welcome to nhk world "newsline." in bang he dash, yumus has been ordered to step down as head of grameen bank. the central bank of bangladesh issued the order on wednesday. they say he has been there longer than allowed in the retirement law. grameen bank said he was elected legally and he would remain in

office. he was awarded the nobel peace prize for establishing the microlending loans to the poor. they would use the funds as a mean to escape poverty. he has been critical of corrupt officials. he tried to form a political party in the runup to 2008. this put him at odds with politicians in existing parties. reports had surfaced last year about irregularities in the bank's operations. grameen bank denied the allegations but the government has been putting pressure on yumus to resign. they have identified a person in connection with the on-line posting of exam questions while the tests were underway. the police say the 19-year-old man is an examee for kyoto university. police had been trying to find out who sent the questions to an on-line question and answer site

while exams at four universities were in progress. the university s kyoto , doshisha, waseda and rikkyo filed criminal complaints on monday saying offenders obstructed them from conducting fair exams. the police in cooperation with yahoo found the same cell phone had been used at all four universities and that the phone had been bought by a person's parents at a. police are searching for possible accomplices. in business news the federal reserve says the u.s. economy continues toex pand gradually while some manufacturers and retailers are starting to pass on higher crude oil prices to customers. on wednesday the fed released the so-called beige book report. that's a survey of economic conditions in the 12 districts across the country. the document says overall economic activity continued to

expand at a modest to moderate pace in january and early february. it says most districts reported continued rises in corporate production and con sumtder spending. meanwhile, the report notes that manufacturers and retailers have passed on higher costs of crude oil and raw materials to clients and or are planning to do so in the near future. this trend will likely continue if commodity prices keep rising. now, apple chief executive steve jobs returned from medical leave for a day to unveil a new lighter ipad tablet computer

equipped with two cameras. >> thanks for coming. thank you. it's really thin. and it comes in two colors. >> jobs made his first public appearance in about five months in san francisco on wednesday. the second generation ipad is more portable than the older version. while it has the same screen size, it's less than one centimeter thick and over 100 grams lighter, weighing about 600 grams. the new model also comes with two cameras, one on each side of the device. they allow the user to take photos and moving pictures and also conduct a video conference. >> we've made it way thinner. something's got to give. and you would think that we would have to give up some of the ipad's legendary battery life. we have the same legendary ten-hour battery life. >> apple says the new ipad will launch in the u.s. on friday of next week. prices will range from $499 to $829. the first generation ipad had sold about 15 million units worldwide through last year. japanese companies will invest in brazil as part of

their efforts to secure a stable supply of rare minerals. their decision to invest comes amid intensifying cooperation to acquire the minerals with demand in emerging economies that is heating up. leading japanese steel makers, major trading house and other firms have agreed to invest about $1.3 billion in a brazilian mining firm. they will acquire a 10% stake. the japanese government has to help 0 to fund the investment. japan's energy body. the brazilian mining firm has a huge share of the world niobium market. it is needed to make high grade steel plates for automobiles. ni ppo n steel has been getting its steel from the brazilian firm. a leading steel maker is planning to acquire 5% stake in

the same mining firm. the united states is hoping japan will join a transpacific free trade agreement. u.s. trade representative ron kirk spoke on wednesday at a trade symposium. >> japan's future will be as its past was and that is being a competitor in a robust, global environment but that meant japan was going to have to confront the challenge of opening its agricultural market. >> kirk praised japan's decision to join the tpp negotiations in an annual report issued this week. the office stated one of the goals for 2011 is substantial progress on the tpp. it is a u.s.-backed multilateral free trade agreement for the region. negotiations are underway between the united states, australia and seven other countries. japan will decide whether to participate with them by june. the agency is likely to push ahead with the negotiations.

t before they meet in hawaii in november. let's look at the latest market figures. new zealand's government says it will end rescue operations in the earthquake hit city of christchurch. the country's ministry of civil defense and emergency management informed reporters of this on thursday. it said that hopes of rescuing

anyone else alive from the rubble are gone and the focus is now on recovery. authorities say they have so far recovered the bodies of 161 people. they say the final death toll could reach 240. forces loyal to libyan leader moammar gadhafi have launched a counterattack against anti-government forces in the countries northeastern region. this has raised concerns of increased fighting. gadhafi's forces shifted from their previous strategy of concentrating on fighting in the northwest to defend the capital tripoli. on wednesday morning, pro government forces conducted an air trade on bre ga where they temporarily seized an airport. the town provides electricity to benghazi which is an insurgent strong hold. however government troops withdrew after resurgent forces retaliated. at least five people have been killed in the fighting. spore rad dick fighting has been reported though outskirts of

