take on. great to have you with us. from our studio in tokyo, this is nhk "newsline." we begin here in japan where the government is set to expand its state of emergency to seven more prefectures amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections. prime minister suga yoshihide is expected to hold a news conference wednesday evening to as for t public's cooperation. the seven additional prefectures

are osaka, hyogo, aichi, fukuoka and tochigi. the declaration currently covers tokyo and three neighboring prefectures and was put in place last friday. under the state of emergency, people are asked to refrain from non-essential outings and help reduce the number of commuters by 70% by teleworking if possible. restaurants and bars are requested to shorten their hours. attendance at various events will also be limited. the declaration is expected to remain in place until february 7th. the government plans to listen to experts' opinions at an advisory panel meeting on wednesday afternoon before finalizing its plan. an nhk poll shows only 16% of respondents favor holding the postponed tokyo olympics and paralympics as scheduled this summer. this contrasts sharply with the

close to 80% who say the games should be cancelled or postponed again because of the coronavirus. nhk asked whether the olympic and paralympic games should be held in the polls. more than 1,200 people responded. 16% said the games should be held as scheduled. 38% said they should be cancelled, and 39% say they should be further postponed. compared to a similar poll last month, the respondents who said the games should be held as scheduled have dropped by 11%. japanese prime minister suga yoshihide said last week that he's determined to hold the games. he insisted that it'll be an opportunity to show that humans can overcome the virus. suga agreed in november that the tokyo games would be held as planned in the summerf 2021. the asian development bank

will offer financial help to developing nations as they look to vaccinate their people against covid. b presint asakawa masatsugu said systems need huge investment. he says support will come through a $9 billion vaccine initiative the bank launched late last year. meanwhile, the adb said it had offered nearly $10 billion in emergency financial aid by december to countries such as indonesia and the philippines, where the virus continues to spread. recipients also include thailand and the maldives, where the pandemic has hit tourism hard. asakawa says the adb will come up with new measures as necessary to encourage stable economic growth in the region. moving to the united states where president donald trump is denying responsibility for his

supporters while an invasion of the capitol last week. meanwhile some of trump's fellow republicans are said to be considering supporting the democrats' push to impeach the president on charges of incitement of insurrection. trump appeared in front of reporters on tuesday for the first time since the deadly riot. >> on the impeachment, it's really a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics. it's ridiculous. it's absolutely ridiculous. this impeachment is causing tremendous anger. >> trump emphasized that the democrats would be blamed for future violence if they move ahead with impeachment. but some republicans are signaling they will support the democrats, including conservative liz cheney, who holds a high ranking position in republican leadership and is the daughter of former vice president dick cheney. impeachment is not the only

option democrats are seeking. they're seeking approval of a solution that calls on vice president mike pence to convene the cabinet and invoke the 25th amendment to remove trump. the house is likely to approve it on tuesday, but various media outlets are reporting that pence has no intention to comply. in that case, the democrat controlled house of representatives would move to impeach trump as early as wednesday, making trump the first president to be impeached twice. if approved, the process would then move to a senate trial. but since a two-thirds vote of the senate is required to remove the president from office, it appears unlikely that would happen for trump, who has less than a week left in his term. the country is bracing for more possible violence in the run up to president-elect joe biden's inauguration next week. the u.s. federal bureau of investigation is warning of possible armed protests in all 50 states and washington, d.c.

