many the name of the father. state media in north korea unveils the controversial plan to mark the birth of the country's founder. north koreans are preparing to honor the man known as their eternal president and great leader. the 100th anniversary of kim ill song's birth is next month. the regime headed by his

grandson says it will launch a satellite in celebration. but critics say it's actually testing a long range missile in violation of u.n. resolutions. >> to mark the sen tenry of the birth of kim ill song, our country will launching a working satellite made with our power and technology. the launch will inspire the country's citizens and troops who are striving to create a strong and prosperous nation. >> state run media in north korea quoted an announcement by the korean committee for space technology. the statement says, the satellite will lift off from a site between april 12th and 16th. it says a safe trajectory has been set to prevent rocket debris from affecting neighboring nations. the united states has described the proposed satellite launching as highly prorocktive.

a statement on friday said that such a plan would pose a threat to regional security. she said a missile launch would be a direct violation of the bilateral agreement reached during last month's talks in beijing. the agreement includes a moratorium on all test launch long range ballistic missiles for the north. the u.s. government says it is analyzing why north korea has made such a provocative announcement at this stage it will consult its partners on how best to proceed. north korea satellite plan means governments that monitor the reclusive nation will be paying more closer attentions. japan's defense minister says his country is on high alert. >> translator: we'll take all possible measures for intelligence gathering and monitoring north korea in cooperation with the united states and with other countries. >> he added he will do what he

can to ensure peace and security for japan. japan's foreign ministry has launched a protest with china after its ships enter the japanese territorial waters. the islands are part of japan's okinawa prefecture, but china also claims sovereignty. japanese foreign minister announced on friday that two chinese governorships enter the territorial islands earlier in the day. he said the vice foreign minister later made up a formal protest to the chinese ambassador to japan. the japan coast guard says the patrol boat radioed issues to chinese ships not to enter the territorial waters. the chinese vessels responded they were cruising on duty and the islands are chinese territory. one of them entered japanese waters around 9:30 a.m. and stayed inside for 25 minutes. it did not respond to additional warnings by the coast guard. immediately after the patrolling began, the chinese state oceanic

administration announced on its website that two research ships were patrolling the area. they said the patrol is a regular activity to protect china's maritime interest and shows the government's consistent position on the sovereignty issue. it is very rare for china to make an immediate announcement about its activities. observers say the country is trying to step up its sovereignty claim. a judge is sentenced to 30 years in prison for starving her children to death. she abandoned her son and daughter for 50 days. police recovered the bodies in july 2010. the presiding judge of the osaka district court found the 24-year-old woman guilty of murder. her children were 1 and 3 years old. the judge says she must have known her son and daughter were going to die. he added that it was devastating to imagine the suffering they endured. he said their mother should have sought help. the judge also called for social

support for parents who have difficulty raising their children to prevent similar incidents from happening. more news in bruf brief from around the world. japanese researchers say they have developed a way to develop pure cells for treatment. the method overcomes problems with the current approach. the group says mice used during research were cancer free. they stressed the new method could help reduce risk of cancer which has been an obstacle in clinical applications. products featuring some of japan's favorite animation characters are on display at an exhibition in mumbai, india. nearly 30 companies are showcasing their wares at the event sponsored by japan's trade ministry.

india's animation market is expected to reach about $650 million this year and continue to expand. a group of japanese musicians held a charity concert in brussels to mark the first anniversary of the march 11th disaster. proceeds from the concert will go to a cultural organization in sendai. more than 100 delegates from around the world gathered in the city of japan that was among the hardest hit by last year's earthquake and tsunami. they came for an international seminar to learn lessons from the disaster. about 130 government officials and i.t. specialists from 55

countries attended the seminar on friday. it was organized by japan's internal affairs and communications ministry and the international telecommunications union. first, the participants offered silent prayers for the tens of thousands of people who lost their lives in the catastrophe. i.t.u. telecommunication development bureau director pointed out that information sharing is crucial for reducing disaster risks. a private japanese group note that had the telekmupgss system failed to transmit necessary information to and from the disaster area. members of the group said their survey found that cell phones were useful but there were no means of recharging the batteries. they say pay phones were working but too few of them around. the head of nkh's local station explained how it reported on the quake and tsunami. he said nhk could have called on more people more urgently to evacuate their homes.

