♪ hello and thank you for joining us on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. we begin with the worsening coronavirus situation in japan. the tokyo metropolitan government is reporting 449 new infections in the capital. it is the third day in a row the daily case count has topped 400 in the city of 14 million. the total number of infections in tokyo is approaching 43,000. meanwhile, the osaka prefectural government says 394 cases were

confirmed friday. osaka has signaled it's entering a local state of emergency due to the strain on the medical system. authorities there are calling on people to avoid all nonessential outings until december 15th. >> translator: the number of people in serious condition will not decrease unless the number of infections falls. we need to practice self-restraint in the short-term to save lives. >> the governor of neighboring kyoto prefecture is urging people to refrain from traveling to osaka as much as possible. the death toll continues to rise in japan. over the past three days, more than 30 people a day have died. in the week up to thursday, a total of 196 people died. >> translator: basically, the difference between the virus that spread in july and the virus that is spreading now is not large. i think december and january are really crucial times. >> japan recorded over 1,800 infections on friday, bringing the overall tally to more than

158,500. over 2,300 people have died. prime minister suga i show you he'd day is pledging to do whatever it takes to contain the coronavirus. >> translator: we must stay vigilant as the number of new cases and seriously ill patients recently hit record highs. the situation at hospitals is becoming urgent as serious cases threaten to overwhelm the number of available beds. we are facing a sense of crisis. protecting the lives and livelihoods of the people, this is a top priority of my administration. >> suga made the comments at a news conference as lawmakers prepare to wrap up the current diet session. he pledged to finalize a new financial assistance package early next week to help people cope with the economic fallout. the package will include interest-free loans and

subsidies for low-income and single-parent households. moving now to the international situation, media in britain say the first batch of coronavirus vaccines arrived on thursday. the british government was the first in the west to authorize the use of the vaccine developed by u.s. pharmaceutical giant pfizer and germany's biontech. it says it will start vaccinations early next week. one challenge is how to ship and store the vaccine, which needs to be kept at around minus 70 degrees celsius. residents of nursing homes and caregivers, as well as people aged 80 or older, will be the first to get the shots. vaccinating these people is expected to take until the spring. prime minister boris johnson has warned it's too early to think the fight against the virus is over. >> it's all the more vital that as we celebrate this scientific achievement, we're not carried away with overoptimism or fall into the naive belief that the

struggle is over, it's not. >> in the united states, there is a high possibility medical workers will be vaccinated against the virus this month. a survey conducted by research firm gallup from october to the beginning of november found 58% of respondents were in favor of vaccination, while 42% said they were against it due to safety concerns. president-elect joe biden said he's willing to be vaccinated in public to show it's safe. biden made the comments after former president barack obama told a radio interviewer he's willing to do likewise. >> people like anthony fauci, who i know and i've worked with, i trust completely. so if anthony fauci tells me this vaccine is safe and can vaccinate, you know, immunize you from getting covid, absolutely i'm going to take it.

>> two of his predecessors, bill clinton and george w. bush, have also said they'd get the shot publicly to encourage other americans. as vaccines make their way through the approval process, medical experts are calling for safe and equitable distribution. nhk world looks at how a global initiative is helping emphasize cooperation over competition. >> reporter: several companies ve produced promising results, creang oismhe pdemic cod soo be over pele tha need it t most.ing the cenr of tha effors the cova facility. more than 190 countries and territories have signed on and will provide equal access to the

same candidates and same accelerated timeline. one of the program's leaders say it's the only way to bring the pandemic under control. >> if elected officials just think about the population for which they are responsible, that actually will result in prolonggation of the pem, increased suffering and death, and increased economic consequences. so it's in everyone's interests to find a way to work together collectively. >> reporter: to ensure success, experts say china and united states are essential. the two countries did not initially sign on. but in october, china joined, providing a potential boost to the plan. and the covax official says they've been in touch with experts that will be part of president-elect joe biden's new administration. >> we have a big goal for next

year, which is another $5 billion so that we can purchase a billion doses of vaccine for developing countries, and we do hope that the u.s. will also participate in providing financing for those countries. >> reporter: that money will so help create an effective distribution network that ensures vaccines are kept at low temperatur necessary to maintain their safety and efficacy way athisnicef wehouse in copenhagen where 500,000 syringes are being stored. once they arrive in developing reigerators will bessential. unicef says it aims to start

full-scale vaccine did by the first quarter of next year. >> we're working at full speed. normally we take 18 months to introduce a vaccine. you're shrinking the timeline from 18 downo six months. >> reporter: the covax facility has been built as a groundbreang collaborion. while it's too early to celebrate, it's demonstrating that ending the pandemic requires a global effort. facebook says it will remove posts making false claims about covid-19 vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts. the social media company said on thursday that the policy applies to entries on both facebook and instagram, including any falsehood that could lead to imminent physical harm. the firm says the step is necessary to counter misinformation because new vaccines will be released soon. for example, accusations

claiming vaccines contain microchips or specific populations are being used as test subjects without consent will be deleted. other social media platforms including youtube and twitter have also removed misinformation about covid-19 vaccines. a district court in japan has ordered the central government to revoke permits for operating two nuclear reactors over the risk of a natural disaster. more than 100 residents brought the case to court arguing the nuclear plant is vulnerable to major earthquakes. kansai electric power company operates the plant in the central prefecture of fukui.

