♪ hello and thanks for joining us on nhk world-japan. this is nhk "newsline." we start here in japan where we look at how authorities and experts are preparing for the next steps in the fight against the coronavirus after a crucial three-week period draws to a close. daily new cases continue to surge, leading the government's panel of experts to issue advice. tokyo is the largest hot spot with nearly 600 new cases reported on friday. a small respite from thursday's all-time record.

the experts met friday morning a few days out from what they called a critical three weeks. >> translator: there's a major trend in the virus transmission pattern. infections have occurred in nursing homes and hospitals. some some of the infected are experiencing severe symptoms and sadly losing their lives. >> they are urging the government to think of new measures that can be implemented and have three plans ready depending on the situation. one approach could be calling on restaurants and bars to further shorten business hours if cases continue to rise in certain areas. the experts are also advising that the government ask residents to refrain from nonessential outings. the government's domestic travel campaign was also discussed. aimed at supporting the pandemic-battered economy, it includes deals on flights, restaurants, and lodging.

the panel says the government should continue excluding hot spots from the program. currently that means sapporo in the northern prefect tour of hokkaido and osaka. >> translator: the exclusion of the two cities is to last until tuesday. but i understand the two governors are considering extending it. >> in osaka, help is on the way to deal with a rise in cases that has put the health care system under serious strain. the defense minister says the self-defense forces are sending seven nurses to the city for reinforcement. he said the government is committed to do its utmost to help health care facilities in need. one of japan's most iconic events is under threat from the pandemic. the mayor of sapporo city in hokkaido says it will be

difficult to have people attend the annual snow festival next year because cases have been rising sharply. the event which usually takes place from january to february draws about 2 million visitors every year. crowds flock to see ornate snow sculptures at venues around sapporo. mayor akimoto kasihiro said considering the current infection situation, he thinks it will be difficult to hold the event with spectators, even on a reduced scale. now to the u.s., which continues to break coronavirus records. with thousands of deaths reported daily, the nation's top infectious disease expert says the situation could soon get worse. data compiled by johns hopkins university shows the country lost more than 3,100 people to covid-19 on wednesday alone. all told, the virus has now

claimed nearly 300,000 lives. a private sector research group says more than 100,000 people are now hospitalized with the virus, with over 20,000 in intensive care. both tallies are also record highs. medical institutionscross the country are reporting shortages of both staff and beds. after seeing numbers post-thanksgiving, experts warn that the year-end holidays may lead to a further spread of the virus. a key member of the white house coronavirus task force is calling on people to refrain from dining in large groups and traveling. >> we don't listen to the public health measures that we need to follow, we could start to see things really get bad in the middle of january. so i think not only for new york state, for any state or city that is facing similar problems. without substantial mitigation,

the middle of january could be a really dark time for us. >> worldwide, infections have surpassed 69 million and more than 1.5 million people have died. the u.s. is one major step closer to rolling out a coronavirus vaccine, which has already gained approval in britain and canada. a panel advising the u.s. food and drug administration endorsed emergency use to the shot developed by u.s. pharmaceutical giant pfizer and its german partner biontech. the expert committee said thursday that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks. after considering the evidence, it recommended the shot be used for people aged 16 or older. the fda is expected to make its final decision within days, laying the foundation for an almost immediate rollout. the panel's decision came despite concerns raised in britain, which began inoculating

citizens on tuesday. medical authorities issued an advisory after two people injected with the new vaccine showed sharp allergic reactions. in the u.s., each state has been preparing to administer the vaccine, which comes with its own complications. the vaccine must be kept relatively stable and at very cold temperatures, leading authorities across the country to buy up freezers. new york says it may receive its first allotment of shots as early as the weekend, with plans to quickly send them to emergency workers in refrigerated trucks. hong kong police say they have charged a 73-year-old man under the territory's national security w. local media are reporting that the man is media mogul jimmy

lai. police say the man has been charged on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security. lai is the founder of "apple daily," a major pro-democracy newspaper critical of beijing. he's been calling on the international community to support hong kong's pro-democracy movement. he continued his activities even after the new security law came into force in june. local media have reported that lai's charges stemmed from such actions. allegedly violating the law.r he was lat released on bail, but he has been detained again on suspicion of fraud. pro-democracy activists and politicians are under mounting pressure in hong kong as authorities there have been making a series of arrests. three others have been charged under the security law. the japanese government has

extended a self-defense mission in the middle east by one year, citing continued tension in the region. cabinet ministers approved the new timeline in a meeting on friday. the current term was scheduled to expire on december 26th. it is the first extension for this operation. >> translator: japan relies on the middle east for about 90% of its crude oil imports. it's important to remain unchanged amidst the spread of the new coronavirus. >> an sdfestroyer and patrol aircraft have been deoyed in the region on an intelligence-gathering assignment to ensure safe navigation for vessels related to japan. the japan international cooperation agency is starting to resume overseas volunteer projects after the pandemic forced it to suspend work and repatriate more than 2,000 staff. the agency delivers aid and

