♪ hello and thank you for joining us on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. we start here in japan, where officials are wrestling with how to contain rising coronavirus infections. the number of seriously ill patients across the nation has increased to nearly 500. the health minister says it's another sign the situation is growing more urgent. >> translator: the number of people in serious condition

tends to lag behind new cases. so the fact that serious ones have increased to nearly 500 means we're facing a sense of crisis. >> he is urging local governments to secure enough hospital beds. he says covid-19 patients who don't require hospilizatation should be quarantined in designated facilities, such as hotels, to free up resources. the head of the country's medical association visited prime minister suga yoshihide to offer his advice. >> translator: i told prime minister suga for taking measures for seriously ill patients is crucial, as the numbers are expected to rise further. i also told him that we can control the infections if we take action quickly enough. >> nakagawa says suga pledged to do whatever it takes to contain the virus. the biggest hot spot is tokyo. more than a quarter of cases

nationwide have been confirmed in the capital. officials reported over 370 cases on tuesday in the city of 14 million. metropolitan government officials want hospitals to increase the number of beds for seriously ill patients from 150 to 200 to meet the growing demand. authorities across the country reported over 2,000 new cases on tuesday, bringing the overall tally to more than 150,000. nearly 2,200 people have died. now, many foreigners in japan cannot return home due to the pandemic. japanese immigration authorities have temporarily allowed them to work part time, as some are struggling financially. the immigration services agency put the measure into effect on tuesday. the latest step is aimed at about 21,000 non-japanese, including those who came to japan for short-term stays or aztec aa as technical aitrnees.

many find themselves stranded, often by the tightened entry restrictions in their country. they'll need to apply to work part time. the united nations estimates a record 230 million people worldwide will require humanitarian aid next year, mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic. the u.n. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs released a rort tuesday on humanitarian assistance, including food distbution and vaccinations. more people were losing their jobs a unable to eat properly because of the virus spreading global. they noted the most vulnerable 0 million pple will requi $35 billion in aid. they include those in yemen and syria, where civil wars continue. u.n. humanitarian chief spoke to nhk in an teiew, and called on japan andhe international community for financial

assistance. >> there are countries, including japan, canexpect, i think, to see significant economic recovery nt year. but i'm not sure that's the case because they don't have the s resources to get their economies going again. >> lowcock added there is a risk between countries facing a chronic humanitarian crisis and the rest of the world. u.s. president-elect joe biden is pressing forward with preparations for the transition of power. he's named the top members of his economic team. four of the six picks are women. former federal reserve chair janet yellen has been nominated to be treasury secretary. if confirmed, she'll be the first woman to assume the post since the treasury department was founded in 1789. labor economist was chosen to be

the chair of the counswauncil o economic advisers, rouse. biden is calling those within the democratic party. he has yet to name the secretary of defense. u.s. media say biden has begun to receive presidential daily briefs, which include highly classified intelligence. biden spoke with u.n. secretary gener general, discussing the need for a strengthened partnership between the u.s. and u.n. on urgent global issues. the secretary general's spokesperson says he looks forward to working with biden to address the climate change and other issues. wisconsin and arizona have officially certified results of last month's presidential vote, declaring biden the winner. the move deals another blow to

president donald trump's efforts to contest the results. moving now to africa, where thousands are being displaced by a months long conflict between ethiopian government forces and an ethnic minority group in tigray. the u.s. secretary of state urged the ethiopian prime minister to end the conflict in the region through dialogue. e u.s. state department says mikeompeo spoke with ahkmed by phone. pompeo called for a complete end to hostilities and urged him to protect civilians. pompeo also urged that humanitarian organizations be given access to the tigray region. on saturday, government forces had ousted rebs ithe capital, but minority forces say they're still fighting. the government began military operations last month after tigraian forces attacked their

base. many fled to neighboring sudan. the united nations and other groups voicedoncerns about the deteriorating hanitarian situation. iran is once again pledging to retaliate against those responsible for the killing of its top nuclear scientist. officials there say they've uncovered more evidence pointing to a multi-pronged terrorist attack perpetrated by israel. fakhrizadeh was killed on friday. the expert worked on iran's nuclear program. some western countries say he led covert weapons research, but iran denied this iranian media saysakhrizadeh was killed in a complicated attack using remotely controlled machine guns. english language press tv quotes the source as saying the weapons carrie israeli logos. iran used the funeral for fakhrizadeh to rally public sentiment. during the ceremony, the defense minister said the enemy knows full well the country will

have to respond to this crime. >> translator: iran will seek revenge for the assassination of one of its people. >> other iranian leaders joined the battle cry. the foreign minister tweeted, this cowardice with serious indications of israeli role is warmongering.ng before the event, israel's intelligence minister told the radio station he did not know who was responsible. later on, iran's security head told state tv one of th country's opposition pties likely also took part. for more on the situation,ai earlier spoke with a professor at yale university and expert on iran in the middle east. >> first off, why was this scientist taeted, and why not? >> well, it's quite clear that