authorities in indonesia say they have recovered the flight recorder from an ind neegs airliner that crashed into the sea on saturday. navy divers searched the seabed where the boeing plane crashed into the java sea with 62 people on board. the boeing 737 500 fell into th sea shortly after departing from jakarta's main airport. officials also said the plane's cockpit voice recorder was likely to be found soon because it has been emitting a signal in the same area. the search operations for missing people are also continuing. the searchers have so far retrieved multiple human body parts and identified at least one person. now to north korea, where state run media have covered the latest developments under ruling

party's ongoing congress without referring to a military parade thought by seoul to have taken place on sunday. tuesday's edition of the newspaper says military and economic issues were discussed on monday, the seven day of congress but there was no mention of a parade or kim jong-un. he was given new title of party general secretary. milita officials in the south said the north held a parade on sunday evening. they're trying to confirm whether it actually happened or if it was a rehearsal. the paper did say invitations to a commemorative event has been sent to people who contributed to the party or the military. it's unclear when it will be held and in what form. in the south, news outlets says it would be a parade featuring both soldiers and civilians.

new advances in technology may help to make one of japan's most prized and pricey seasonal foods more readily available. matsutake mushrooms are considered a supreme delicacy. this is due to their distinctive musky aroma and also their scarcity in the wild. researchers are hoping that their long efforts to cultivate matsutake artificially will eventually bear fruit. nhk world reports. >> reporter: grilled or steamed, matsutake mushrooms are a prized autumn delicacy in japan. but these mushrooms are increasingly hard to find in the wild. and an international environmental organization has designated matsutake as a vulnerable species.

so far no one has managed to find a way to farm matsutake, but this research lab is counting on cutting edge technology to produce these precious fungii. each of these capsules holds a sapling of japanese red pine. the white clusters are the matsutake serum. successfully growing this in a controlled environment was a major break through. however, this in itself is not enough to produce matsutake. this fungal colony forms around the roots of the sapling. the aim of the research is to artificially create the optimal environment for the fungii to produce mushrooms. this man is the head of a prefectural research team working on this project along with specialists at the

university. >> translator: we may be able to farm matsutake by creating a relationship between in a research vurmt. >> reporter: the pine saplings are hoped to spread in the soil here and then produce mushrooms. however, since they were transplanted, the fungii around some of the sapling roots have disappeared. he thinks this happened because the fungii that grew in the sterile lab environment had to compete against other wild fungii in the forest. so, the researchers tried another approach. they left the fungii to develop

in the sterile environment for a longer period. they found that after is saplings were transplanted to the forest, the fungii was more than twice the size. >> translator: we were worried whether the fungi would grow so it was a relief to find that they are growing steadily. we're hoping we can work with local farmers to develop farmed matsutake mushrooms. >> reporter: the dream of cultivating matsutake mushrooms still has not been achieved, but if this research bears fruit, it would give a welcome boost to the mushroom industry and matsutake fans around the country. and now moving on to world weather with our meteorologist tsietsi monare. tsietsi, let's start here in japan. it looks like some places are expecting cold weather to

continue, bringing more snow. so, what are the major concerns? >> there are places that are still stubborn in terms of the changing weather we're going through. we're expecting slightly warmer conditions, but that's tards the northern part. that could lead to avalanches and slippery roads and a little bit more challenging ways to get around, especially in terms of the morning commute. we saw in tokyo the record lowest temperature -- lowest high temperature has been recorded around 5.7 degrees on tuesday. so, this was the warmest it got on tuesday, which is the coldest for the season. and also some snowfall still picking up in certain parts of the north. and that basically could continue a little bit more. as you can see this low pressure system will develop and bring cooler conditions there. but the good news is that most parts of japan are slightly over the cold spell and getting into warmer temperatures, especially for areas such as tokyo going all the way down towards fukuoka as well.

we can see double digits by wednesday. 15 coming up for you there. i can almost guarantee by saturday or sunday you might feel temperatures once again. fukuoka goes from 12 and going as high as about 17 by friday. so, despite the stubborn cold temperatures like you see in sapporo, most of it are getting back into warmer weather. towards europe there's a couple of systems at play here. the pressure patterns are the most important things here. we can see upper troughs and low pressures developing towards the southern part of scandinavia, might move in towards parts of germany and will effect people in poland as well as germany bringing showers and thundershowers along those parts. another one closer towards the black sea there in ukraine. that's going to affect the weather for you as well. it's going to be bringing slightly cooler conditions. the upper and mountainous area could see setting in. draw in colder weather from

