cases and more than 260,000 deaths. india and brazil also have infection counts well above 6 million and a troubling number of deaths. europe has been struggling under high case loads for months, with many countries deploying serious anti-virus measures, including lockdowns. but daily numbers seem to show a downward trend. french president emmanuel macron told his country tuesday that its second wave is beyond its crest and will now gradually ease a national lockdown. if conditions continue time prove, macron said, more measures can be lifted. >> translator: all around the country during this period, meaning starting from december the 15th, a curfew from 9:00

p.m. to 7:00 a.m. will be in place. we can go around freely on the nights of december the 24th and december the 31st to share these moments with our families, but public gatherings will not be tolerated. >> the british government says it will temporarily relax stay-at-home restrictions so families can spend christmas together. >> i can't say that christmas will be normal this year. but in a period of adversity, it's even more precious for people of all faiths. we all want some kind of christmas. we need it. we certainly feel we deserve it. >> the government says meetings of up to three households will be allowed outdoors or indoors for five days from december 23rd to 27th. in the united states, where cases continue to rise, there's growing concern that the

thanksgiving holiday could further spread the virus. new york state, an early center of infection, saw 6,265 on tuesday, more than doubling the daily tally from three weeks ago. johns hopkins university says nearly 173,000 cases were reported across the country that day. the latest in three weeks of six-digit counts. a private research organization says as of tuesday, more than 88,000 people in the u.s. are being treated for the coronavirus in hospitals. over 17,000 people are in intensive care. with families celebrating thanksgiving this weekend, the centers for disease control and prevention is concerned about an increased covid-19 risk. it called on people not to gather with family and friends outside their households. president-elect joe biden weighed in, calling on residents to sacrifice a beloved custom

for a greater good. >> this year, we're asking americans to forgo so many of the traditions that we've long made this holiday. >> biden urged people to avoid large get-togethers, wear masks, and maintain social distancing. americans usually get ready for thanksgiving by preparing their holiday dinner. thawing their turkey, making sure they have enough pumpkin for their pie. but the pandemic has forced many to turn elsewhere for their meals. nhk world's catherine kobayashi explains. >> reporter: the south sits and waits. lines of cars edging forward. the drivers just wanting something. >> i don't know how i'm going to eat for thanksgiving. >> our landlord kicked us out, and having this definitely helps. >> reporter: the pandemic has closed u.s. businesses by the tens of thousands. at least 11 million people are out of work.

more than 50 million wonder where they'll get their next meal. >> they're your next-door neighbor. they are people who have lost their jobs and never expected to be unemployed. they're folks that have been sick with the virus and unable to work again. >> reporter: some who come to get a meal turn heads. >> we're seeing people come through and we're seeing benzes and lexuses. range rovers. they never thought they'd be in a position where they'd be in need. >> you lost your job or your house? >> my job. >> reporter: before this, many people had never been to a food bank. >> without this, we wouldn't have a thanksgiving. >> reporter: after a year of adversity, many americans are paring down and observing the oldest tradition of this holiday. they're stopping to give thanks. catherine kobayashi, nhk world, new york.

u.s. president donald trump pardoned his former national security adviser, michael flynn, on wednesday. flynn pleaded guilty twice to lying to the fbi in an investigation into russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election. trump tweeted on wednesday that it was his great honor to announce that flynn has been granted a full pardon. a white house statement added that flynn was the victim of partisan government officials attempting to subvert the 2016 election results. flynn was charged in 2017 with lying to the fbi about his interactions with russia's ambassador to the u.s. in the weeks leading to trump's inauguration. in may this year, the justice

department filed a request for charges against flynn to be dropped. democrats, who have long questioned trump's alleged ties to russia, criticized the pardon. adam schiff, chairman of the house intelligence committee, tweeted that trump was abusing his power to reward friends and protect those who have covered up for him. u.s. media are reporting that trump plans to issue more pardons. an explosion has damaged an oil tanker on the red sea off the coast of saudi arabia. the country's state-run television reports that yemen's anti-government forces attacked the vessel. the blast reportedly damaged the hull of the maltese-flagged tanker in waters near the jizan region. news outlets say no crew members were injured. in a statement published by state media, the saudi-led coalition fighting houthi insurgents in neighboring yemen described it as an unsuccessful

terrorist attack. so far, the houthis have not commented. the explosion comes after a fire broke out on monday at a petroleum products distribution plant in jeddah. the iran-aligned houthi forces claimed responsibility, saying they had fired a missile at the facility. yemen has been racked by conflicts since the saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in an ongoing civil war. the united nations has estimated at least 7,000 civilians have died so far with the number likely much higher, mostly due to saudi-led coalition air strikes. a city in part of japan japanese prosecutors are requesting the death penalty for a 30-year-old man who pled guilty to murdering nine people at his apartment near tokyo.