fakhrizadeh was the architect of the nuclear program, sort of a key to everything. and if somebody or some country wanted to eliminate him, the reason is quite simple. in order to destruct any possible reactivation of a weapons program, eliminating him would be the exact answer that anybody would have. and another element of this is an act of provocation. by doing so, this may invite iranian response. and this kind of response could be a military response against any target, including israel. that could be used as a pretext or excuse to activate a full-scale military attack against iran, to attack the atlantic republic. i believe there are several issues behind this. and even intentionally put

president-elect biden in a very difficult situation to deal with iran. >> and that is the significance of the timing? >> right. >> i see. so, we've also heard more of iran's threats. it's promising to retaliate and saying it could destabilize the region. how do you think iran will respond? >> they can say that because narally iran would like to avenge this type of terroris and assassinatn plot. but it won't be in their interest to do so now because they have been waiting for president trump to be voted out from oice ever since he was elected back in 2016. and that moment is closing near within 50 days or so so, if they're willing to retaliate, they may target overseas israeli interests if they really believe israel is behind this. including the diplomatic facities related to israel. but that could only happen followin january 20th, and it won't happen soon. and maybe they will still try to

show some restraint. >> so what do you think iran hopes biden will do to ease current tensions that have been so inflamed by trump? >> well, at least they see that president-elect biden should come back to the negotiating table, not that iran would come back to the gotiating table. it would be rather the united states rejoin the jcpoa, the iranian nuclear deal, and to remove the economic sanctions that have been in place ever since the trump administration le the jcpoa back in may 2018. and that would be the bestase scarioen. but that won't be easy given that president-elect biden himself has made several speeches during his campaign. likelinesshat he would set some preconditions for the

united states to join and not automatically. >> that was a middle east expert based here in japan. next, to a cultural feud playing out in the kitchen. south korean and chinese social mediaheating up an online battle over kimchi, a spicy dish. china won a global certification from the international organization for standardization for chinese pickles. china's state-run media reported it as an international standard for the kimchi industry, led by china. despite the iso clearly mentioning the standard does not apply to kimchi, the comments sparked a backlash in south korea, where kimchi is a traditional staple of e th national cuisine. some chinese posters said kimchi is a traditional chinese food, because most of the kimchi consumed in south korea is made in china. south koreans see more than a

clash over cabbage. >> translator: i read a media story that china now says kimchi is theirs, and that they are making international standard for it. i'm worried they might steal other cultural content, not just kimchi. >> south korea's agriculture ministry also weighed in on the culinary fight, mentioning in a statement on sunday, the iso-approved standard doesn't apply to kimchi. turning to indonesia, where a volcano eruption on a remote island forced more than 4,000 people to flee. no casualties have been reported. authorities are advising residents to stay at least 4 kilometers away from the crater. the eruption happened sund. 2,600 kilometers from the pital. when the volcano began spewing ash and spoke, 4,600 villagers were urged to seek refuge. officials say people should be

on alert for poisonous gas and flowing lava. indonesia is home to 130 active volcanoes. japanese astronaut has been getting a taste of home on the international space station. he ate a can of mackerel and soy sauers p sauce prepared by japanese high school students. >> the canned mackerel was developed by students at a high school in central japan. the school's original space food is the result of 14 years of research and development by generations of students. it cleared strict standards on changes in gravity and pressure, as well as long-term preservation. japan's space agency jaxa certified it as a space food in

2018. >> noguchi says space food needs variety, and fish and vegetables are important for nutrition and mental well-being. >> translator: i'm happy mr mr. noguchi ate a lot and said it was delicious. >> translator: i'm very glad that the canned mackerel went into space, and mr. noguchi said it will boost his well-being. >> noguchi is using youtube and social media platforms to report on his daily life during his six-month stay on the space station. it's time for a check on the world weather with our meteorologist jonathan oh. it's been a hot transition from spring to summer across central and eastern australia. jonathan, how are people there handling the heat? >> hello, we are seeing temperatures really on the hot

side as we went into december. december is the meteorological start to summer in australia. high pressure has been really pumping in some of the hot air, keeping things on the hot side for queensland into central portions of the country. let me show you some video because it's not just people dealing with the hot weather, but also this koala trying to cool itself off by sitting in a sprinkler as temperatures soared in australia over the weekend, with the mercury seeing upper 40s in parts of the country. over in sydney, people flocking to the beaches to escape the excessive heat, with temperatures there moving past the 40 degree mark celsius for two days in a row. as you can tell, people trying to cool off, social distancing becomes an issue, concern for authorities there. drones used to keep track of the people. bans have been issued in many states for fires, including new south wales, queensland, and

south australia. i mentioned the high pressure system in place. it'll continue to usher in some of the hot weather. especially in the central portions of queensland, temperatures in the mid to upper 30s once again. low pressure will be moving in, and it'll bring thunderstorms with a high of 33. still seeing the hot weather pattern as we go through wednesday. meanwhile, we have a deep depression located near sri lan lanka, and this system is expected to continue into wednesday. be on the lookout for that. heavy amounts of rain with strong winds, all a part of the story there. over into the philippines, we have a tropical roll rolling through, and it'll bring a chance for some rain as we go through wednesday. manila with a high of 30. colom colombo, 31 with rain as we go through the day. acrossas et asia, we have high pressure really being the dominant story, coming in from the north. we have a sea effect pattern across the northern portions of japan.