northern russia and lead to temperatures dropping into well below zero in certain places. as you go on later into the week, places such as warsaw and kiev will hit subzero as well. do expect minus 8 in kyiv by friday. that's all for your weather. stay warm and stay safe. ♪ ♪ ♪

that's all for this hour. thank you for staying with us on nhk "newsline." hope you'll join us again. ♪ ♪ welcome to newsline in depositing. in today's program we are looking at emerging technologies that are making a real difference in people's everyday lives. the point is cutting edge hardware and software is not only about convenience and entertainment. sometimes cool gadgets can help us reduce physical and mental

stress. the covid-19 pandemic has created even more obstacles for people with disabilities. our first story introduces a technology that may help them overcome some of those challenges. people with disabilities have become more visible, and their employment opportunities have gradually expanded. technological innovations can support this progress towards normalization and inclusivity, allowing them to live and work in the same way as everyone else. drawing on know-how gained through his own experiences, one young entrepreneur has focused his research on developing a new type of prosthetic leg. >> reporter: a unique venture company is based in this building on the university of tokyo campus. it's currently working on using the latest advances in robotics to design a new type of powered prosthetic leg. now in the final stages of development, the company hopes to have the product ready for

market sometime in 2021. >> translator: it really moves forward naturally and is super easy to walk with. >> reporter: the company's president sun xiaojun had his right leg amputated below the knee as a child after suffering from an aggressive type of bone cancer. in 2010 he came to japan to study at the university of tokyo. during this time as a student, he became extremely dissatisfied with the prosthetic limb he was using. >> translator: i found it especially difficult to use with ascending or descending stairs in crowded places like train stations. i always felt terrible about making the people behind me wait while i slowly went up or down one step at atime. >> reporter: wanting to do somethin about , he decided to become a student again. in 2015 hentered the iversity o tokyo's graduate school of information science and technology to study robotics and setut to create new type

of prosthetic leg. the finisd prototype makes use of three built-in sensors which are normally found in bipedal robots. when the prosthetic leg is raised, its sensors process both acceleration and degree of tilt. a motor then responds and bends the knee at the proper angle. when lowered the sensors register the angle as well as the amount of down force being applied before responding with enough power to straighten out the knee and propel the user forward. this allows users to climb stairs more quickly by alternating between each leg. while standard prosthetics are prone to catching on curbs and other obstacles, often causing users to trip and fall, this

power prosthetic is able to sense when it is about to hit an obstacle. it can then halt forward progress and assist the wearer in keeping his or her balance. mr. sun places a lot of emphasis on design. >> translator: a lot of prosthetic leg users don't like the way they look and wl try to hide them as much as possible, but i want to change things. i want to create a culture where prosthetic users have stylish looking choic that they can feelondent shong off in public. >> reporter: in november a competition was held to test the performance abilities of powered prosthetic legs. mr. sun's team competed against four teams hailing from switzerland, poland and russia. the competition required users to navigate a sers o stacle that simate obstacles occurs in everyday

life. although mr. sun's team game in fourth place, this was the team's first time competing, and their prosthetic received high praise for the smooth and natural way in which it moved. >> translator: i think it's important to push the envelope and make prosthetic legs that can do what previous models couldn't. next i will look for ways to lower costs, improve usability and make products that help improve the user's mobility one step at a time. >> the prosthetic leg developed by sun's company took home the 2020 red dot design award, one of the world's most prestigious for innovative design. he wants to create products that are not only functional but also fashionable to eliminate the stress of wearing them in public. price remains a challenge. sun's powered prosthetic legs cost $100,000. but he's hoping to slash that price tag to $30,000 using 3d