the number three and number four reactors have been approved to operate after the fukushima disaster in 2011. but the presiding judge at the osaka district court ruled in favor of the plaintiff. he said screening by regulators was flawed. this is the first time a court has denied permits from japan's nuclear regulation authorities since the fukushima accident. >> translator: we have finally won. this is a great ruling that could have a major impact on nuclear plants across the country. >> the two reactors are currently off-line for regular inspections. the ruling will not take effect if the government appeals the decision. kansai electric described the ruling as extremely regrettable. it says it will deal with the matter along with the government. turning now to afghanistan where authorities are still searching for answers in the killing of a japanese doctor and aid worker a year ago.

nakamura tetsu spent decades in the country providing humanitarian support improving the lives of the people. in addition to his medical activities, nakamura helped build irrigation canals to restore the country as farmlands so the hungry could be fed. he was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen while traveling by carn an eastern province sources ofhef a fan intelligence service told n investigators have questioned a number of people about their suspected involvement in the attack based on security camera footage. but they have yet to obtain any strong evidence pointing to the assailants. the governor of the province said he'd determined to solve the case. >> what nakamura did, afghan is going to remember him forever. i am sure we will reach and find the killers, and the killers we will bring to the justice. >> many people in the country echo that sentiment. >> translator: nakamura worked hard for us by building

irrigation canals. i really hope the killers will be caught. >> the investigation faces challenges due to the worsening security situation. the united states has been drawing down its troops after reaching a peace agreement with the taliban in february. but the insurgent group and islamic state militants have continued to launch attacks. nakamura's impact is still being nhk world has the story of one student in japan who's inspired by the example he set. . >> reporte >> reporter: a mission to fight hunger in his home country. he's using genetic analysis. chickens are an important source of nutrition and income there.

in afghanistan, more than half the population lives in poverty. so many afghans know what it's like to go hungry. >> i still remember, i really wanted to eat but i couldn't. the general aim is to have a sustainable agriculture, so that agriculture can feed the people. >> reporter: after moving to japan six years ago, nakamura tetsu became his key role model. while many aid workers spend a few years at most in the war-torn country, nakamura was different. he spent nearly two decades bringing water to arid regions, supporting around 650,000 people. he wanted to see nakamura's work with his own eyes. he got the chance in 2018 in a

project in the country's east that transformed the landscape. >> it was very clear. one time it was desert. and i was really impressed, his work. >> reporter: he had faced repeated setbacks in his own work, but standing there, he became convinced he could overcome them. he could accomplish what many thought was impossible, through determination and perseverance. >> we were thinking that one person cannot bring any changes to society. but now our thinking has changed. we say, yeah, one person can bring some changes if you work consistently. >> reporter: he dreamed of meeting nakamura one day. so when he learned of the japanese aid worker's killing, it left him in tears. on the day nakamura's remains

arrived at narita airport, he and his friends were on hand to show their appreciation. he became even more determined to press ahead and carry on nakamura's legacy. he believed his current research could help make chicken farms more resistant to things like heat and disease. no matter how many difficulties he faces, he says he will not give up until afghanistan stamps out hunger. >> we hope to follow his way. we have to work consistently, we have to work hard, we have to work so long. then we hope to -- then we will have results. >> reporter: once he completes his ph.d. he says he'll work at a university in his hometown continuing his research and keeping nakamura's legacy in his heart. time for a check on world weather with meteorologist jonathan oh.

residents of alaska were doused with the heaviest rain they've seen in years. jonathan, is that going to continue? and what's the situation there? >> it looks like we're dealing with more heavy rain, especially the southeastern portions of alaska. what has happened is because of the way that the flow has been moving around a low pressure system, we have this atmospheric river, meaning all this moisture has been continuing to flow in and has led to serious problems on the ground. here's a look at some video to give you an idea of the situation. as state troopers in alaska said that six people were missing after massive mudslides adm s h haines on wednesday, with some parts of the state breaking their all-time 24-hour rainfall record both tuesday and wednesday. 30 people have been evacuated. some residents say this is the worst storm they've seen in years with more rescue efforts continuing throughout the next few days, the rest of the week

and possibly through the weekend. you can tell from the damage by the mudslides, the trees toppled over. we have the same low pressure system feeding that moisture into the area. that will bring heavy rain from places like juno southward, also into portions of british columbia and canada. some places could see 200 millimeters of rainfall throughout the weekend. be on the lookout for that. southern california could use some of that rain. it's been dry with relative humidity amounts 10%, 15%. the strong winds have caused real fire danger weather. that will still be of concern as we go through friday. meanwhile, in the southeastern united states, we have a low pressure system that is developing and it's going to move toward the north and ease. it's going to pick up all that moisture as it moves along the eastern seaboard. as we go into the weekend, some heavy rainfall possibly and some flash flooding into virginia and the carolinas as we go into saturday. look at this, toronto into new york and down to atlanta all looking at wet weather. bone dry in los angeles.