he said nhk is doing an overall review of the public broadcast system. delegates from asia and african countries also stressed the importance of swift communication. >> it is very important for us. you know in our country there is -- i think this message is help for us. >> i think what has been impressed so much is actually the way that the japanese people are organized in terms of disaster management. they've got the technology that enables them to solve much of the problem. >> japan's job markets for university graduates has improved slightly over last year's but remains tight. the labor and education ministry said in an estimated 80.5% of new graduates have landed jobs as of february 1st up about three points from last year's record low, but the figure is

still the third lowest since data was first compiled in 1999. the ministry calculated the 79,000 final year students due to graduate this month are still on the hunt for jobs. the labor ministry says economic uncertainty is makeling firms cautious about taking on new graduates. apple has launched a a new version of ipad tablet computer. it's going to store shelves across the world. about 450 people waited for an apple store to open in downtown tokyo. it's the first ipad launched since steve jobs passed away last october. the design and size are unchanged, but the new model featured an upgraded screen with higher resolution images. it has a higher resolution camera as well and its processor

allow faster handling of video and other data. >> translator: it's worthwhile just to wait in line. >> it's got better features. i'm thinking about how i'll use this. >> competition in the tablet market continues to heat up. apple's rivals including sony and samsung electronics are also launching new models. meanwhile in hong kong, hundreds of people line up at the apple store to buy the new ipad ahead of its release in mainland china. some hard core apple fans traveled all the way from beijing. >> translator: it is unclear when the ipad will be available on the mainland because the lawsuits. >> last month proview technology filed a claim against apple as the original other than of the ipad trademark. proview filed an injunction to

block all sales of the ipad and asked retailers across the country to cooperate. however, hong kong has a different judicial system. u.s. treasure secretary timothy geithner has praised european leaders for their efforts to calm financial markets. he says that work to overcome the credit crisis has significantly reduced the risks to the global economy and he praised efforts by the european central bank and euro zone governments. >> i think the downside risks to growth around the world are significantly less than they were. >> geithner stress that had the european leaders need to continue to work together to sustain their progress. he said they should pay close attention to rising oil prices because of escalating tensions in the middle east. geithner dismissed calls by republicans for drastic spending cuts to tackle the u.s. deficit. he pointed to the slumping housing market and high up employment rates. geithner says severe austerity measures now would only damage

the economy. one year after the earthquake and disaster, life is still full of stress. many residents of the hardest hit areas need help getting food and other basic necessities. but in a city with 40,000 residents some volunteers are doing what they can to make life easier for them. >> after the earthquake destroyed her house, this woman renovated her nearby storage room and moved in. she's 89 and suffers from heart disease. often, she has to be hospitalized but she continues living on her own. what upsets her are the earthquakes. the tremors haven't stopped. she has difficulty sleeping. >> translator: if a big

earthquake hits again, i'll be squashed in this storage room. i just hope that it doesn't happen at night. >> realizing that something has to be done to help seniors, some evac es have stepped forward to help. this man outran the waves when they came crashing through. he's determined to help those in need. three times a week he delivers packaged meals to 120 people. the average age 75. >> translator: i am just so grateful for the support. >> translator: i feel that we have to do something for them. after all, we're from the same town. i would be happy if i can cheer up grandpas and grandmas from my

hometown. he receives help from six friends. right after the disaster 20 people employees and volunteers from all over japan helped out. but the number of volunteers who can spare the time has dwindled. he is worried. during the past year five elderly survivors living alone in temporary housing have died. >> translator: we're a small group, so there's limits to what we can do. still, we're determined not to let any of the people we are looking after pass away alone. >> on this day, he visits a woman whose home was washed away by the tsunami. he lives in a housing complex provided by the city.

she struggles to do the things most people get done every day. she's 87 and almost completely blind. >> translator: i'm embarrassed to say this, but irk not even take a bath without someone's help. >> she lost most of her family in the tsunami. people who could have helped her. so she stays inside all day without anyone to talk to. >> translator: sometimes i feel i'm about to go crazy. why is it that i have to live like this at such an advanced age? i'm really sad. >> he says men are specially vulnerable. many have trouble making new

friends. many have difficulty expressing what they feel. many are too proud to ask for help. this man is 72. he also lost his home in the disaster. he says he doesn't feel like doing anything so he stays in his room and eats alone. he doesn't even have natural gas to keep him warm. >> translator: i have tons of problems here, but i guess this is only expected. >> translator: they lost confidence in themselves after losing their jobs because of the tsunami, for example. so they shut themselves up in their homes. i want to do something about it. i feel a bit frustrated. >> every week he hears of more and more people who need his

help. but the group is short of both funds and hands. and he doesn't know how long they can go on. >> time to check on some to have stories we've gathered from broadcasters around asia. we begin with this item sent from vietnam. hanoi is hosting the conference of the u.n. food and agriculture organization on the issue of food security. among the participants are fao director general, vietnamese prime minister and officials from 40 countries in the asia pacific region. delegates have agreed that the fight against hunger is undermined by rising food and oil price. the impact of climate change and trade policies. the agency says 600 million people are suffering from hunger and mall nutrition in the asia