support to over 70 countries mainly in asia and africa. it says it chose vietnam as the first country to restart activities because the coronavirus situation there is basically under control. four members arrived in late november and just wrapped up their two-week quarantine period. they will focus on teaching nursing skills and educating children with disabilities. >> translator: we hope to build relationships with people around us while paying close attention to preventing infections. we also want to show the importance of supporting one another. >> agency officials say they're also making final arrangements to resume work in cambodia, laos and thailand. the world food program has

been awarded the nobel peace prize at an online ceremony. its executive director is appealing for more support, saying 270 million people will be facing starvation due partly to the pandemic. our next story takes a look at the u.n. agency's work in one country that's among the most in need. >> reporter: there are few places in the world where the fight against hunger is more fi years of war have devastated agrictural production. one u.n. official says the middle eastern country is now at risk of losing an entire generation of children. the world body says more than 16 million yemenis may be facing a food crisis by mid-2021, half the population. up to 47,000 people could be in a state of catastrophic food insecurity.

the wfp is trying hard to avoid that, providing aid to 13 million people despite the security risks. >> we have a very robust network. we are delivering food to 3,500 food distribution points across the country in every single governed territory of yemen. >> reporter: one of the facilities they serve is one of the country's largest camps for people displaced by the fighting around 40,000 yenis call i home. 68-year-old ibrahim jaduh has been staying in a tent here since october of last year with 10 members of his family. deliries from the wfp once a month.

this time it's wheat and oil. but he says he can't afford fresh fo, like proce or dairy products, because prices have soared. the situation is taking its toll. ibrahim's limbs have grown bony. his family is in the grips of severe malnutrition. his three young grandchildren rely onutritionasupplement from the wfp to get by. ibrahim said he appreciates the help, t he nee more. >> reporter: symington wns the situation is growing even more serious. she says it will have a long-lasting impact on the chilen of yemebut she believes nobel wicould ma a dierence. >> we hope that this will reshine a spotlight on crises like yemen and draw the necessary awareness to

situations like yemen. >> reporter: symington and her colleagues are hoping that will tranate intoore fundinfrom the ternationacommunity to help feed the growing number of people going hungry before it's too late. japan's worldwide fund for nature has come up with a timetable it hopes the government will use to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. the wwf's plan would require a drastic change to how the country meets its energy needs. >> reporter: as all major countries are ready to make a fresh starto catchp, wwf japan's top analyst for energy policy and her group released a proposal for the government to

realize total decarbonization by 2050. japan's prime minister, suga yoshihide, stated in the diet in october that the country will aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. to fulfill this goal, wwf japan says the country must meet an interim target of abolishing coal-fired power generation by 2030. it simulated a nationwide shift toward renewable energy and found the country could rely on the resource for nearly 48% of its power. >> what we found out was technically speaking, they can produce 50% of the power by using renewable energy by 2030.h of course, there are huge challenges ahead, like reorganizing the grid among different electricity companies. but they're more like corporate players than technical ones.

the japanese government supports the change. >> reporter: she points out japan has a powerful tool, hydrogen energy technology. >> unfortunately, japan has not kept up with the renewable energy field. but hydrogen energy technology is new and something japan can excel at. japan can be a leader in the coming hydrogen market. >> reporter: she says japan may be hesitant to pursue a drastic shift in policies as it deals with the economic effect of the coronavirus. >> the hope is that the japanese government sees decarbonization as a possible growth strategy now. but one point of concern is whether japan lets go of the coal business, which is still very lucrative. the government is still only half committed to phasing out coal. >> reporter: if the country follows through on its promises, she's optimistic that japan can

seize opportunity to bolster the pandemic-struck economy and help the environment at the same time. lenart emiko, nhk world. the coldest air of the season is covering parts of russia and china. the frigid air is expected to spread southward and impact japan next week. our meteorologist, sayaka mori, joins us now with the details. sayaka? >> a harsh winter has arrived in siberia. these are the temperatures we saw on friday morning. 10 degrees colder than normal this time of year. it's much colder than mid winter, in fact. the frigid air is expected to spread towards the south and east into next week. so areas like northern china, the korean peninsula, and even japan will see the coldest air

of the season next week. do bundle up. these are the temperatures for the next four days. in the morning hours the capital, mongolia, could see a morning low of minus 38 on sunday. be careful of frostbite. harbin could see 26 below zero on tuesday. asahikawa will have freezing temperatures into next week. cold battering many places in asia, and we will see snowfall across the northwestern flank of japan into next week. it looks like parts of hokkaido might see about 1 meter of snowfall sunday into wednesday. talking about snow, significant snow has fallen in the european alps this week. you'll be surprised by looking at theext two pictures. this is the first one. you can see huge amounts of snow

piled up on top of this car. and the car was even running. i respect the driver. it's amazing, isn't it? the next picture, this guy was half buried. i wonder if it's worth plowing the snow. but he's definitely a brave person. austria had 1.2 meters of snowfall and it was a record for the area. winter is harsh, however, sometimes winter creates this beautiful scene. a naturally forming ice cafe located on the high-altitude glacier in the swiss alps opened to visitors. the cave has a round ceiling about five meters high and 20 meters long. each spring and summer the space fills with water as the snow melts, which forms the light. the winter water dreams and leaves behind an ice cave.

organizers say the ice cave looks different this year, with the interior looking like a cathedral. that's it for me. stay safe. all right, that will do it for nhk "newsline." thanks for watching.