23 degrees as we go through friday. meanwhile in east asia, we are still seeing some cold air coming in from the north into the korean peninsula, where we saw morning lows at 4 below in seoul through friday morning. a low pressure system is going to be moving across japan and that's going to help bring a little instability along the sea of japan side of the nation. some sea-effect snow and rain possible, but we're going to be seeing a disturbance near tokyo that's going to cloud up the skies on saturday, maybe showers possible. ulaanbaatar, you're going to be chilly, below average for daytime highs as we go through the weekend. hope you have a good day wherever you are.

that concludes this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. coming up next is "newsline biz" with ramin mellegard, so don't go away.

♪ ♪ one of japan's best-known confection treats is being promoted online to chinese buyers in a bid to recover lost sales. chocolate-filed cookies are a must-buy among tourists in the northern prefecture of hokkaido. the distinctive boxes are popular among chinese visitors. with foreign tourism on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, sapporo-based manufacturer ishia has turned to e-commerce. it's aiming to boost chinese

sales to 50 tim more than the figure a year earlier. theylan to expand sales in taiwan, south korea, and southeast asia. this is "newsline biz." i'm ramin mellegard. mitsubishi motors has launched a new plug-in hybrid suv, turning attention to electric vehicles amid rising demand. the automaker rolled out a new version of the eclipse cross friday. it has a new battery and onboard motor. other manufacturers are offering fuel cell models. japan's auto industry is accelerating toward a greener future as the government considers phasing out sales of new gasoline vehicles by the middle of the next decade. major u.s. film studio warner brothers has announced it will release all of its new movies next year in theaters and streaming on the same day. the move is sending shock waves throughout the entertainment

industry, with theater operators already seeing their share prices plummet. the studio's 2021 slate includes new "wonder woman" and "matrix" titles that were expected te big b officedraws. ey wil now bevaable on e hboax seaming serce i th u.s upo therical rease. >> ptty goodthg, youknow, coidering that we areiving during cov e rig now and a lot of theaters are not open. >> depends on the movie. i like seeing them in both. >> warner brothers says simultaneous release will help offset expected decline in box office sales, but the move is having a catastrophic effect on theater companies. major operator amc entertainment has seen its shares fall more than 15% since the announcement. the pandemic has devastated the industry, with most theaters in major cities like new york and los angeles forced to close. some experts say the move toward

streaming could be the final nail in the coffin for some operators. the chinese government plans to announce more items that will be covered by its new export control laws. beijing also dismissed concerns about the impact on foreign businesses. the law is designed to strengthen export controls on products and technologies that can be converted for military use. exporting those items will require government approval and shipments to blacklisted foreign firms are ban or restricted. the law took effect on tuesday. china's commerce ministry folks person said more items subject to the law will be announced in due course. the ministry has announced products and software related to data encryption. the spokesperson stressed china will control exports in relation to the new law and foreign firms have no need to worry. manufacturers in japan have been concerned the controls may cover rare earth metals they need to

make high-end high-tech products. the coronavirus pandemic has driven companies in japan to make major changes to the way they do business. remote work allows their employees to avoid rush hour on packed trains, but many feel some matters are best done in person. so they're rethinking the design of office spaces. >> reporter: japan's leading supplier of office products is working on a design challenge. kokuyo is developing new products to help combat the pandemic. this meeting booth is designed

to prevent the spread of the virus. >> translator: let's begin our meeting. >> reporter: the room is divided by a glass shield, and fresh air circulates in the booth every 30 seconds. kokuyo created another safe space for a larger number of people, a conference table. the powerful aspirator suctions 90% of the droplets and breath exhaled by the participants. >> translator: sufficient for most bs. people are starting to realize certain things can't be communicated online. we want to introduce systems in which people can benefit from face-to-face meetings. >> reporter: other firms such as the major trading house matsui and company have drastically redesigned their offices. one-third of its newly opened headquarters consists of shared

space. it includes this area, inspired by classrooms in american universities. komoto hiruyuki works from home three days a week. today he came to the office to discuss ideas about new projects. >> translator: i believe we can launch a project to digitize foreign taxi industries. many of them still need to develop. >> reporter: his colleagues across departments and generations shared their reactions to his idea. >> translator: it's better to come to the office if you need to discuss something important or to have candid discussions. i believe my ideas become clearer through these meetings. >> translator: i hope to create an environment that stimulates conversations about business among our employees, and as a result, generates more businesses. >> reporter: while the pandemic

is temporary, its impact on working environments could be a positive legacy. the markets.t's get a check on

and that's it for "newsline biz." from our tokyo studios, i'm ramin mellegard. thank you very much for watching.

♪ c1 >> this is al jazeera and these are the top stories. the united states has recorded 2000 800 deaths from the coronavirus. the highest daily numbers since the pandemic started. joe biden says he will ask americans to commit to mask wearing for the first 100 days of his administration. a special pandemic session of the united nations, the secretary-general called for a unified global response. >> for the first time since 1935, the entire world is