brega. gadhafi spoke to mark the establishment of the current political system. >> we will never accept being under the control of other nations. we are ready to enter a bloody war and thousands will die if the u.s. or alternate attacks. >> reporter: the anti-government force held a news conference in benghazi. translator: we call on the united nations security council to denounce countries which support gadhafi. >> the insurgent forces have called on the international community to conduct air raids on the bases being used by mercenaries hired by gadhafi. insurgents in libya are hoping the international community will impose a no-fly zone over the country in order to prevent gadhafi forces from carrying out air strikes against civilians. should a no-fly zone be created, military aircraft violating the area could be shot down. a simt no-fly zone was

established by the international community to protect the curd issue minority in northern iran during saddam hussein's rairng. secretary of state hillary clinton raised the idea of a no-fly zone in a meeting with the european union representative for foreign affairs catherine ashton. >> when i said in my remarks that all options were on the table, or another way of saying it, no option option is off that table that of course ebb includes -- that of course includes a no-fly zone. >> british prime minister says they are considering a no-fly zone over libya. but the international community hasn't been able to reach consensus. turkey alternate member opposes the idea. some european members of the alliance say it will require a security council resolution. the u.s. government also appears divide on the issue. >> if we move additional assets, what are the consequences of

that for afghanistan, for the persian gulf? >> experts say the u.s. would have to gain air supremacy in libya in order to establish a no-fly zone. that would entail having to destroy libya's air defense system, which would serve as a defactor declaration of war. the arab league says it will consider establishing a no-fly zone over libya. the foreign ministers of member nations of the arab league met on wednesday in cairo to discuss the situation. in a statement secretary general said the arab league will not stand with its hands tied while the blood of the libyan people is spilled and that one option would be to enforce a no-fly zone. however, the statement rejects any intervention by nonarab nations. many libyan refugees continue to flee in to tunisia as security

forces step up their forces in the western region. on an nhk crew visited the visit of dehiba. it is 70 kilometers west of that lut. libyan evacuees were only allowed in to tunisia after undergoing thorough checks. the number of people evacuating through the check point has surged since the fighting in nalut intensified on tuesda european union says it will provide $14 million for refugees them world food program pledged assistance worth $38.7 million.

the wfp says it plans to distribute biscuits and wheat flour in benghazi and along border areas. an estimated 26 thousand filipinos were working in libya. they decided to return home or evacuate to neighboring countries. more than 300 filipino workers arrived at manila international airport and were reunited with their families. the government says 9,000 of its citizens have now left libya. >> i was scared some protesters smashed the windows in our building. >> however, many filipinos remain trapped in libya and the government is dispatching charter planes and ferries to help them evacuate.

a new type of employment called volley-vite. it is combining the word volunteer and a german word for work. more are considering the type of work given the severe economy. presented with limited choices they prefer a job that is meaningful, even if the wages are low. >> reporter: this citrus farm in western japan ships 200 tons of fruit every year. the farm used to hire local residents as seasonal workers during harvest. but, like many rural areas in japan, the population is aging and the region is facing depopulation. so they began to take on young, semi volunteer workers three years ago. the farm recently hired three

women this their 20s. they work for 7 1/2 hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. their daily wages are only about $35. this is about half of what regular paid workers make for the same job. but they get some nice perks, like free accommodation. each worker gets her own room, in a house on the farm. they also receive vegetables , grown on the farm, as well as rice to help cover food costs. translator: i really enjoy the farming experience and hanging out with the locals. translator: sometimes i feel dead tired, but at the end of the day it is all worth it. >> reporter: the semi volunteer workers founlds their jobs

through this small firm sanka network launched 12 years ago. the firm operates a website that posts positions from farms and accommodation facilities in rural areas. there are always about 60 help wanted ads on the website. posting a want ad is free. when workers are placed, the company charges the employer a monthly commission of 25% of the worker's wages. translator: we handle three to four applications for every opening. often we help place workers within hours. >> reporter: the number of jobs placed by the firm has increased threefold over the past five years. last year, the figure was 6,600. translator: many graduates can't find work. unemployment is high and opportunity low. many are dissatisfied with their current job, even when they can find work.

so they come to us. >> reporter: many semi volunteer workers are in their 20s or 30s. takashi is 24 and living in a tokyo suburb. he worked for an internet advertising agency for three years before leaving the firm last summer. since then, he's been looking for work that he finds meaningful. he applied for a job at a potato farm in southwestern japan through the website. he decided to try working at the farm for two months. >> giving back to society was important because i never really felt i was doing any part. i also thought i might discover a different work because i lived

near tokyo all my life. >> reporter: many young people are finding new careers, thanks to their semi volunteer experience. takki worked at a vegetable farm four years ago. he became fascinated with farming and decided to make it his life's work. he joined this orchard as a full-fledged employee three years ago. >> i think agricultural is a field where you can create new business opportunities with your own two hands. that's what drew me to this industry. i want to keep pushing my limits. >> reporter: more and more farms throughout the country are looking for young workers to help take the reins in japan's graying society. the role of semi volunteer workers is expected to grow as young people continue to be creative in their search for

work. in the u.s., more than 10,000 people die each year in accidents involving drunk drivers. now in california, a state known for its car culture, a group of mothers has made headway in their campaign to make the roads safer. >> reporter: in california, on the u.s. west coast, police at checkpoints catch drunk drivers. >> keep blowing harder. keep blowing, keep blowing, keep blowing, keep blowing. you need to blow longer and harder, okay? >> reporter: california arrests 200,000 people a year for drunk driving. many states have limited public transportation, so cars and drunk driving are a fact of life.

