Daily English News
February
February 29, Wednesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
February 28, Tuesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
February 27, Monday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
February 26, Sunday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of 20 nations are meeting in Mexico to discuss coordinated measures that would contain the eurozone debt crisis.
2. The U.S. special representative on North Korean policy is visiting Tokyo to discuss the results of last week’s talks in Beijing between the United States and North Korea.
3. Two U.S. officers have been shot dead in Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry. Afghan security authorities are investigating whether the murders are linked to U.S. soldiers burning the Muslim holy book.
February 25, Saturday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The U.S. special representative on North Korean policy plans to meet South Korean and Japanese officials over the weekend to analyze the two days of bilateral talks between the United States and North Korea.
2. More than 60 countries have agreed to strengthen economic sanctions against the administration of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop the violence against civilians. They have also urged Assad to accept humanitarian aid.
3. Japan’s transport ministry has scaled back the no-fly zone over the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant as radioactivity over the site has dropped to a safe level.
February 24, Friday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Mark Robinson
1. Campaigning for Iran’s parliamentary elections kicked off on Thursady.
2. Two U.S. soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, during protests triggered by the burning of the Koran.
3. Japan and the United States will study ways to facilitate an early return of a U.S. military facility in Okinawa to Japan when officials from the two countries hold military realignment talks next week.
February 23, Thursday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. A UN nuclear agency team has left Iran without finding out whether the country is developing nuclear weapons.
2. The United States and Japan are close to agreeing to conditionally exempt Japan from a planned U.S. oil embargo on Iran.
3. The United States and North Korea have begun their first nuclear talks since the death of the North’s leader Kim Jong Il in December.
February 22, Wednesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys
1. A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency has ended a visit to Iran, but apparently made no progress in breaking the standoff over the country’s nuclear program.
2. Families of the Japanese victims of last year’s earthquake in New Zealand visited the site where their loved ones died one year ago.
3. Japan and Mozambique have agreed to begin negotiating a bilateral investment agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation on natural resources.
February 21, Tuesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Yuriko Yamada
1. The last nuclear reactor in western Japan has been shot down regular inspections.
2. The governor of Okinawa says environmental concerns make it impossible to build an air field for U.S. forces in Nago City.
3. Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force’s main contingent is in South Sudan to join a U.N. peacekeeping mission.
February 20, Monday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Asumi Ukon and Mr. David Crystal
1. Japan logged a record trade deficit in January due to exports slumps.
2. International Atomic Energy Agency experts are heading for Iran to investigate a military facility where they suspect experiments related to nuclear weapons development have been carried out.
3. North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party says it will convene a special conference in mid-April, in an apparent move to further cement leader Kim Jong Un’s authority.
February 19, Sunday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Japan’s emperor has been in stable condition since he underwent heart surgery on Saturday. His full rehabilitation is expected to start in the middle of this week.
2. Demonstrators protesting against the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have clashed with security forces in the capital of Damascus.
3. Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Barak has called on the international community to toughen economic sanctions against Iran and get the country halt its nuclear development program.
February 18, Saturday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s Emperor Akihito is undergoing a heart bypass operation. The procedure is likely to take about five hours.
2. The European Union has lifted travel bans on Myanmar President Thein Sein and other top officials.
3. The United States has welcomed Iran’s willingness to resume negotiations on the nation’s nuclear program, calling it an important step.
February 17, Friday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. Syrian government troops launched all-out attacks on opposition strongholds on Thursday.
2. Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba has asked Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to handle Iran’s nuclear issue calmly.
3. The Japanese government has formally approved an outline of social security and tax reform that includes a controversial consumption-tax hike.
February 16, Thursday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Iran says it has made major advances in its nuclear development, boosting uranium enrichment and loading the first Iranian-made fuel rods into a reactor.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has urged Israel to avoid using military force to stop Iran’s nuclear development.
3. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has warned the United States not to get involved with issues regarding sovereignty of Taiwan and Tibet, which China describes as its core interests.
February 15, Wednesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Michael Rhys
1. U.S. President Barack Obama has urged China to address the trade imbalance and human rights issues to fulfill its responsibility as a major player in the international community.
2. The U.S. government has clarified how it will implement its new financial sanctions on Iran.
3. The Pakistani Air Force says it is in talks with China over a possible purchase of the country’s mainstay fighter jets.
February 14, Tuesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Major U.S. credit rating agency Moody’s downgraded the credit ratings of six European countries including Italy and Spain on Monday.
2. China’s Vice President, Xi Jinping, has arrived in Washington to start a five-day official visit to the United States.
3. An NHK poll shows that just over 20 percent of people surveyed support restarting the dozens of idled nuclear reactors in Japan.