shiraishi takahiro made a court appearance thursday. he is charged with killing the victims, stealing their belongings, abandoning their remains in coolers. he is also charged with sexually assaulting the female victims. his defense team is arguing that the victims agreed to be killed, which could affect the sentence handed down by the court. but during his trial, he admitted that no victims consented to be killed. in demanding the death penalty on thursday, prosecutors said the testimony is consistent with the objective facts, and that its credibility cannot be denied. a ruling is expected december 15th. argentina is in mourning for a soccer legend widely considered one of the greatest players in history. diego maradona died wednesday at the age of 60 after suffering a

heart attack. maradona played in the world cup four times in a row, from 1982, and lifted the trophy for argentina in 1986. he was beloved in his hometown of buenos aires and in naples, where he laid for italy's top league. but his life became rocky. later in his career, he fought addiction to alcohol and drugs. he had significant health problems and a statement from his lawyer says earlier this month, he underwent brain surgery. players and public figures at home and abroad were quick to pay tribute. argentina's president tweeted, maradona took his country to the top of the world and made argentines immensely happy. a city in a part of japan that's famous for its denim is helping people stay fashionable this winter with the

latest must have accessories. the city of soja in yokohama prefecture is rolling out versions of its popular face masks. a workshop in the city began making the original versions in march when days masks were in short supply. they proved to be a hit with people across the country snapping up more than 260,000 of them so far. >> translator: i like the simple and cute design. >> translator: i want to enjoy wearing a face mask as a bit of fashion to keep my spirits up. >> the masks are for sale at the local city hall for about $5 each, and they will be available online soon. let's check out the world weather with our meteorologist sayaka mori. sayaka, will this nice weather continue? >> we enjoyed summer conditions in tokyo on thursday.

the high was 19 degrees but it's going to be a chilly day as we go into friday. the daytime high will be 12 degrees. it will be more like mid-december. you might want to wear two more layers of jackets. then we will see warmer conditions once again on saturday. meanwhile, sapporo will see cloudy conditions for the next couple of days, but you might see some snowfall tonight. and then heavier snow is likely from your sunday. now the indian ocean has woken up, because we have a couple of cyclones since last week's cyclone made landfall in somalia as the strongest cyclone to hit the country, and the next cyclone made landfall in southern india. the system is now weakening, it's now a cyclonic storm. when it made landfall, it was a very severe cyclonic storm, the second-strongest category on the cyclone scale. it's expected to weaken even

further as it moves toward the northwest. as you can see, this forecast, more rain is possible for parts of central and southern india, so flooding and landslides will be a continued risk, at least for the next few days. a massive heat wave is expected to pound many places of australia into next week. alice springs 42 every day from friday into saturday. adelaide could hit the 40-degree mark for the next couple of days. sydney could see 39. that's 15 degrees higher than normal for this time of year. some areas in australia might see 50 degrees or so or the weekend. it could be the highest temperature ever observed for the month of november in australia. a rare tornado made landfall, hit parts of texas. take a look at this video. severe thunderstorms swept through the u.s. southern plains late tuesday into wednesday morning.

in northern texas, powerful winds caused significant damage to vehicles and buildings with smashed windows and missing rooftops. the national weather service has determined that it was an ef-2 tornado. five injuries have bn reported. the severe weather maker will continue to move into the eastern areas of the united states, so it's going to be rainy in thanksgiving, maryland, on your thanksgiving day. that's it for me. stay safe.

that's all for this hour on nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara in tokyo. thank you for watching and stay with us for more.

