people in cyprus are lining up to access their savings, but they face restrictions as banks open for the first time since the bailout averted a financial crash. the u.s. military is feeling the bite of spending cuts. they've forced the cancellation of a large-scale combat exercise. a pro-china business group has given up on a plan to buy a major newspaper in taiwan. pressure from taiwanese who oppose media restrictions helped

scuttle the deal. welcome to nhk world "newsline." people in cyprus are lining up to do something they haven't been able to do for nearly two weeks. the country's banks have reopened to customers under tight security and tight restrictions. they've been closed as cypriot leaders negotiated a bailout package to avert a financial meltdown. people waited for hours outside banks in the capital before they opened at noon. the government has imposed temporary controls to prevent a rush of capital out of the country. people can withdraw a maximum of 300 euros per day. the state must approve transactions with other countries exceeding 5,000 euros. the government plans to impose losses on deposits of more than 100,000 euros. it's trying to raise 5.8 billion euros in collateral to qualify for the bailout.

>> 300 is the limit. >> is that enough? >> no. euro's own finance ministers and cyprus officials agreed on monday to an emergency loan. it's worth 10 billion euros. they decided to shut down the country's second largest bank. u.s. military commanders are starting to feel the effects of spending cuts. they were preparing to hold exercises next month in alaska, but cuts have forced them to cancel the drills. now they are worried their forces may not be able to respond quickly enough in the face of repeated provocations from north korea. members of congress failed to agree on measures to reduce the deficit by a deadline at the beginning of this month. cuts to the defense budget of 10% kicked in automatically. u.s. pilots have taken part in red-flag exercises for years. they have run through combat scenarios from an air base in fairbanks, alaska. this is the first time their commanders have called off a major military exercise due to the budget cuts.

officials in the obama administration have condemned north korean leaders for cutting a military hotline with south korea. a spokesperson for the state department says breaking off communications won't help. >> north korea's bellicose rhetoric and threats follows a pattern to raise tension and intimidate others and we think the latest threats to cut off links with the rhetoric is not constructive to ensuring peace and stability on the peninsula. >> the two koreas do not have diplomatic relations. military liaison officers could connect through telephone and fax lines. but on wednesday, north korean officials cut them. they say now they have no channels of communications with south korea or the u.s. ventrell said u.s. diplomats still have a way to communicate. though he did not specify what that was. he said the north koreans must adhere to the international obligations and refrain from provocative actions. a pro-china business scrapped a plan to buy a

taiwanese newspaper. it sparked concern over influence over media in taiwan. the apple daily is one of four major newspapers and is known for publishing articles critical of china. they signed a deal last november to acquire the "apple daily" from a hong kong-based company. it has close ties with china and already own other newspapers and tv stations in taiwan. the plan purchased sparked concern about china's increasing control over the taiwanese media. tens of thousands of people protested. they consider china's limits on free speech and the press unacceptable. taiwan's fair trade commission took a cautious approach in reviewing the deal. the deadline for an agreement passed on wednesday. thai government regulators

had their first talks. represents gathered for closed door negotiations at a police training center in the malaysian capital. they say they're members in kuala lumpu, and the members known as the brm discussed militia groups. militants carried out attacks in two provinces. one happened the day before the meeting and one happened just an hour before the talks. in that case, a bomb killed three military rangers. the national revolution front is just one of many insurgent groups active in thailand's

southern provinces. they have discussed if talks with the brm alone will do anything for security. >> translator: i believe the brm is the main group that can help reduce violence. so we're talking to the right peep. as brm chiefs can communicate with the arms forces on the ground. the thai government and the brm plan to hold talks regularly. government officials from japan, china, and south korea have wrapped up talks on try lateral free trade. the represents discussed investment rules, deregulating the service sector and other issues during talks. ten working groups are due to

discuss coordination of customs clearance, rules on certificates of origin and other specific topics. china and south korea are not involved in the u.s.-led transpacific partnership, a separate free trade framework that japan intends to join. japanese officials hope that concluding an fta with its asian neighbors will further boost exports and investments. whether the negotiations will go smoothly remains uncertain. japan's relations with china and south korea are being rocked now by territorial disputes. each country also has some products they want to protect from tariff cuts. japanese electronic maker panasonic said it will turn around tv business and make it profitable again in three years. suga says his company will focus on boosting display sells to corporate customers including medical institutions. he mentioned about the plasma display business.