February 13, Monday, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal
1. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is carefully monitoring the No.2 reactor, one day after the reading of one of its thermometers passed the critical safety threshold of 80 degrees Celsius. It says the thermometer could be malfunctioning.
2. Japan’s economy in 2011 shrank for the first time in two years, as the March quake and tsunami knocked it off a recovery path.
3. The Greek parliament has approved new austerity measures necessary for the country to secure a massive bailout from the E.U. and the International Monetary Fund.
February 12, Sunday, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. The temperature at the No.2 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant keeps rising even after the injection of more cooling water on Saturday night.
2. Thousands of supporters took to the streets in Myanmar to welcome pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as she began campaigning for the parliamentary by-election on April 1.
3. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has vowed never to yield to Western pressure in the face of rising tension over the country’s nuclear program.
February 11, Saturday, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Saturday marks 11 months since the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. Cities and towns hit hard by the disaster have seen a rise in the outflow of residents.
2. China’s Premier Wen Jiabao has called on a government-recognized Tibetan cleric to play a more positive role in upholding national unity.
3. In Syria’s second city, Aleppo, at least 28 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in two bomb attacks on the military and security service buildings on Friday.
February 10, Friday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. The Greek ruling parties have agreed to accept austerity measures as a precondition for an additional bailout package from the E.U. and the International Monetary Fund.
2. Syria’s opposition is to hold talks with Arab nations and the European Union to try to stop government forces from attacking the central city of Homs.
3. The Japanese government launched a new agency on Friday dedicated to promoting the reconstruction of areas damaged by the March earthquake and tsunami.
February 9, Thursday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Syrian forces have intensified their attack on the opposition stronghold of Homs.
2. The U.S. State Department says deep cuts into their budget forced them to change course in Okinawa.
3. Toyota Motor is taking action to survive the exceedingly strong yen. The auto maker announced that it will move the production of a sport utility vehicle from Japan to the United States.
February 8, Wednesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys
1. Syrian government forces are continuing their crackdown on protesters in the central city of Homs and other parts of the country.
2. Japan and the United States are set to announce an agreement on relocating U.S. Marines based in Okinawa.
3. Japan’s current account surplus plunged more than 40 percent in 2011, the largest drop in 26 years.
February 7, Tuesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. Japan and the United States have held working-level talks on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan. The two sides are thought to have agreed to scale down their original plan to transfer 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
2. The government in Syria has stepped up its attacks on protesters on Monday in the central city of Homs.
3. An unknown rise in temperature at one of the reactors at the damaged Fukusima nuclear plant is troubling its operator. The temperature has not gone down even after it increased the volume of cooling water.
February 6, Monday, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Asumi Ukon
1. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says the temperature in the No.2 reactor remains high despite the injection of additional water.
2. Private research firms expect Japan’s economic growth for the last quarter of 2011 to return to negative territory due to sluggish exports.
3. In Greece, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and the leaders of the three coalition parties have agreed on a drastic reduction in the nation’s expenditure.
February 5, Sunday, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. A U.N. draft resolution calling on Syria’s Assad administration to immediately halt attacks on civilians and human rights abuses has been vetoed by Russia and China.
2. In Moscow, tens of thousands of people braved freezing weather to attend rallies for and against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
3. In Egypt, clashes between protestors and security forces continue. The Egyptian Health Ministry says 12 people have died and more than 2,500 were injured so far.
February 4, Saturday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Mr. Mark Robinson
1. Nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have been refused access to an Iranian military facility where it suspects experiments related to nuclear weapons development were carried out.
2. Japan and the United States have begun negotiations to revise a plan to transfer U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
3. In Egypt, at least three people have been killed in clashes with security forces after a riot at a soccer match left more than 70 people dead.
February 3, Friday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said his country may offer further support to debt-ridden Europe. However, he did not mention any specific measures.
2. Cold weather sweeping through Europe has left at least 120 people dead and stranded more than 10,000 people in Servia.
3. Sony’s new CEO has vowed to revive the company by turning around its loss-making television business.
February 2, Thursday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. The world’s biggest social networking service “Facebook” is about to join the U.S. stock market in order to expand its business.
2. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the Security Council to quickly adopt an effective resolution to end the violence in Syria.
3. The Japanese government’s nuclear agency has made a new proposal to bolster safety at nuclear power plants.
February 1, Wednesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Michael Rhys
1. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged the Security Council to press Syria to stop the violence against anti-government protesters.
2. A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency has completed their tour in Iran. Iranian media say the inspectors did not visit nuclear facilities.
3. The European Union says it will investigate whether South Korea’s Samsung Electronics breached anti-trust rules by accusing rivals of infringing its technology patents.