Daily English News

 

January

 

January 31, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Mick Corliss

1.      All but two European Union countries have agreed to sign a new treaty designed to stop overspending in the eurozone.

2.      International nuclear inspectors say the way Japan’s nuclear agency has been overseeing safety tests at idle reactors is in line with international standards.

3.      The World Trade Organization has ruled that China is unfairly restricting exports of rare materials.

 

January 30, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency are visiting Iran for three days in a bid to determine the purpose of the country’s nuclear program.

2.      A newly-released report predicts that Japan’s population will shrink by about

40 million in the next 50 years while about 40 percent of the people will be aged 65 or older.

3.      South Sudan says it has shut down all of its crude oil experts amid a row with its northern neighbor Sudan.

 

January 29, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has sent a message to this year’s annual meeting of political and economic leaders in Davos, Switzerland.

2.      Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency will investigate concerns that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

3.      Japan and Russia have agreed to work to resolve a territorial dispute involving four Russian-held islands off northern Japan.

 

 January 28, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba has met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Tokyo on Saturday. They exchanged opinions on the four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan and future bilateral relations.

2.      U.S. credit ratings agency Fitch has downgraded the sovereign debt of five eurozone nations.

3.      The United Nations Children’s Fund says at least 384 children have been killed in Syria during 10 months of violent crackdowns on anti-government protestors.

 

January 27, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Raja Paradan

1.      The United States says it will downsize its army, while maintaining or boosting troop levels in the Asia-Pacific region to counter China’s military buildup.

2.      Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dismissed the effectiveness of the oil embargo recently imposed on his country by the European Union.

3.      Japan’s Environment Ministry has compiled a two-year plan to complete decontamination of some evacuation zones around the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

 

January 26, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu

1.      A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency has observed a safety drill at the Ohi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture along the Sea of Japan coast.

2.      Japan’s national budget fro fiscal 2012 is set to top last year’s for the 3rd straight year.

3.      Japanese researchers have developed a new diagnostic virus infection nearly ten times faster than standard clinical tests.

 

January 25, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      Japan posted its first trade deficit in 31 years in 2011 due largely to the impact of the March earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear plant accident.

2.      Tokyo Electric Power Company has shut down a reactor in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, on Wednesday, for a regular inspection.

3.      A team of Japanese scientists have created the world’s first 3D images of the influenza virus interior.

 

January 24, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Yuriko Yamada

1.      The European Union has approved an oil embargo against Iran.

2.      Tokyo Electric Power Company plans to shut down a reactor in Niigata Prefecture for a regular inspection on Wednesday.  This means 93 % of Japan’s nuclear reactors will be out of service.

3.      Egypt’s new parliament has convened for the first time since the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak.

 

January 23, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Asumi Ukon and Mr. David Crystal

1.      The Japanese government is set to establish a new agency on February 10th to oversee reconstruction efforts for the earthquake and tsunami that struck the northeast last March.

2.      The European Union is expected to approve a crude oil embargo against Iran on Monday.

3.      Croatians have voted in favor of joining the European Union.

 

January 22, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      Japan and the European Union will begin preparatory talks on Monday to decide on which sectors they are to tackle in free trade agreement negotiations.

2.      U.N. nuclear experts will review the safety test results of idle nuclear reactors at the request of the Japanese government.

3.      The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says the water that leaked from a piping system in the basement of the No.2 reactor’s turbine building had a low level of radiation.

 

January 21, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      Scientists from around the world will temporarily halt studies of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus out of concerns that the virus could be used in terrorism.

2.      France is suspending military operations in Afghanistan and threatening an early withdrawal of its army there after an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French troops and wounded more than 10.

3.      The number of overseas visitors to Japan posted a record fall last year, due mainly to the March 11th disasters and the nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture.

 

January 20, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Raja Pradan

1.      Officials of the European Union have agreed to freeze the assets of Iran’s central bank as part of new sanctions against the nation’s nuclear development program.

2.      The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has released a video clip taken inside the damaged No.2 reactor for the first time since the accident last year.

3.      East Timor’s president has expressed gratitude to Japan for assisting his country since it gained independence 10 years ago.

 

January 19, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Japan and the United States will hold the second day of meetings on Thursday to discuss U.S. proposed sanctions against Iran.

2.      Japan’s government panel says the safety tests for two nuclear reactors were appropriate.

3.      Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he hopes to discuss jointly developing the disputed northern islands during a visit to Japan later this month.

 

January 18, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      Iran has rejected a U.S. warning letter that suggests retaliatory action if it closes the Strait of Hormuz.

2.      The Japanese government has said that the lifespan of nuclear power plants can be extended up to 60 years.

3.      Japan, the United States and South Korea have agreed to keep urging the new leadership of North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.

 

January 17, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Tuesday marks the 17th anniversary of an earthquake that hit the port city of Kobe and its surrounding areas.

2.      Officials in Fukushima Prefecture will support residents living in an apartment building where contaminated concrete was used.

3.      Japanese optical equipment maker Olympus is said to file a suit against five current and former in-house auditors for their roles in their cover-up of massive investment losses.

 

January16, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal

1.      The euro sharply weakened on the Tokyo foreign exchange, briefly touching 97.04 yen, the lowest level in about 11 years.

2.      Japan’s industry ministry says it has set no radiation standards for gravel shipments from areas affected by the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

3.      The first Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force troops have arrived in South Sudan to take part in a United Nations’ peace keeping mission.

