exemption expired -- for the first time, a u.s. forces employee will face prosecution by local authorities in okinawa. the case, involves a fatal traffic accident. welcome to "newsline," i'm michio kijima in tokyo. the japanese and u.s. governments are changing how they deal with crimes involving american military personnel or civilian employees. they're modifying the status of forces agreement to allow japan

to exercise jurisdiction over crimes that lead to death. as a result, public prosecutors in okinawa decided to indict a u.s. forces civilian employee in connection with a car accident that killed a japanese man. the case involves a 24-year-old american man. prosecutors say he was on his way home from his job at a supermarket on a u.s. base in january when his car struck the victim. they could not indict the suspect, because he was deemed to have been on duty at the time of the accident. the status of forces agreement gives the united states primary jurisdiction. in cases involving soldiers or civilian employees on bases who cause accidents on commit crimes when they are considered to be on duty. people in okinawa have repeatedly expressed anger over the agreement. the justice ministry says in the five years through 2010, there were 62 cases involving japanese victims, in which u.s. military

personnel or civilian employees were not indicted because they were on duty. none of the cases was brought before a u.s. military court. after a fatal accident in january, protesters gathered in okinawa and collected some 62,000 signatures, calling for a review of the bilateral agreement. the governments of japan and the united states agreed to do just that. >> translator: i think the new framework means japan/u.s. relations have advanced. we must also obtain consent from the people in okinawa about relocating the u.s. base. at the same time we'll do our best to ease the burden on okinawans. japanese foreign minister, koichiro gemba, just referred to the relocation of a military base in okinawa, that's the futenma air station. japan and the u.s. trying to implement a 2006 agreement that would close operations using futenma base and expand another base in okinawa.

but local opposition to the plan is strong. the former president of olympus has been on something of a roller coaster ride for the past six weeks. last month, michael woodford lost his job for speaking out. he left japan in a hurry, citing security concerns. now he's back speaking to authorities and in an exclusive interview to nhk. the british national arrived in japan on wednesday for the first time since his dismissal. he went to the tokyo district prosecutor's office on thursday. he visited the securities and exchange commission and the tokyo police department. he reportedly explained his understanding of what occurred until he was forced to step down. >> i have now a high degree of confidence that the japanese authorities will make sure this story comes out in all its detail. olympus is accused of continuing to conceal significant losses as

a result of investments made during the 1990s. they added up to more than 100 billion yen. company executives allegedly hid the losses for many years using inflated price tags for corporate acquisitions. woodford became the president of olympus in april. soon after, he pointed out the accounting irregularities. he was fired in mid-october. woodford was told his management style was arbitrary. in an exclusive interview with nhk, he explained he decided to cooperate with japanese investigators to shed light on the truth. >> who worked with olympus? these are sophisticated financial structures. olympus couldn't have done it on their own. who was given money from olympus? >> woodford remains director of olympus and is expected to attend a board meeting on friday. >> the game is up. face up to where the company is. you could stand up.

you're legally responsible. they didn't. we have a problem in that the board knows they all have to go. >> british and u.s. authorities are showing an interest in the olympus scandal. woodford will meet with the u.s. federal bureau of investigation and security officials later this month. in middle east no shortage of demonstrations. at least five people have died in an anti-government rally in yemen as protesters demand the immediate resignation of president ali abdullah saleh. the dead were among those calling for a mass demonstration in the capital, sanaa on thursday evening. they were shot near the rally site by an armed group that appeared to be supporters of the president. at least 20 other demonstrators were injured. president saleh signed an agreement to transfer power to his deputy, but the group of youth lead ing protests is demanding the president step down immediately

and say president saleh should be taken into custody and tried for the lethal crackdowns. a major pro-democracy group in egypt is calling for more protests on friday against the country's interim military rulers. the call comes as a statement by the supreme military council apologized for the first time on thursday for the deaths of protesters in clashes with security forces. so far 35 people have been killed in the violence. the council said it will pay condolence money to the victims' families and provide medical care for the injured. a pro-democracy group is urging military council chief, mohammed hussein tantawi and others to step down. the group is also calling for an immediate transition to civilian rule. amid the rising tensions, it's still unclear whether egypt will hold the landmark parliamentary elections next week as planned. the saudi arabian government

