charges of a cover up. police in boston have arrested three men for interfering with their investigation. they say the men destroyed evidence. police said the suspects are friends of dzhokhar tsarnaev. they were friends and the brothers were responsible for killing three people and injuring 260 others.

two men from kazakhstan and a u.s. citizen helped in a cover-up. three days after the bombings, the men removed fireworks and laptop computer from dzhokhar tsarnaev's dormitory room and put it in a garbage dump. they said he did not admit to carrying out the bombings but thought he may have been involved when they found the fireworks. members of hezbollah have long enjoyed financial support from allies in syria. the head of the military dan group is keeping up his end of the relationship. he says foreign forces are threatening syria and won't allow it. >> translator: we are a true friend of syria. our allies won't allow the assad

administration to fall into the hands of the united states, israel and islamic extremists. >> the hezbollah leader criticized attempts by opposition forces and those who support them to topple the government of assad government. he said they will not be able to bring the administration down through military means. after u.s. president barack obama said the united states is studying possible steps including military involvement to counter the assad's administration alleged use of chemical weapons. saudi arabia's foreign minister has waded into the debate. he says the west should arm anti-government group, the only way to stop civilian casualties. the prince spoke on tuesday and said bashar al assad has refused all efforts. and the only way is to arm the rebels. >> they need to be able to

protect themselves, the least the community can do. japan and the united emirates are in talks. >> translator: this is my first visit here as prime minister in six years. i'm glad to see you again. >> he proposed the dialogue between the two countries. the crown prince agreed.

protecting sea lands is an issue. he thanked the uae for the oil supply. traders and brokers are starting their day scanning through the latest data from the u.s. reserve. good morning. >> very good morning. >> what are they hoping to find? >> investors are looking for clues to tell them when policy makers fight change the directions of the bank's monetary policy. they will keep their current monetary easing measures. the policy makers concluded their two-day meeting on wednesday. they say the central bank will continue buying $85 billion a

month. they want to pump more money into the financial markets. they also said the fed is ready to adjust the pace of those purchases in response to economic activity. the policymakers said the u.s. unemployment rate is over 7%. the government's automatic budget cuts have put pressure on the economy. they will keep the interest rate near zero until the jobless rate falls below 6.5%. american stock prices ended lower and that's also after data came in below consensus. the dow jones ended .94 prs lower at 14,700 and the nasdaq ended down by .89% at 3,299. for more on how stocks are trading in tokyo let's go to

ramin who is standing by.down b. for more on how stocks are trading in tokyo let's go to ramin who is standing by. good morning. we're seeing doubts about growth in the u.s. >> some of those doubts are playing into stock market data. 13,750 for the nikkei and 1,156 for the topix. the stock markets here will be

closed on friday. it'slikely we'll end the week on a negative note. likely we'll e on a negative note. the data has taken the focus off the policymakers in april. investors showing a bit of concern about the pace of growth in the world's largest economy, the u.s. i'm talking about and that's been reflected in the dollar. if you remember we did come to 99.95 at one stage. now we're at the 97 yen levels. look at it now. 97.16 to 20. the dollar did fall after weak economic data from the u.s.

investors waiting to see job numbers out on friday. let's have a look at the euro yen as welcoming up now. 128.05 to 11. nissan sales jumped 23% and h hon honda's u.s. sales rose 7.4%. a negative start for the nikkei achb and the topix. back to you. >> thanks. in other business news the leaders of italy and france agree that europe should spur economic growth alongside fiscal austerity to end the debt

crisis. italy's new prime minister met french president in paris on his first overseas trip after visiting germany. he assumed office on sunday amid political chaos. after their meeting he told reporters that measures should be taken to expand consumption and stimulate economic growth. he stressed europe should relax its belt tightening approach. >> translator: it should be in growth to show our resolve. >> apple is preparing to return cash to shareholders and the firm's executives have issued

bonds for the first time in 17 years. apple executives announced the deal and a report to the u.s. securiti securities and exchange commission. they will return $100 billion in cash to stockholders through share buy backs and dividend payments. lit be the largest nonbank bond deal in history. they plan to keep the money outside the u.s. until corporate tax rates go down. that's all for now in business. i'll leave you with the market figures.