>> translator: if we decide on an out right pullout of the plasma display business, it will be clear although it cost assert dc sublg r r -- certain amount. that is an easy choice. but we'll make every possible effort to keep the business going and make it profitable again. struggling electronics maker sharp received an investment of $110 million from samsung electronics. this is based on a capital tieup agreement reached earlier this month. the investment will make the south korean maker the fifth largest shareholder in sharp. that means about a 3% stake.

sharp also has a long-term deal to supply liquid crystal display panels to samsung. sharp needs to boost its capital base more. taiwan taiwan's hon hai precision industry did not provide funds to sharp by the deadline, which was an agreement signed by both firms a year ago. domestic auto production by the eight major makers fell for the sixth month in a row. this is due to the expiration of government subsidies for buyers of eco friendly car buyers last year. it is down 15% from last year. honda dropped by nearly 48%, nissan by 31%, and toyota by 13%. they plan to grow in markets outside of japan. here are the latest market figures.

scientists are gaining new ground in the fight against cancer. an international team of researchers identified gene markers that could increase the risk of contracting three forms

of the disease. more than 100 institutions from 34 countries took part in the study. including britain's university of cambridge and japan's cancer center. the researchers conducted genetics tests on 200,000 people. they discovered alterations that could play a role in the development of breast, ovarian or prostate cancer. they say certain genetic changes common in cancer patients are not seen in cancer-free individuals. they found 41 mutations characteristic of breast cancer, 23 genetic signatures of prostate cancer and two variations for ovarian cancer. sever science magazines have published the findings. the researchers say the genetic changes don't necessarily trigger cancer. but they believe each variation increases the risk. they say the study doubled the number of known genetic variants connected to cancer. and that's raising hopes for better screening for the disease.

health authorities in japan are struggling with an epidemic that's usually not seen in developed nations. the rubella virus is spreading. it causes a skin rash and fever. which usually goes away in a week. but if it's transmitted to pregnant women, their babies could be born with health problems. nhk world explains why this outbreak is happening now. >> reporter: facing the consequences of not getting a rubella vaccination. she caught the disease while pregnant. her daughter was born last fall with a hole in her heart. worse, the doctor said hanna might grow up with limited hearing and eyesight. >> translator: she would have been born healthy. it's all my fault.

>> reporter: since last october, parents of six other babies in japan reported their children have similar symptoms. all of the cases have been linked to rubella. health authorities say rubella is spreading across the country. the number of patients in the first 11 weeks of this year is nearly 22 times higher compared to the same period last year. many of them are in their 20s to 40s. currently, a fully funded program allows children to get two shots before entering elementary school. but back when japanese in their 20s to 40s were children, the vaccination was either optional or only for girls. the concern is these adults who are at risk of catching rubella are of child bearing age. and so their children could be at risk too.

health officials are doing more to put out the information on the risks posed by rubella. but getting the people to sign up if they need the vaccination and pay for it is still tough. the response has been low. adults must pay around $50 to $100 for each shot. some local governments started covering part of the cost. but they require documentation and the number of clinics is limited. infectious disease specialists say the current approach falls short. they admit they should have seen this coming and the government should have prevented it. >> translator: japan has been providing funds and technologies for vaccines to other countries such as china and vietnam. but what we're doing about rubella in japan is like trying

to put out a massive fire, only with buckets of water. i can't help but wonder why our country doesn't protect its own children. >> reporter: maikho now shares her story on her blog. she wants others to take the precautions she wishes she had. >> translator: i don't care if i'm thought of as a bad example. i want people to understand the effects of rubella on babies. i don't want any other mothers to go through what i did. >> reporter: she says she'll face a lifetime of regret. she hopes others will act before it's too late. kaho isihumati, nhk world, tokyo. >> experts say some types of rubella appears to originate in other countries such as china and vietnam and have been spreading in those countries for more than a decade.

health authorityi -- authoritie standards an eradication plan. since the disaster in fukushima, more than 1,000 children in the prefecture have evacuated to neighboring nigata. the president conveyed his plan to cancel the plan to the fukushima governor. >> translator: after considering the situation and feelings of the people of fukushima, we have concluded it would not be appropriate to proceed with the planned construction. >> the company president noted that many evacuees are forces to live in temporary housing. he urged them to instead make good use of the sight for the

reconstruction. they had been trying to win approval for the plant since 1968, but opposition surged after the disaster at fukushima. since the disaster in fukushima, more than 1,000 children in the prefecture have evacuated to neighboring nigata. radiation levels in most of fukushima where people live are roughly the same as elsewhere in japan but this does not ease the stress on parents. it's especially hard on children. they have to cope with new schools and new classmates. a teacher from fukushima has been helping them through the ordeal. nhk world has the story. >> reporter: this elementary school in niagat prefecture. among the pupils are 29 children who moved here from fukushima. six months after the disaster, authorities in fukushima sent teacher hirosho to watch over the youngsters.