says that gunmen and security forces exchanged fire in the east of the country, resulting in casualties. the interior ministry said on thursday, that the shootings in the shiia-dominated city from monday and wednesday left four people dead and nine injured. the ministry said the government provoked unrest to achieve what it called dubious aims dictated by foreign masters but minority shias said casualties occurred when live security forces fired live ammunition at peaceful demonstrators. the region recently has seen sporadic shiia protests against the minority sunni monarch. shiias in saudi arabia have long complained that their religious activities and freedom to choose employment have been restricted. about 150,000 people in

japan are waiting to hear one simple thing from politicians and nuclear accidents -- it's safe to go home. they put the towns and villages surrounding fukushima daiichi power plant after the march 11th earthquake and tsunami crippled the plant. the damaged reactors are supposed to be put into cold shutdown by the end of the year. but there's no telling when or even if evacuees will be able to return home. this week on "nuclear watch," we find out how these displaced people are feeling about their future. and we're going to start with one man's story. here's nhk world's osamu takahashi. >> reporter: hiromichi sato is going home, although he's not sure what he's going to find. the japanese government arranged his previous visit in september, he went by bus. this time, he's driving home. his house is located just two and a half kilometers from fukushima daiichi. one can see the plant's

ventilation tower from the road in front of his house. the march 11th earthquake damaged some of his furniture. and a lot of other things. sato had to search through his family's photo albums. he selected photos of special occasions. family celebrations, a school entrance ceremony. he left all the other photos behind. >> translator: spending time and living so far from home, i've realized how precious those family memories are. it's really touching. >> reporter: sato says he wanted to take picture books for his children. he thought the books might expose them to radioactive substances. so he took photos of a few pages instead. his wife and their three children were waiting for him at

their apartment in kitakata, their temporary home. >> translator: i know that i can't get back home in the next few years. but i hope to return some day. for my children, it's up to them to make their own decisions. >> reporter: radiation levels around sato's house were high. approximately 50 microsieverts power. it may be a while yet before sato and his family can return to the things that they left behind. osamu takahashi, nhk world, fukushima prefecture. >> that's hiromichi sato's story. thousands of others are also facing a similar situation. they don't know when or if they'll be able to return to their homes. a new survey is giving you an idea of how these evacuees are feeling at this moment. nhk world's julian nabuchi joins us with details. it's a heart-wrenching survey,

can you tell us about the survey? >> researchers at fukushima university carried out the study. they found many evacuees in the early 30s or younger are skeptical about going home. the survey asked residents whether they want to return home and if they do, what's needed for that to happen. it also asked how they are living now. researchers contacted all of the 28,000 households in the eight towns and villages surrounding fukushima daiichi. those residents left their homes immediately after the nuclear accident. about half of them responded to the survey. one question asked whether evacuees hope to return to their original home. about one in four or 27% of respondents said they have no interception of going back. 73% said they will return home if certain conditions are met.

the survey also asked respondents while they are reluctant to return home. 83% cited the difficulty of decontaminating their town or village. 66% said they don't believe the government when it says things will be safe. 61% said they don't believe the nuclear crisis will be resolved. >> so some skepticism there. how are evacuees who are responded to the survey feeling about starting a new life elsewhere? >> well, they're not enthusiastic. many expressed a love for their local areas. one entry read, i'm keen to return home as soon as possible, because i like my neighbors and culture very much. however, others pointed out the need to improve living conditions. fukushima university associate professor, huminori tamba said local governments should pay attention to these comments.