politicians in malaysia are making their final push for support in an election that could trigger the first power shift in 56 years in malaysia. the ruling coalition has been in charge since the country gained independence from britain. but the opposition is threatening to shake things up when voters go to the polls on

sunday. malaysia is considered an outstanding achiever in southeast asia because of its stable economic growth. representatives of the ruling national front are promising to deliver more development. they warn a change of power would cause instability. >> do you want to change from peace and harmony to a country full of conflict and violence? >> members of the opposition people's alliance are vowing to stamp out the corruption that has flourished under the coalition. they say they want to build a more fair society. >> translator: our election pledge takes into consideration people's confidence and aspirations and demonstrates our capacity and ability in building a trustworthy federal government. >> the alliance made substantial gains in the 2008 election. based on public dissatisfaction with the ruling party, which mainly represents the ethnic

malay majority. recent polls suggest the parties are locked in a tight race. the tension between malays and wealthier chinese residents has been a long-standing issue. for decades the government has adopted the so-called bumiputera policy. the affirmative action scheme offers special opportunities to malays to help reduce the wealth gap. but the policy has come under fire for creating a new gap in education and job opportunities. malaysians also complain about restrictions on free speech. the government says these are necessary to protect social stability. some people are dissatisfi with the way the government has handled ethnic divisions. others are frustrated at the growing wealth gap. nhk world's chikashi takaoka is in kuala lumpur. >> reporter: thousands of protesters hit the streets outside kuala lumpur in november. most were ethnic chinese. they called for more chinese language education at schools. teachers use malay as the

official language due to the government's bumiputera policy. >> translator: we face various restrictions on our access to knowledge and jobs. >> reporter: chinese business owners also face disadvantages. this man said his event company has no malay executives. he says that means they can't win any lucrative government contracts. >> somehow somewhere we see we are in one malaysia. >> reporter: but ethnic malaysians also showing frustration. many say they don't feel the benefits of the bumiputera policy. they say there is a widening wealth gap, even among the malay people. i'm in central malaysia. the majority of population here

is ethnic malay, but as you can see, there are a lot of opposition flags on the roadside. rosti grows oil palms. his father started the farm with a government grant offering land to ethnic malays. government officials promised to offer low-cost housing too. but rosti's application for a house remains unapproved. he said only well-connected people get what they need. rosti lives with his parents. he knows he can't continue like this when his four children grow older. >> translator: i want the process to be carried out transparently. housing should be for those

really in need. >> reporter: some young malays have begun to aim criticism at the growing rich/poor divide. adam adli is a university student who helps provide meals for the poor. he gets around censorship by using the internet. malaysian newspaper and tv reporters mostly put out pro-government material. but adam has found fewer restrictions on internet radio. >> this is where we convey our messages. this is where we can actually -- can actually bring out the hidden facts. this is where we can expose the hidden secrets or things that

you cannot read or get from the tvs and newspaper. >> reporter: more malaysians from across ethnic and age boundaries are showing discontent with the coalition's long-term rule. voters are preparing to deliver their verdict at the polling stations on sunday. the international olympic committee is telling tokyo's governor to respect his rivals in the bid for the 2020 olympics. but the ioc says it won't hand down a penalty after he made remarks critical of istanbul. he is the chair of tokyo's bid committee.

the "new york times" quoted him as saying, the only thing islamic countries share is allah and they are fighting with each other. the governor later apologized. ioc protocol bans representatives of candidate cities from commenting on others vying to host the games. ioc spokespersons say tokyo's olympic bid committee has been asked to abide by the rules and they say the issue has been concluded. tokyo and istanbul are competing against madrid to win the 2020 summer games. the winner will be announced in september. tourists from near and far are setting out across one of japan's most scenic highways. they're heading to western japan to see the vistas around an inland sea. many prefer to see the sights not from a car window but the seat of a bicycle. >> some of the finest views of all japan but it is not only for cars, alongside the roads there are also cycle lanes. the highway links the island with the japanese mainland in