♪ ♪ this is "newsline biz," i'm gene otani. a new report shows japanese companies continue to be at the forefront of global tech innovation. it says they rank second in the world in patent applications in a.i. and other fields. the report by the european patent office is based on 2018 figur figures. it shows u.s. firms topped the list, seeking nearly 12,000 global patents. japan came second with more than 6,600. china was third. it's catching up fast.

south korea was fourth. looking at the years spanning 2010 to 2018, sony and four other japanese companies were among the top 20 applicants. six u.s. firms made the list. the highest rank was chipmaker qualcomm. the two most prolific applicants were samsung electronics followed by lg. china's huawei was also among the top group. japan is already looking beyond the 5g networks that are still being rolled out in many places. it's launching a body to promote its push into the next generation of communication systems. businesses around the world are competing to develop a new wave of telecommunications standards by around 2030. these system are often dubbed 6g, or beyond 5g. japan's communications minister announced plans to set up the beyond 5g consortium. >> translator: the academic

world, government, and industry will work together, share information, and hold international meetings so we can promptly launch beyond 5g and strengthen how competitive we are internationally. >> the new body will try to develop a comprehensive business strategy for japan to work on the technology. the coronavirus pandemic has cast a dark shadow over japan's economy. think tanks predict a bank of japan survey will show big manufacturers remain gloomy even as sentiment slowly improves. analysts at 15 private sector research institutes have come up with their forecasts of the quarterly tankan survey. the central bank polls about 10,000 companies and the report will be released monday. all the predictions see the index of large manufacturers improving from 27 from the previous survey in september. that comes as parts of the economy pick up. a separate index for large

nonmanufacturers includes the restaurant and tourism sectors. it's expected to be better than the minus 12 seen in the last survey. but most think tanks say the pace of improvement will be slower. honda motor is pausing output at its british factory as it struggles to get parts. that comes amid heavy congestion at deports in tke key ports in preparations for brexit. honda hopes to restart production next monday. britain's major container ports have been hit as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts global trade. that's been compounded in recent weeks by stockpiling in a run-up to brexit. britain and the eu have been trying to thrash out a post-brexit free trade deal. whatever the outcome, new customs procedures will start next year and weigh on logistics.

a japanese think tank has ranked tokyo third in its list of the world's most attractive cities. the institute for urban strategies has given the capital the same spot for five straight years. the highest ranking went to london which has occupied that position for nine years running. new york held on to second place. the gap from the first two down to tokyo has widened. shanghai was the only new name in the top ten. the assessment uses various indicators in six categories to rank 48 major cities. they look at the economy, research and development, cultural interaction, live ability, environment, and accessibili accessibility. in the economy and cultural

categories, tokyo remained third. it kept its ranking for research and development, but in terms of live ability, it dropped one spot to 12th. japan's capital is near the bottom of the rankings when it comes to work style flexibility. it came 41st on that measure, which looks at how easy it is for people to do their jobs remotely. the institute says companies need to adopt a more open minded approach. it gives a shared tokyo office that has a child care facility as an example of a setup that makes life easier for working parents. ichikawa hiro is a professor emeritus emeritus says the pandemic has led to a big shift in priorities for employees. >> translator: starting now, each workplace should include a space to play and a child care facility as part of the complete package. tokyo needs to think more about diversity and show this to the world. if it does this, people who are

watching will come. >> two other japanese cities or the list. osaka ranked 33rd, down four notches. fukuoka came in at 43, down one place. new york state's massive pension fund has set a green goal. it wants its investments to hit net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 as governments around the world do more to protect the environment. the official in charge of the state's finances say the fund will gradually cut investments in many fossil fuel firms to reach its target. the pension fund is the third largest in the u.s. it's worth around $226 billion. about 1% of that is currently invested in fossil fuel companies. the official says the move will help offer a greener future for the around 1 million people who have money in the fund. the united nations has been calling on countries around the globe to shift their pension

portfolios away from energy sources such as oil and gas. let's have a look at the markets.

from the "newsline biz" team in tokyo, i'm gene otani. thanks very much for joining us.

forecast such high tides. ♪ c1 >> you are with al jazeera. these are the top stories. the world's first fully tested coronavirus vaccine has been administered in the united kingdom. this is 90-year-old grandmother margaret keenan who made history as the first person to be vaccinated against covid-19. 800,000 doses of the pfizer biontech vaccine are now available in 70 u.k. hospitals. u.s. president-elect joe biden has introduced his new medical team. he says he will get a grip on the coronavirus pandemic in his first three months in office. >>