more than 10,000 deaths each year in the u.s. involve drunk drivers. in a car accident ten years ago, mary saw her son, matthew, die right before her eyes. she and her husband suffered light injuries, but her son died after a severe blow to his head. their car had been hit by an intoxicated driver. matthew was a student at the naval academy. he was about to take pilot training and had planned to get married. >> and, um, i said that -- i yelled you need to get him out and give him cpr, a civilian man that was just driving whispered in my ear and said mary, it's too late.

>> reporter: determined to prevent further accidents like this, mary went to a meeting of a group called mothers against drunk driving. the members include mothers like mary who have lost a child in a drunk driving accident. they pushed for an alcohol ignition interlock device to be installed in cars. a driver must breathe into the device before starting the engine. if alcohol is defected, the engine will not start. the state of california passed a law that forces convicted drunk drivers to install the alcohol ignition interlock device in their cars in the los angeles area.

mary was invited to the signing ceremony for the law. it is often called matt's law in honor of her son. this man installed the device after his conviction last year for driving under the influence. the cost of installation is about $120. maintenance fees run about $75 a month. users must pick up the whole tab. considered an effective way of preventing repeat drunk driving, 48 of the 50 states have passed a similar law. mary is calling for the device to be installed in all cars, not just the cars of offenders. to raise public awareness, she installed one in her own vehicle. >> if you drink, make arrangements before you start drinking. until we eliminate it, i will fight. >> reporter: mothers against drunk driving says last year

more than 200,000 alcohol ignition devices were installed in the u.s., up 18% from the year before. nhk world, los angeles. hi. welcome to your world of weather update. for east asia, looking at clear and subtle spots for a lot of china, as well as the korean peninsula. a couple showers showing up on the edge of this high pressure area, but it's not going to be anything too major. and it does move away quickly this afternoon. instead, the indo china peninsula with showers throughout the region and more heavy rain in vietnam later today and into the next few days. the philippines also pretty wet picture for you with scattered showers across the country. now, japan has been looking at a lot of wintry conditions, especially along the western that's looking set to continue

today. more snow impacting you, including bouts of heavy blowing snow. so warm out for that stormy weather. highs on thursday, 9 in beijing. 8 in tokyo. tokyo will feel a little cooler than yesterday. now for north america, looking really nice and quiet out towards the east. still got this system low that's in eastern canada, but that is on its way out. we are looking at an active picture out west, very strong winds to the coastline. about 140 kilometers per hour. these are some of the gusts expected hoar. very rough conditions especially for british columbia and snow impacting the area with heavy snow in the sierras. as for central sections here in the great lakes area, you could see a little more snow develop later on thursday, but that won't intensify until another day or so. as for highs, 17 denver. 18 in l.a. and then warm 24 for houston.

finally getting a look at europe. messy in the mediterranean. we are seeing clouds swirling here. active and bringing stormy weather to italy. here are some of the conditions that northern italy has been dealing with. a lot 0 at the shots in bologna and it is a wintry sight here. plenty of snow has impacted the area. heavy snow is causing all sorts of problem, especially hitting the traffic conditions pretty hard and strong winds, too, have been producing damage. you can see the tree falling down due to the strong winds. overall a really stormy picture across the country and that is looking to continue again today. snow is expected in the northern areas and then thundershowers could be impacting those in the south of italy and greece looking at potential for stronger storms to erupt. balkan peninsula, alpine region a chance of snowfall today.

fairly settled picture for the rest of europe. the winds will be strong across the skand knavian peninsula and norway could see snow. three in stockholm and three in warsaw. cold but not the frigid temperatures we have been seeing the past few days. that's a look at the weather conditions for now and i will leave you with your three-day outlook.

here's one of our lead stories this hour. new zealand's government says it will end rescue operations in the earthquake hit city of christchurch, the country's ministry of civil defense and emergency management informed reporters on this on thursday. it said the hopes of rescuing anyone else alive from the rubble are gone and the focus is now on recovery. authorities say they have so far recovered the bodies of 161 people. they say the final death toll could reach 240. and we'll be back with more news in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo .

this is rainwater .. collected from the roof and sent through underground pipes into this 1500 gallon tank rainwater collected from the roof flows through the gutters and into the underground pipes. then these hoses. carry water from the cistern to the plants. harvesting rainwater cuts down on run-off into the sewers & could save an average of 50% on your water bill! now that makes sense.