pacific. it says food prices have doubled over the past decade. thai government is discussing ways to deal with the steep rise in food prices. farm produce, processed food and meat rose about 12% in january prompting a series of protests. the prime minister ordered her cabinet to identify the cause of the hike within the supply chain. the commerce ministry reported earlier on friday that the trend is set to continue because of rising fuel prices. man goal ya's 13th ice festival took place near the country's most scenic lake. the event aims to promote awareness of the lake's ecosystem and preserve natural beauty. about 100,000 people enjoyed the ice sculptures, skating and ceremonies. the highlight of the event was a race between horse drawn sleighs. this year's edition featured a new award for people who

contribute to the growth of the reindeer population. skra pan is trying to put some shine on its best known brand. the owners of a brand have plunked down the clothing chain in the middle of tokyo's most posh shopping district. they're trying to do what they've done in new york along fifth avenue and in london on oxford street. >> translator: i'm just so excited. we are so happy to begin our next phase of globalization from this store. >> the opening drew quite the crowd. >> reporter: stores selling luxury brands line this street, across the street are stores

like tiffany and prada, but the owners of this company decided to plop down their casual clothing store many the middle of all of this. to casual clothes are in the middle of main street. staff say more than 1,000 eager customers lined upstarting at 5:00 a.m. this morning. 500 clerks waited for their arrival. about 1/5 of them can cater to people from around the world in japanese, english, chinese, korean, french and spanish. >> translator: welcome. >> after the earthquake, we're thinking everything we can do at least everybody from other country. >> they helped me to chose some

t-shirts they're very good. >> i hope it gloeblzs and becomes more diverse in america because i would like to see them there. >> reporter: marketers have crafted a global strategy since 2001. the company opened stores in paris, london, beijing and elsewhere. then last year the owner set up shop along fifth avenue in new york. they hope the gloss of the luxury stores will rub off here as well. people from all over the world visit the shopping district when they're in town. owners of this store hope their customers will do their marketing for them by word of mouth. >> here are the latest market figures.

>> let's get a check of the weather from mai. >> thank you very much. let's check out what's happening here in australia first. this is a severe tropical cyclone that is moving closer to the coastal areas of western australia. it is a category three. looks like it will be maintaining its intensity and making landfall here around port headland around saturday afternoon hours local time. this is already bringing gusts up to about 195 kilometres per

hour. high waves, rough sea conditions and people many the vicinities are already feeling very strong winds in and around the area. and also as you can see this very bright pink passing through western australia inland it will be dumping heavy amounts of rainfall accumulation could be staggering amounts about 200 millimeters or even more in the next couple of days. this is enough amounts to trigger some flood, landslides and mudslides. we'll keep you updated with this. heading over to the bigger picture in eastern continental asia. in japan we have a system affecting south korea and western japan. this system will be just dumping weather towards eastern japan as well. much of the country will be looking ahead for a wet weekend. another system here will be ushering lots of very cold air in and around the region by sunday the precipitations will be turning white. lingering showers in central china that's going to be

tapering off much lighter conditions, but widely spread. and here seasonal showers as well as seasonal thunderstorms will be skirtd across the area. in the southeastern manila the system will be approaching closer over the weekend. temperaturewise 32 degrees. we're talking about seoul 16 degrees. so that's going to be nice weather out there as well as beijing at 14. tokyo at 12 on saturday, high much better. and it will be on the rise on sunday. heading over to the americas. still a series one after another the storm systems battering the pacific in fact and the b.c. area. this is another unstable system and more stronger from compared to the other system. gusts are going to be reaching as much as 90 kilometres per hour and dumping some he have rain in the sierra nevada areas.

wet snow piling up as much as 25 centimeters and that will be descending all the way down towards the four corners over the weekend. the heavy rain plus ongoing snow melt could be causing some flooding and landslides, mudslides, rock slides these are all at high risk. very small winds will be skirting across the four corners skert area. blowing dust could be dangerous for your driving conditions. in arizona and new mexico critical fire weather is posted, too. towards the east, mid-atlantic showers and chances of thunderstorms. but some thunderstorms could be strong and producing some hails and damaging winds. but for the friday forecast highs still very warm in washington, d.c. 24 degrees and winnipeg 22 above average at 21. in chicago we're looking at 25. do enjoy your nice spring weather for the weekend. here's our extended forecast.

japan's crown prince says he hopes people who experienced disasters will share their

stories so ores can learn from them. he made the appeal to an international forum on water. delegates are attending the sixth world water forum in marseilles, france. japan's crown prince serves as the honorary president of the u.n. secretary general's advisory board on water and sanitation. he cancelled plans to deliver a keynote speech. he stayed in japan to tech rarely perform the duties of his father. he is recovering from heart bypass surgery. the crown prince delivered a video message instead. >> i will do my best together with you to share and make use of the experience and lessons in japan and elsewhere in order to help build a safer and better future for all. >> the crown prince showed photos of northeast japan and thanked people around the world for their help. the prince stressed the importance of remembering

disasters and passing the stories on to future generations. that's our broad kwast for this our on "newsline." we'll be back with more news in half an hour. thank you for watching. bye-bye.