when he's not teaching, he makes rounds of classrooms. he's checking up on his wards from fukushima. >> translator: a student from fukushima waved back at me with a smile. i think he's doing all right. >> reporter: for the past year and a half, ito has kept an eye on the children. he shares his observations with parents and other teachers. ito has to work late into the day. as more than 150 of his wards are scattered around the prefecture. he also calls on children who need extra attention. this child lives with her grandmotheand sister. she had trouble adjusting to her new surroundings.

then he parents went back to fukushima to work. often she didn't go to school. >> translator: great. you understand this math. >> reporter: she feels more secure because she realizes ito cares about her. now she goes to school every day. >> translator: she seemed troubled at first, so we asked mr. ito to come and see her, and that's what he did. i really appreciate his help. >> reporter: recently, ito has noticed that some youngsters are changing their behavior. they are starting to open up about their worries more than before.

>> translator: the children are finally coming to terms with the situation. two years after the disaster, they're able to talk about their troubles and feelings. >> reporter: ito's term runs out in march. a new teacher will replace him. >> translator: it's possible more children will feel stress and develop posttraumatic stress disorder. i think it's important we continue to support them for a longer period. >> translator: we teachers will pull together to provide the children with help and guidance. thank you very much for your contribution.

>> reporter: with the children facing many more years away from their homes, teachers have a job theme never done before. they're trying to help the youngsters come to terms with their challenging circumstances. nhk world. thousands of people waiting to go home. tons of debris waiting for disposal. vast tracks of land waiting to be restored. overcoming the challenges of japan's 2011 disaster will not be easy, but people are moving forward. find out how right here on "newsline." fossil collectors are clucking under a very special auction. going under the hammer is the

world's world largest egg. it was found about 100 years ago. the birds lived on the southeast african island of madagascar. they are believed to have weighed about 500 kilograms. they believe the bird game extinct between the 14 and 15th centuries. >> they expect the rare egg to fetch between 30,000 and $40,000. hardly chicken feed. robert speta is here with the details on what is causing this and how long it will last, robert? >> what we're seeing is the high

pressure coming in, that will make for partly cloudy skies going through thursday and into friday. that will bring warmer temperatures. but, many people off towards the north are starting to see a risk of avalanche. if you want to ski, it could be a rough go in some of the higher elevations. there are advisories up and down across the the coastlines here. then we will see light showers going through the evening hours friday into saturday morning. where it is coming from is here in southeast china where the storm has been persisting and it looks like it will persist over the next several days. already today between 70 and 80 millimeters has been reported. in the next 24 hours you will see 50 to 100 millimeters and that is with the continuous days

of heavy rainfall. you can see part of it will break off, push off there, and really just affecting the pacific coast of japan here as it pushes off there. behind it, cooler temperatures as well, knocking it down to about average. back towards the west, beijing here, take a look at bangkok, getting all the way up to 40 degrees here, going here to start off your weekend. now as we look towards the americas, things are quiet for right now, high pressure is dominating, very dry, but it is cold. freeze warnings dipping down here towards the south. going into saturday, we will see a spark of activity it it starts to fire up here, and you will see a severe weather threat here on your saturday. unfortunately, it's going to look rather rough, blustery, it

will pull in for people traveling into the ohio river valley. especially going throughout your weekend and the temperatures start to come down. now let's look towards europe, winter still in full fledge as well. the average temperature for march here is 2.5 degrees, the coldest winter since 1962, actual, in the u.k. and it's not just affecting the people out here, to the west, you have been affected by this throughout the winter as well, into ireland. i want to show you this video out here. the air force got involved and helped out a few farmers that were stranded, and they flew in some feed to the animals here, these ones were the lucky ones. there were still thousands of animals fears dead from the farmers here because of this

cold weather, and many of the smaller communities continue to be cut off here. meanwhile if we pull back the picture and look down towards the south, we have low pressure areas moving. it is wet and unsettled here. if you have travel plans in this area, check on that. and look to the north, things are cold still, berlin with 3, warsaw at 2. that is a look at your world weather, here is a look at your extended forecast.

that's "newsline" for this

hour, i'm gene otani, from all of us here at "newsline," thank you for joining us.