♪ ♪ this is "newsline biz." i'm gene otani. the coronavirus pandemic has inflicted huge losses on airlines and cost countless jobs. it's also taken a big toll on airports. the operator of narita airport near tokyo says for the first time since going private in 2004, it suffered a net loss for the april-to-september period. narita international airport corporation says it was in the red to the tune of about $400 million. the number of international passengers using narita in that

time plummeted to about 3% of last year's figure. >> translator: i think it's totally important that we strengthen the company's financial structure. by doing that, we can put ourselves firmly in a position where we can get through a crisis severe as this one has been. >> for the fiscal year, the operator forecasts a net loss of about $750 million. it expects international fliers will start to increas slowly as travel restrictions ease and quarantine systems improve. but it says the number for the whe year will only be about 6% of last year's figure. china's up somes authorities say the value of the country's trade with north korea plummeted in october. their border was closed for a month due to the covid-19 pandemic. officials say the bilateral trade was worse, almost $1.66

million, down 99% from a year earlier. the total fell 76% from january through october. north korea has suspended flights and trains to and from china in response to the coronavirus. its leadership has been calling on factories and farms to boost production in what it calls an 80-day battle. the initiative comes ahead of a ruling party congress scheduled for january. officials at japanese beverage maker kirin holdings say they will sell to a dairy maker. last year the japanese company decided to sell the business to china meng yu dairy but gave up the plan in august. that's because kirin cited a low likelihood of gaining approval for the deal from australian authorities. relations between australia and beijing were rocky over issues

relatedo the pandemic and the political situations in hong kong. company officials say the deal will enable them to streamline its unprofitable overseas operations. they plan to focus on their more promising medical and health care businesses. most auto lovers can only dream of pushing a sports car to its limit. for those in japan, the dream will soon be a reality. from next summer, they'll be able to put some of porsche's top models through their paces at a specially designed track near tokyo. a japanese arm of the german automaker says it will open a porsche experience center next august. the 43-hectare facility will have a roughly two-kilometer track where visitors can enjoy the full potential of the cars. it will also feature a racing simulator. >> when the people in the world see this beautiful nature and see the beautiful

three-dimensional drive over hills and mountains, i'm sure we will see some if not a lot of tourists coming from all over the world. >> the facility would be the first of its kind in japan, and th ninth in the world. porsche expects to get 10,000 visitors a year. local authorities are counting on the center to generate jobs for people in the area. the coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis in the aviation industry. the international air transport association predicts that demand for international air routes will not return to prepandemic levels for four years. in its quest to recover lost revenue, one japanese airline has imagined a flight of fancy that may be the first of its kind.

>> reporter: stars are emerging, but not in the night sky. instead, the stars are visible inside this plane. the japanese airline "star flyer" has created a pnetarium flight. because of the pandemic, star f flyer's average seat occupancy has gone to 20% at one point and not recovered. to attract customers they proposed the idea of travel but not to the usual deinatio. rather, the plane takes off and returns to the same airport and the focus is on the in-flight experience. >> translator: the takeoff and landing is in the same airport. you're not really going anyplace. so we placed value on riding in the airplane itself. >> reporter: six small planetarium projectors were placed on food carts to screen inside the long and narrow airplane.

to coordinate what is shown on each screen, all the projectors needed to be synchronized and started at the same time. >> translator: take the lids off when you hear "please take a look." we want to get the timing perfect for everyone. >> reporter: after much trial and error, it is the day of the first flight. >> translator: it's different from what usually happens on an airplane. i wanted to show it to my children. >> translator: are you going to ride the airplane? >> reporter: it will be heading towards a full starry sky. it is 7:00 p.m. time for takeoff. almost 100 passengers have been chosen by lottery from across the country.

the same night skies tha one would see at this exact time tonight is projected inside the plane. looking out the window on the other side, passengers can see the actual night sky. it was a 90-minute-long flight under the starry skies. >> translator: the stars were like jewels. >> translator: the stars here and the stars outside the window and the city lights were beautiful. >> translator: i myself was very impressed. it might be a new way to use a plane. it's a complete success. >> reporter: as the pandemic continues to shroud the industry in darkness, novel airplane experiences like this are likely to be the key to airlines shining bright. all right, let's have a look at the markets.

and that's a look at business news.]e -- so without o

a lawyer. ♪ host: you are watching al jazeera. u.s. president donald trump has pardoned his former national security advisor michael flynn who pleaded guilty about lying to the fbi during the investigation into interference in the 2016 election. our correspondent is more. reporter: this is something trump started talking about nearly nine months ago as michael flynn was trying to change his guilty plea and accusing the federal prosecutors