hokkaido dealing with a lot of snow as we went through tuesday. now, this high pressure system is going to sink temperatures quite dramatically and keeping it there. cold the next 24 hours. we're seeing this blue coloration, indicating that cold air is staying in place. a high of only 5 in beijing as we go through wednesday. 6 in seoul. it'll be on the chilly side. bundle up if you're headed outdoors. that's a look at your forecast. hope you have a good day wherever you are. ♪ ♪

♪ that concludes this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raaj pradhan in tokyo. coming up next is "newsline biz" with ramin mellegard.

so don't go away. ♪ this is "newsline biz." i'm ramin mellegard. tokyo's nch bemark stock index started december in some style. the nikkei average enjoyed its highest close since april 1991. the index ended tuesday at 26,787 up 1.3% from monday's close. investors placed buy orders in a wide range of sectors from the opening. tuesday's bounce came after news the u.s. pharmaceutical firm

modernhas ught regatory th sayt was 94effectivinne. clinicalrials.the rong sta to d niei firg onllcynders.t vaccine ns andhe.s. elecon rests helpe bst e iex by15%. japan and kuwaitav he struck a deal to stockpile oil in goshima. the arrangement will boost japan's energy security and help kuwait streamline its exports to asia. japan's agency for natural resources and energy, and kuwait's state-run oil company, reached a deal on tuesday. they pla to stockpile 500,000 kilo liters in southwestern japan. that's about 1 1/2 days worth of japan's domestic consumption. kuwait will use the kagoshima tanks as a base for exports, but japan will have priority access to the oil if there's any sho

shortage due to contingencies such as war or acts of terrorism. the oil will be used as emergency supplies for southeast asian nations that have a weak stockpiling system. this is japan's third such agreement, following deals wh the united arab emirates and saudi arabia. now, with his bushy mustache and distinctive red cap, video game kracharacter mario is know around the wldor. now a japanese theme park is turning to the lovable plumber to help power up visitor ernumbs. university studio in japan, osaka, is getting ready to open an area. it'll include a ride based on the popular game mario cart. media got a sneak preview on monday. visitors will wear special virtual reality head sets to head them feel like they're really racing mario and his friends. >> this is how guests are immersed into the ride and world

of mario kart. >> the operator is investing $560 million on its own. it was originally due to start in july but pushed off course due to the coronavirus pandemic. companies spent $410 million on its harry potter area in 2014. china's new export control law starts on tuesday amid simmering trade tensions with washington. the government must approve exports of products and services it says could threaten national security. shipments to specific foreign companies could be banned or restricted. regulations also target exports of raw materials and parts used to make products in other countries. the restrictions cover military

supplies, items that can be diverted for military use, technology, services, and data. but so far, no specific items have been announced. offenders will be fined and could face criminal charges. japan's trade minister expressed concern over the move. >> translator: it's unclear how the rule will actually be applied or what items will be targeted. we're keeping a close eye on the issue, including the possibility it could affect japanese companies. >> what kind of impact will china's new law have on its trading partners? we spoke with a professor at the university of tokyo, an expert on china's economy and industries. >> the law places restrictions on services and items deemed to have a harmful effect on china's national security and national interests. it is also seen as a form of retaliation against stricter export measures on chinese

companies imposed by u.s. president donald trp.um marikawa says the u.s. won't feel much of a difference. >> i think there should not be any impact on the united states because it unlikely china is importing weapons, nuclear related items, and technologies to the united states. >> he says a major objective of the law involves maintaining stability on the domestic front. >> it is possible that chinese authorities can put pressure on the organizations, or even countries that are supporting the dissidents in china, such as those who are advocating for the independence of the uighur nationality, or the democratic

movement in hong kong. >> for japan, a big iuess is rare earth. china is a major producer of these materials, which are essential in high-tech manufacturing, but marukawa says the new law does not pose a threat to japan's industry. >> i don't think that this law is applicable to rare earth, because rare earth itself is not directly related to weapons or dual use technology. also, china failed to control its rare earth exports before by using the environmental protection as a prett. it was just as inconsistent with w.t.o. rules. >> still, marukawa warns of the possibility of beijing using the law as a weapon during a trade war. >> there are several

international arrangements regarding the exports of dual-use technology, nuclear lareted items and weapons. so i don think that this law will be inconsistent with the current global trade order. however, it possible that china will try to misuse it, if others a misusing and regulating exports to china, as e united states is currently doing against china. let's get a check on the markets.

that's it for "newsline biz" from our tokyo studios. i'm ramin mellegard. thank you very much for watching. bgbgbgncncnc@aaa qqqwrs

are not immune to the covid-19 pandemic. ♪ >> you're watching al jazeera. top stories, u.s. drug maker moderna is seeking approval for european and american regulators for emergency use of its vaccine. if everything goes to plan. federal approval could be granted in the coming weeks. >> with pfizer we at the f.d.a. proposals an advisory committee for december 10 and we could be looking at approval days after that. moderna is basically on