printers. if all goes to plan, he hopes to enter the market in 2021. baby-tech, the cutting edge technology to assist parents caring for babies is the subject of our next report. isolation and feelings of anxiety are common for people during this key phase of family life. in recent years they have had support from a flood of new products and servicing entering the market, many fitted with the latest technology. some of these products are the work of japanese developers who were moved by their own real life experiences. >> reporter: this cute robot operates on ai and uses more than 50 sensors. it remembers individuals and reacts accordingly. this mattress is packed with sensors as well, allowing it to monitor the breathing and body

motion of a sleeping baby. if something seems wrong, it immediately alerts the care provider. high-tech devices are on display at this child care product fair in tokyo. baby-tech products from japan have hit the streets worldwide. one of them is this app crnalyzer. it figures out why a baby is crying. it has already been downloaded in 150 countries. this father is trying to sooth his baby. is she bored or maybe hungry? the app says she's sleepy. so, he gently rocks her and five minutes later, she falls asleep just as the ai predicted.

the app's developer is a data scientist, but when his daughter was born he found his work experience of little help. his solution was to develop the app utilizing his experience in data analysis to enhance the positive skills of raising children. >> translator: when the baby doesn't stop crying, fathers tend to easily give the baby back to mom, saying he or she prefers mom or wants breast milk. but with this app, fathers will want to do more to help out. i thought there might be many things like this where technology can help parents. >> reporter: this monitor is another promising innovation, especially for developing countries. usually it's available only at hospitals, but this one is ultra small. it was developed by a start up

in kagawa prefecture. she was inspired to create the monitor by a pregnant friend living on the remote island. >> translator: if there are no hospitals nearby or if it's a situation like right now with the pandemic going on, you can still check yourself at home and send the data to a hospital. >> reporter: it measures the condition of the mother's womb and the heart rate of the fetus. the coronavirus pandemic has led to greater demand for remote diagnosis. and this device is one promising response. >> translator: it makes me very glad to hear women say they were able to give birth safely using this device. >> reporter: japanese baby tech are meeting the needs of parents around the world. nhk world.

>> saito cuemy is in the today. what's japan's role in the industry? >> in 2016, baby-tech began a business category for the first time in las vegas, one of the world's largest digital apps. the market has been growing rapidly in the u.s. and europe. the market in the u.s. has reached 46 billion. japan was lagging behind in the field at first but has now caught up, boosted by the thriving child care industry. japanese products attracted a lot of attention. s he received an innovation report for his device that features the

cry analyzer at ces, held this month. originally he was focused on getting products more involved in baby care, but he has since learned that customers in the u.s. and europe are likely to spend more money on baby monitor because parents and babies often sleep in separate rooms. so, despite all the different types of needs, the product has attracted attention worldwide. >> but we know that health issues can't be solved by technology alone. the fact is especially true in emerging countries. i understand the fetus monitor in your story is attracting strong interest outside japan. >> yes, there's strong demand in developing countries. they are now planned to do the same in myanmar and south africa. in thailand too all 25 public

hospitals in the province began using the device in 2019. the company's ceo has planned to market the device in remote islands of japan but found it has more demand in developing countries because they lack obstetricians. that's exactly where the fetus monitor can help. it's easy to help without doctors and it only needs batteries. so, it's perfectly fits their needs. >> okay. well letts tu's turn to baby-te. what's your opinion? >> i was struck by the passion of the developers of baby tech. they really want to change society for the better. cutting edge technology is being used to develop valuable products. this is a business destine to keep growing.

i hope it will be a tech trend that is going to make children and parents happier. >> thank you. >> thank you, ayako. that's it for today's edition of "newslineai■>ú■ogfvf■ ]

>> that was a debate on the rules of the debate on whether to invoke the 25th amendment. let's get some analysis from mike hanna who has been listening in along with us. what do you make of what we have heard? mike: it's as expected, and the positions are generally expected. you've had a number of republicans objecting to the rule. this is the measure by which the vote will take place in the coming hour or hours. generally, there's been massive support in the house for this whole process tgo