♪ thank you for joining us. from our studio in tokyo, this is nhk "newsline." we start in the u.s., with the central bank has pledged to continue still lating the economy. the federal reserve says it's going to keep buying bonds at its current pace to make ample funds available to the financial system amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections. policymakers announced their decision on wednesday after a

two-day meeting. they said the fed will continue the purchases of bonds and other assets until it achieves maximum employment and price stability. the policymakers are also expected to keep the key interest rate near zero until the end of 2023. >> these measures will ensure that monetary policy will contue to deliver powerful support to the economy until the recovery is complete. >> at the previous meeting, the fed's policymaking committee said it would continue its asset purchases for thele doico- comi months. fed rachair jerome powell noted the timing, production and distribution of the vaccine faced significant challenges and uncertainties. he forecast that u.s. economic activity will recover in the second half of next year, but warned that the issue is more the next four to five months. u.s. health authorities have

reported that a health care worker developed a severe allergic reaction shortly after receiving a covid-19 vaccine. health officials in the state of alaska say the woman had trouble breathing and developed symptoms of anaphlatic shock. her reaction came about ten minutes after receiving the vaccine from pfizer. she is now in stable condition in hospital after receiving treatment. they added that she had no history of allergic reactions. an official from pfizer told nhk that the company is investigating the case jointly with local health authorities. they plan to look carefully at reports of suspected allergic reactions to its vaccine. two cases of severe allergic reaction werelso reported in britain last week. vainatg healtworker next in line a nsing he u.s.ealth anduman serces

secrety ale azar said on wednesday that 5.9 million doses of a new vaccine by moderna will be available next week. here in japan, coronavirus cases continue to climb, as a three-week period dubbed crucial to containment efforts came to an end. officials say the national tally for wednesday was around 3,000, making it the second worst day on record. more than 188,000 people have now tested positive in japan. a record 618 are in serious condition across the country. tokyo saw more new cases than ever before. 678. total infections in the capital have surpassed 48,000. tokyo opened a new facility dedicated to covid-19 patients on wednesday that will focus on nonserious cases. it specializes in treating patients who can't speak

japanese and the elderly, a population that's recently seen a surge in cases. the facility has 100 beds. for now, officials plan to run at about a third capacity and bring in new staff as needed. the central government has stepped up antivirus measures over the past three weeks. authorities are asking people in hard hit areas to stay home as much as possible and bars and restaurants to close early. but the total of weekly new cases and deaths have been rising. >> translator: we will continue to work closely with local governments and assist their efforts to contain the infection based on the situation in each area. we also want to ask everyone to thoroughly take basic anti-infection measures. >> meanwhile, prime minister suga yoshihide has been criticized for dining in a large group, even as the government urged residents to limit meals to fewer than five people.

>> translator: he enjoyed a luxurious steak dinner with seven others, while people are being asked to refrain from group dining. i don't think people would want to listen to what he says or support him anymore. >> reporters later confronted suga about the issue. >> translator: we maintained a sufficient distance from each other, but i regret that my actions may have caused misunderstanding. >> suga says his government will continue efforts to control the spread of the virus over the upcoming holiday season. it recently announced it would suspend nationwide travel subsidy campaign. south korea has reported its highest daily number of new coronavirus cases. authorities are expressing concern about the recent surge. health officials said on wednesday, 1,078 cases were newly confirmed. the country's daily tally has

remained high this month following two-digit counts in early november. in seoul, only one of 78 hospital beds were available for seriously ill patients is unoccupied. officials say they will secure 18 more. >> translator: seoul is in perilous circumstances with the surge in cases. the hospital bed occupancy rate in the city is very close to its limit. >> infection clusters occurred at a church and a bar in seoul early this month. the city government plans to seek compensation from them citing their failure to take anti-infection measures. britain has invited india, south korea, and australia as guest nations to the group of seven summit it will chair next year.

the prime minister's office released a statement. it says the investigation underscores johnson's desire to tackle common ideals. the british government also disclosed that johnson will visit india next month in a bid to increase his country's involvement in the indo-pacific region. johnson's visit to india is part of a plan to transform the g-7 into a broader grouping of ten leading democracies, capable of challenging china and other authoritarian nations. britain is increasingly wary of china over its handling of hong kong. the british government announced it will remove all equipment made by chinese technology company huawei from britain's 5g networks by 2027. south korean president moon jae-in has suspended the prosecutor general for two months over alleged misconduct. it's the first time the top law officer has been handed such a punishment.