 

January 15, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      Taiwan’s incumbent President Ma Ying-Jeou was reelected for a second term and his Nationalist Party has maintained its majority in parliament.

2.      Japan’s Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba says he will push for substantive talks with Russia on the Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.

3.      Two passengers have been rescued from a wrecked Italian luxury cruise ship more than 24 hours after the liner ran aground.

 

January 14, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      The European Union has emphasized its resolve to do whatever it takes to recover from the debt crisis.  This comes after a major U.S. credit rating agency downgraded the sovereign debt of nine eurozone countries.

2.      Voters in Taiwan are casting their ballots in the presidential election.  Incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai Ing-wen of the leading opposition Democratic Progressive Party are running neck and neck.

3.      The Iranian government seems to be carefully watching Japan since it announced a gradual reduction of crude oil imports from that country.

 

January 13, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Mark Robinson

1.      Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has announced his new cabinet.

2.      The U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on Thursday on three overseas-based companies for dealing with Iran.

3.      The European Union is warning Hungary about penalties for failing to cut its budget deficit. Now it is stepping up pressure over Hungary’s new laws.

 

January 12, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Risa Shimizu

1.      A rocket attack on a rally supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has killed eight people, including a French journalist in Syria’s central city of Homs.

2.      A car explosion in Tehran has killed two men, including an Iranian nuclear scientist.

3.      Fresh data from Germany show its economy has begun slowing down, suggesting that it is no longer immune from the impact of the on-going Eurozone credit crisis.

 

January 11, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys

1. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is certain to win the New Hampshire primary in the race to become the U.S. Republican Party's presidential nominee.

2. Human rights groups are stepping up their criticism of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after his speech on Tuesday.

3. Toyota Motor has unveiled a next generation hybrid car which boosts the use of solar-power.

 

January 10, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

 

1.      The International Atomic Energy Agency can confirm on Monday that Iran has begun enriching uranium at a nuclear plant in central Iran.

2.      The captain of Japan’s World Cup-winning women’s soccer team, Homare Sawa, has won the award for Women’s World Player of the Year.

3.      German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have agreed that economic growth should be part of the region’s plan, along with measures to boost budget discipline.

 

January 9, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Asumi Ukon

1.      The euro has fallen to an 11-year low against the yen on the Sydney foreign exchange market.

2.      Iran says it will begin enriching uranium at a new nuclear plant in central Iran, ignoring U.N. resolutions banning such a move.

3.      Tension is rising between the Philippines and China over waters around the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, with the Philippines protesting China’s alleged maritime intrusions.

 

January 8, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong Un marks his birthday on Sunday, January 8th.  It is his first birthday since he became the head of North Korea.

2.      Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba has asked Saudi Arabia’s acting foreign minister for a stable supply of oil and a constant price for Japan.

3.      Iran’s government has welcomed the U.S. Navy’s rescue of Iranian fishermen held by pirates in the northern Arabian Sea.  But Iran limited the expression of appreciation to overseas broadcasting.

 

January 7, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      The euro has fallen to its lowest level against the yen in 11 years.

2.      Three men found drifting in the Sea of Japan on Friday say they are from North Korea and want to return home.

3.      A fresh explosion has struck the Syrian capital of Damascus, reportedly leaving 25 people dead.

 

January 6, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Mick Corliss

1.      U.S. President Barack Obama has announced the country’s new defense strategy, which includes the downsizing of the military.

2.      The Iranian foreign minister says his country is not concerned about the European Union’s move to impose new sanctions over its nuclear program.

3.      U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is visiting Tokyo for talks on the developments in North Korea, following the death of Kim Jong Il.

 

January 5, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      Japan’s Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba left on an 8-day tour on Thursday to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

2.      The European Union is said to impose a ban on crude oil imports from Iran.

3.      The United Nations is reportedly investigating a suspected violation by North Korea of U.N. resolutions prohibiting the country from exporting weapons.

 

January 4, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will ask opposition parties to take part in discussions next week on a proposed consumption tax increase.

2.      Japanese electronics maker Toshiba has developed a mobile system to decontaminate areas affected by the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

3.      The Tokyo Stock Exchange opened higher on Wednesday morning as it kicked off the New Year.

 

January 3, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Helen Lewis

1.      Iran says it has successfully test-fired its new long-range missiles on Monday.  It was the second straight day of testing of the domestically-developed, shore to sea Qader missile.

2.      The Arab League has emphasized its achievement in Syria, saying more than 3,000 anti-government protestors have been freed from prison.

3.      Taiwan’s parliamentary election campaign started on Tuesday.

 

January 2, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      2012 marks the 10th year since the return of five Japanese nationals who were abducted by North Korea.  But the fate of at least 12 others who the Japanese government has recognized as abductees remains unknown.

2.      An Arab advisory body has called for an immediate withdrawal of the Arab League monitoring team in Syria.

3.      Dozens of Occupy Wall Street protestors in New York were arrested by trying to retake a park they had used as a base until being evicted in November.

 

January 1, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has pledged to get the Diet to enact legislation needed to raise the consumption tax.

2.      A former senior member of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo was arrested on Sunday by Tokyo police.

3.      Many worshippers have paid their first visit of the new year to shrines and temples in Japan, praying for the health of their family and rebuilding of life from the March disaster last year.