>> translator: the survey results show evacuees have a deep longing to return home. the government needs to do something to keep their hopes alive. >> just like the professor said, tepco and the government must live up to the hopes of evacuees and know how excruciating it is for them to live far away from their homes. now besides losing their homes and hometowns, what are other challenges that evacuees are facing right now? >> the survey revealed the unemployment rate for evacuees has doubled to 55% since the nuclear accident. the government must create jobs, repair infrastructure and improve other living conditions so people can go back to living a normal life. >> okay. thank you for your report. nhk world's juniya nabuchi reporting for us tonight. "newsline" is the latest to turn to for the japan, post

march 11th. we have two segments on the fallout from the earthquake and tsunami. "nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi nuclear crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." next, we go to cholaphansa narula in bangkok to find out what's going on in the region. >> thailand's worst flood crisis in half a century is finally showing signs of easing. however, more and more people are angry about the government's handling of the crisis. some bangkok residents have been taking matters into their own hands. hundreds of anxious villages in western bangkok protested on thursday by blocking one of the city's major roads. the gathering came after the government gave the order to order more st. louis gasluice

gates upstream. >> translator: we want to know how the flood relief operations center will manage floodwaters that are flowing into our area. >> thursday's road blockade is the latest in a series of street actions by angry flood victims around the thai capital. on wednesday, frustrated residents on the wrong side of flood defenses in northern bangkok tore down state-built flood wall. claiming that it trapped the floodwaters in their communities. angry residents say that the authorities have paid little attention to their plight. the world bank says afghanistan will continue to depend heavily on the international community as a source of funding. even after foreign troops leave the country. the world bank released a report on tuesday, detailing financial estimates for afghanistan after 2014, that's when most

international troops end their combat missions. the report says afghanistan will see a rise in revenue after 2014, because of a new tax and the development of copper and iron mines. but it also estimates around $7 billion of international aid will be needed annually for at least a decade. do organize a 350,000-member security force. onto the lighter side of things, they originated in china, became famous in japan and now they're popular across asia. ramen noodles are hot right now and i'm not just talking about the soup. in singapore, there are about 60 ramen noodle shops, double the number from just two years ago. what's behind this unstoppable food fad? nhk world sniffs out the story. >> reporter: singaporeans are famous food lovers and right now, they can't get enough of ramen noodles from japan.

ramen originated in china, but evolved into a unique cuisine in japan. each noodle shop has its own recipe for making broth, using fish, animal bones or vegetables. the thickness of the noodles and the toppings also vary. now, some japanese ramen shops are going overseas. here in singapore, ramen shops have to be creative to win customers. some change the seasoning to meet local tastes, while others cool down the soup or add spices. one shop even offers a free topping such as egg or seaweed to customers who have to wait for long. being located at the crossroads of southeast asia, singapore has grown to become the center of

asian noodle culture. there are traditional chinese noodles, indonesian fry noodles and malaysian noodles seasoned with coconut milk. so why is japanese ramen so popular? some people say they like the tasty soup that takes time and effort to make. others, the tender, yet chewy noodles. >> it goes easy on the tongue. so it's something that i can have like two, three times a week. >> about half the ramen shops in singapore run by locals. 27-year-old singaporean owns two ramen restaurants.

he says he was so impressed by the taste of japanese ramen, that he quit his job and trained in japan to become a ramen chef. his hand-made noodles come in four types. each paired with a specific soup. >> the reason my soup is so good is actually getting better, okay. it's a combination of a lot of japanese-owned restaurant. the future, i would like to actually go back to japan to try out different kind of ramens. >> the ramen boom even gave rise to consultants dedicated to the ramen business. jason lam opened his own ramen shop five years ago. using the experience, he now offers advice to others. from how to lay out the shop, to what to put on the menu. >> the cost of the ramen, it's

not very high. yeah, but because of the way it's being positioned, you can actual i had sell it at a very high fee. >> four more ramen shops from japan will open in singapore by the end of this year. and with successful restaurants looking for opportunities in the nation of malaysia, it looks like ramen fever will continue to spread in asia. yuko funasaki, nhk world, singapore. and now, i know just what to have for dinner -- ramen. that's it for today's bulletin, i'm cholaphansa narula here in bangkok. >> thanks. murray johnson is up next with assusumo.

it is sumo time and almost crunch time for the yusho winner. day 12 began with leader sirajuddin haqqani hakuho undefeated. action, please. whack co-ewe is the dark horse but deserves his moment in the fun. miyabiayma is on a winning stream. it's a barrage of thrusts from both men, but miyabiyama prevails. both have three losses. kisenosato has three losses and can only afford one more. gagamaru will use his big body to show his power. gagamaru surprises with a grip and goes inside on the sekiwake.