moon rubber stamped the decision of a disciplinary panel. the prosecutor general had been probing corruption allegations involving moon's administration. he has been at odds with the justice minister. the president tasked her with reforming the prosecution service. in a statement, moon apologized to the public for appointing yu, saying he takes the matter seriously. yoon is expected to start a legal fight over the suspension. he said the justice ministry's move is an illegal, unjust step aimed solely at ousting him. sources close to the office say she likely believes she's done her as prosecution reforms ar under w and will likely resign. moon will decide whether to accept her resignation. tokyo police are set to

refer a man in his 20s to prosecutors for alleged online abuse of the late celebrity kimura hana. the professional wrestler and reality star committed suicide in may. her comments and behavior on a reality tv show made her a target for cyber bullying. police have been investigating hundreds of hateful online messages since being consulted by her family. investigators have found the man living in osaka posted comments suggesting she should die. they say he turned himself in, in jup and has sent an email apologizing to her family. the man reportedly told police he came to hate her after watching the show and wanted to hurt her. kimura's mother said tv staff instructed her daughter to act aggressively on the show. she filed a complaint with an organization that deals with issues related to broadcasting.

japanese rugby star goromaru ayumu is set to retire after the coming season that starts in january. he spoke about the sport and his legacy. >> translator: this is sad because i'll finish my rugby career as a player, which i started wh i was 3 years old. i have been running with all my might for 32 years. >> the 34-year-old fullback is considered one of japan's greatest players. his 711 career points as a member of the japanese national team are by far the most of any rugger. he was the key figure in the historic win against south africa in the 2015 rubgy world cup. he was named a top 15 player in the tournament. >> translator: the match against south africa, which changed the history of japanese rubgy,

remains in my heart. but i treasure the memories of all the games and practices. >>e's known for his kicking prowess. his unique stance drew the attention of fans, triggering a rubgy boom across the nation. he pointed out the level of japanese rugby is rising and encouraged young competitors to strive to get better every day, just like the top players do. now a check on the world weather with our meteorologist tsietsi monare. we are seeing very unstable weather across many parts of japan, on thursday. does this mean we are seeing more snow? >> yes, a lot more snow. it's been snowing in certain parts of japan. some records have been broken. unstable conditions will continue. we'll be seeing turbulent conditions moving in very close to tokyo, where you could see hail and even some lightning.

speaking of the amount of snowfall, we saw record breaking snowfall all time. 199 centeters of snow in 48 hours. temperatures dropping quite significantly in tokyo. minus 0.1. the last time we had these temperatures -- not the last time, but this has come in sooner than it happened last year. let's go back to the snow story. let's look at this video. we saw almost two meters of snowfall in just the last 72 hours. one person died in the snow. many people were injured. numerous power outages and train service suspension has occurred. ky bet you there will be more occurrences of these disturbances coming in and disruptions continuing right across much of japan. along the sea of japan, this is

where you see most of the snow and the unstable weather conditions that will come your way. it's going to be chilly for sapporo. subzero temperatures for thursday and by saturday. blowing snow is experted in certain parts. it is going to be chilly for those in tokyo. over towards the southeastern pacific, two tropical cyclones. yasa will bring stormy and windy conditions. please be extra careful at all times. speaking of winter conditions, that's across the northeastern part of the united states. snow will pack up across pennsylvania and move into the northern part of the united states. expect 64 centimeters of snowfall. cold conditions will settle into new york as well. temperatures will be at just a single degree.

that's all your weather. take care. that's all for this edition

of nhk "newsline." thank you very much for watching and hope you join us again. ♪ welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm shibuya aki. the human animal bond, from working dogs to cats, the connection keeps evolving and deepening. research shows the companion can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and enhance well-being. it's not a one-way street. animals need guardians to meet more than their basic needs to ensure the relationships are mutually beneficial as we

explore today. our first report is from china. the country's ongoing pet boom means related businesses are flourishing. as owners are becoming increasingly conscientious, they are investing time and money in their animal family members to safeguard a long, healthy life together. >> reporter: this is a special fitness class for pets. many of them have gained weight staying at home more amid the pandemic. the instructor has a medical background. she teaches pet owners how to train their pets at home. a 60-day course of mainly online classes costs about $480. more than 100 people have signed up. >> translator: keeping a pet is the same as raising a child. i don't care how much i have to pay to improve the quality of my

pet's life. >> translator: this course is aimed at enhancing relations between owners and pets by showing them how to better interact with their pets at home. >> reporter: a recent report shows a number of pets is nearly 100 million in urban areas alone across china. the market for pet-related goods and services in 2019 was about $30 billion, up more than 18% from the previous year. this pet shop chain has grown rapidly. they developed smart products for pets such as toilets that can be automatically disinfected and deodorized via smartphones. the company said the number of shops has increased by more than 700 nationwide this year.