the prefecture. 80 meters above the sea and with nothing above but sky, it's a spectacular ride. >> translator: this road, high above the ocean, it feels great. >> reporter: there are plenty of bicycle stations so this road is popular with foreign visitors, too. this man works in a city and revitalizing towns through bicycle tourism. he's been cycling all his life. over 10 years, he visited 88 different countries and territories by bike. along the way, he met many people and received lots of encouragement. this interaction with local

people was what he found most rewarding. he wants to create that same experience for visitors here. >> translator: the shimamani has great views and a great sensation riding over the bridges but the great thing is talking to the local people. that is the essence of cycling. >> reporter: they have created a network of local residents and governmental bodies people can call on for help in the event of a bike related accident or injury. local mechanics and gas stations act as so-called rescue points where broken parts can be repaired. a taxi company keeps rescue taxis on call to help in case of

breakdowns or injuries. local guest houses and restaurants have formed a network of so-called cycle oasis, where visitors on two wheels can rest up. besides free air for tires, they also provide water and use of their restrooms. there are more than 20 of these oasis on the island along the cycle route. >> translator: we just came up a steep hill so we needed to take a break. it's nice to have a place like this. >> reporter: hotels are responding to this growing demand. since bicycles can cost over a thousand dollars, guests here are allowed to bring their bikes into their rooms. there is special equipment in the lobby for cyclists to tune up their bicycles, perfect for enthusiasts who like to travel with their own bikes.

>> translator: i really appreciate all these amenities and being able to bring my bicycle inside. >> translator: we're glad cyclists are coming here to enjoy the view as they slowly ride along the highway. we welcome them to stay with us. >> rental shopping bikes or state-of-the-art touring cycles, it doesn't matter what you're riding, as long as you're exploring on two wheels, everybody has a welcome for you. it's promoting itself as japan's top city for cycling. and the word is spreading to the rest of the world. >> must be a fantastic ride. now, residents of the state of colorado enjoy the best snow in the u.s. but they can't seem to put the snow behind them. more on the weather report. good morning.

>> good morning, raja. you're absolutely right. they don't seem to get rid of the winter just yet. let me show you a video coming up of the colorado rockies. it dumped more than 30 centimeters of snow on colorado and causing traffic jams in many areas. power outages also reported. snow in may is not uncommon in this region but this storm could bring the heaviest snowfall in 30 years and expected to continue into thursday night. the situation could get worse. you can see in the satellite picture you have clouds in the area where the video came from, meaning it will be precipitation. due to this arctic cold blast seen all the way down to the four corners covering the texas

panhandle as well and also colorado, both combined are bringing some heavy snow. the amounts are going to be quickly accumulating again, about 20 centimeters widely spread and localized areas will see 50 centimeters on top of what you already have. you saw that video. we really don't advise you to travel long distance. but if you must, please bring your emergency kits along. here across north of this cold front that is swinging across the united states, ontario and canada, freezing rain and to the south of that, we're seeing severe weather due to the air mass colliding the battle zone of the outbreaks of severe weather. we're talking about severe thunderstorms, large hail and damaging gusts and sudden bursts of shower. luckily, we only have 2% chance of tornadic activity. that's good news.

across the deep south, we have rain and it could be in some heavy amounts in localized areas. miami, 28 degrees, new york, 23. these are the areas where you're seeing spring. this is where you're seeing summer, los angeles, as 31 degrees. with that breezy conditions combined, there's some fire weather warnings across southern california and into arizona. denver at 4 degrees. that's still very much winter. that was down from 17 on your wednesday. a really bumpy ride for you out here. it's really difficult for your bodies to cope with. oklahoma city 6 from 28 on your wednesday. now, here across the eastern continental, asia, we're still talking about the area that has been battered with the torrential rainfall in southeastern china. a short break for you, good news but not good news because there's another round of really heavy rain moving towards your way in the next couple of days. it looks like it's going to be lasting into the weekend so further flooding will be at high risk. north of it, dry and warm and the korean peninsula will see things start to taper off. the northern areas of japan

still seeing snow. hokkaido will see snow in the low-lying areas. tokyo at 18 degrees. for our holiday weekend, this is our forecast. looks like we will be seeing fine weather across our region. all right. i'll leave you now for your extended forecast.

that's all for now on this edition of "newsline." i'm raja prada in tokyo. we'll be back at the top of the hour. do stay with us on "nhk world."

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