hard-charging sumo. it's gagamaru in charge, but his own momentum crumbles going backwards, down he goes. kisenosato dodged a bullet there. hakuho had just one challenger on the leaderboard going into the last bout and that was against his only rival left, kotoshogiku. hakuho has a 26-3 edge over kotoshogiku. but, kotoshogiku has won the last two times they've met. kotoshogiku gets his preferred shallow left-hand grip, so the yokozuna swats the hand away. and then gets his own favorite inside grip. while taking the new ozeki back, to pull an arm-lock throw. undefeated hakuho extends the margin over his nearest opposition. and will check that now. on the leaderboard. hakuho is blemish-free.

kotoshogiku, kisenosato, miyabiyama, wakakoyu trail with three losses. . the kyushu basho title will go to hakuho tomorrow if he wins and that will be his 21st yusho. we'll be here with a recap. thanks, murray. rachel ferguson is up next with weather. >> friday looks like its set to be sunny across much of the southeast asian continent. however there will be widespread fog affecting much of central and eastern china. not anything much in the way of rain. the precipitation that will be finding is going to be here across northern and central japan. now rain down further towards the south, but up to the north, it is definite will i going to be falling as snow. and we have quite a developed

system sitting up there to the north. that's what's going to be bringing these very snowy conditions. but also the strong wind along with it. so winds are going to be getting up over 70 kilometers per hour. we've got the snow as well. maybe another 40 centimeters for western hokkaido into the next 24 hours. we're seeing some really significant winter weather now. across northern japan. down in towards the south, continuing showers here for eastern indochina. that will be laos, as well as vietnam and also the philippines and it's certainly enough to raise the concern of flooding and landslides into next couple of days. >> temperatures, 32 degrees in manila and bangkok. low 20s for hong kong, as well as chongqing, with single digits in beijing. 6 for the high, 8 in seoul and minus 6 in ulan bator and the temperatures in the north should be increasing into the weekend. into north america we go. many of you are going to be traveling today.

thanksgiving day going to see your friends and family. if you're up in the pacific northwest, driving conditions could be risky. snow falling as well as some gusty winds. that could make the surface of the roads quite slippery. so do bear it in mind. give you a better idea of what we're looking at on our thanksgiving day, the darker shades of gray showing you where the heavy snow is going to be falling. and right along the coast we have strong winds and heavy rain here. right down into the northern part of the baja peninsula. another round of rain coming into the four corners. it's not heavy now, but it's going to be developing as it heads up towards the great lakes that will be in the next couple of days. right now towards the east, things are looking sunny and calm for you. and we do have a dusting of snow across eastern canada. temperatures, 10 in toronto, 12 in new york city, with 14 in d.c. 13 in chicago, 19 in oklahoma city and a warm 24 in houston, texas. 24 in mexico city with 17

degrees for you in l.a. into europe we go, what can i say? you'll see when we look at the front lines here, what kind of system we're dealing with up in the northwest. this is going to be bringing some very strong winds across the british isles, also iceland being impacted with this system. norway, too. you can see the front just dangling across the british isles right now. significant amounts of rain. but it's going to be these gale-force winds, which will be bringing the biggest impact. that's just going to be moving across into the scandinavian peninsula over the next 24 hours. so especially towards the north, you're going to be feeling those winds gusting more than 90 kilometers per hour. the rest of the continent looking pretty good. we still have a lingering storm system. this is the one that brought the flooding rains across spain, across italy. well it's going to be weakening off into the next couple of days. but we still do have that system just lingering there in the central mediterranean for the

time being. 12 in london, 11 in paris, we're in the teens as well in rome, athens, as well as madrid. 8 degrees in stockholm, no the too bad. 1 degree for the high in moscow and we're at 2 for the high in kiev. here's your extended forecast. that's our broadcast for this hour on "newsline," we'll be back with more news in half

an hour. i'm michio kijima in tokyo, thank you for watching, bye-bye.