>> translator: mostly young pet owners are buying novel products we offer one after another. >> reporter: genetic tests for pets are getting popular. owners can check their pet's risks for diseases. there are ways of checking. samples can be obtained by swabbing the pet's mouth. test results will be sent out by mail within seven to ten days. the tests start at $60. the firm has conducted 100,000 tests so far this year. a tenfold increase cpared last year. >> translator: pets are one of the most loved parts of the family now, which boosts interest in pet-related products and services. >> reporter: as pets and their

owners keep getting closer, china's pet business is likely to continue venturing into a new array of services for higher level pet care. >> japan is also experiencing a pet boom. as many people continue to work remotely. but impulse buying is never a good idea. a dog or cat is for life, not for convenience. certainly not for comfort during the pandemic. what happens when things return to normal? people working in animal rescue say they are anticipating a rise in unwanted pets once more people start going back to work. potential owners must weigh the future. next, we visit a city of cats, istanbul. it is looking out for the scores of stray felines. of course, they are feeding them. some are putting out all kinds of little houses for the cold

winter months. recently, with the pandemic, the turkish economy suffered. the most vulnerable are being affected, including the city's symbol. >> reporter: the city of istanbul is home to more than 120,000 stray cats. traditionally, they have been fed and cared for by the people in each district. however, since the start of the pandemic, they have been getting less attention. as fewer people venture outside and with less money to spare, the feline neighbors have been going hungry. alarmed by the situation, the governor of istanbul issued a declaration, stating that the lives of all animals are precious. he appealed to people to provide food and water for the city's

stray animals so they can overcome their hardships together. some locals have already taken matters into their own hands. twice a day, this woman spends an hour and a half going around to seven different places to feed cats. >> translator: the cats are hungry. i can't turn my back on them. >> reporter: this summer, she founded a group along with 20 other volunteers to help the strays, even though some have lost their incomes during the pandemic. they do all they can to feed the cats. >> translator: just like us, the animals have been having a hard time because of the pandemic. i want to do as much as i can to help. >> reporter: despite the efforts, the number of cats in

need has not decreased. in fact, some owners have abandoned their pets. as their lives have become harder. every day, sick or injured stray cats are brought to this facility where they can be treated, checked with x-rays or given surgery. the number of cases continues to grow. it's now sheltering about 200 cats. >> translator: cats also have the right to life. although we only have a limited budget, we intend to carry on doing all we can. >> reporter: this woman remains concerned about the current situation. >> translator: i don't want to see any living being in turkey

forced to scavenge for food. neither people nor animals. it's very sad when that happens. sharing with others brings happiness for everyone. >> reporter: when times are tough, the best way to ensure that we will all survive is by supporting each other with both food and compassion. >> as we just saw, part of the human bond with animals is the desire to help them. in japan, a giraffe was born in april in a zoo in hiroshima. with leg disabilities, the zookeepers believed she might not survive. that is until a man in a field entirely unrelated to animals stepped in to help hagumi step up.

>> reporter: hagumi's disability in her hind legs made it impossible for her to even reach her mother's teets as they were too high up. >> translator: to be honest, when i first saw her, i thought she wouldn't live long. >> reporter: the tendons were overstretched causing her hind legs to bend at an abnormal angle. the zoo decided to secure her legs with plaster casts to help correct them. the casts made it impossible for her to move her muscles and joints. a different method was needed. for her to walk naturally. the zoo decided to ask for help from this man. he is an expert in artificial limbs and harnesses for humans.

yamada began by visiting the zoo numerous times to observe how giraffes walk and how their legs are angled. >> translator: i don't even know how much a giraffe weighs. everything is completely new to me. >> reporter: yamada made a custom fit of braces to fit hagumi's legs. hgaumi was able to stand on her own. buthe showed signs of disconfident and the devices were removed shortly after. he made adjustments to make her more comfortable. the third model was a succes hagumi was finally able to walk

effortlessly. as he adjusted the devices, hagumi practiced walking. her muscles developed as a result. the braces were removed five months after they were first fitted. for the first time in her life, she was able to walk without any assistance. >> translator: i hope that she will be able to run around some day, so she can encourage our visitors. >> reporter: hagumi still needs more practice before she can run. yamada and the zookeepers will continue to support and prepare her until that day comes. >> yamada was able to help

yagumi through close observation and sensitivity. his efforts transcend the animal/human barrier. it's amazing to see this level of communication. some further news on zoos. many have been losing profits due to enforced temporary closures or restrictions on visitor numbers. they are turning to creative ways, like crowd funding, to bring in the lost revenue that covers maintenance, food, and medicine. without these funds, the health and safety of the animals could be put in jeopardy. it does make one pause and reflect on the huge responsibility of keeping wildlife in captivity. when i wake up and see my dogs, i am filled with joy. when i walk through the door after work, i always feel so grateful to have them in my life. through thick and thin, our animal companions give us strength and pleasure. they are there for us, and we should be there for him, not just when it's convenient.

a healthy human and animal bond can only thrive when we take into account their welfare. thank you for watching and see you soon.

europe run up to christmas a warning from the world health organization that the pandemic could worsen across the continent next year. ♪ hello, hon adrian finighan. -- i am adrian finighan. a rise in coronavirus infections. the ongoing israeli blockade is making the situation even worse. unesco south korea's that adds south korea's -- lantern