Daily English News
August
August 1, Wednesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. The United States has expanded sanctions on Iran to increase pressure on the country to abandon its nuclear program.
2. Egypt’s new leader Mohammed Morsi has sent a letter to the Israeli government, pledging to do his utmost to restart Middle East peace talks.
3. Major Swiss financial group UBS says it took a huge loss on the Facebook initial public offering due to glitches in the Nasdaq system.
August 2, Thursday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Patrick Devolpi
1. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has called on Israel to exercise restraint over Iran’s nuclear development.
2. At the London Olympics, Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura has won the gold medal in men’s all-round gymnastics events.
3. People from Fukushima Prefecture have called on the government at an energy policy hearing to eliminate the country’s reliance on nuclear power.
August 3, Friday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Maxwell Powers
1. Former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan says he will resign as the U.N. and Arab League envoy to Syria when his term expires at the end of this month.
2. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has reiterated the government will not allow the U.S. military to fly its tilt-rotor transport aircraft in Japan until its safety is assured.
3. Spanish investigators say they have arrested three suspected members of Al Qaeda on suspicion of plotting a bomb attack in the country, or elsewhere in Europe.
August 4, Saturday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution denouncing the Syrian government for its indiscriminate military attacks on civilians.
2. The United States and Japan have stated that the Osprey transport aircraft will not fly in Japan until the safety of flight operations is reconfirmed. But the United States has indicated it will not change its plan to use the aircraft in Okinawa in October.
August 5, Sunday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia and Japan should cooperate to stop poaching, smuggling and other problems in his country’s Far East.
2. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki says Sudan and South Sudan have reached an agreement on how to divide revenue from oil fields on their border.
3. Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi says his country has successfully test-fired a new short-range missile. He says the missile is more accurate than previous models.
August 6, Monday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Hiroshima has marked its 67th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city by calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and the development of energy sources that are safe and secure.
2. Japan won a total of three medals on the tenth day of the London Olympics, which includes two silvers and one bronze.
3. Japan’s economy is forecast to grow for the 4th straight quarter on higher consumer spending and reconstruction demand from last year’s earthquake.
August 7, Tuesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal
1. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has suffered another political blow. His prime minister who just defected says he intends to join the fight against the government.
2. Video footage released by Tokyo Electric Power Company shows the utility’s executives leaving the Tokyo headquarters as the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was unfolding.
3. The U.S. Mars rover Curiosity has beamed back pictures of its descent to the Martian surface.
August 8, Wednesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Japan’s lawmakers remain at odds over the consumption tax increase and when to dissolve the Lower House for a snap election.
2. Syrian state-run TV has aired footage of President Bashar al-Assad talking with a senior Iranian official. Assad last appeared on the network two weeks ago.
3. Japan is to cautiously watch the new North Korean leader’s stance on key bilateral issues when Red Cross officials from the two countries meet for the first time in ten years.
August 9, Thursday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The city of Nagasaki observed the 67th anniversary of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing on Thursday.
2. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has cut a deal with the opposition that almost certainly means a general election will take place this fall.
3. Syrian troops have deployed tanks as they step up an attack against rebel strongholds in the country’s north.
August 10, Friday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hikoko Kitadai
1. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is on his way to the disputed Takeshima Islands in the Sea of Japan.
2. Japan’s Lower House has voted down a non-confidence motion against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.
3. The U.S. women’s soccer team has won the gold medal at the London Olympics, defeating Japan 2-to-1.
August 11, Saturday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba says Japan will consider taking a territorial dispute with South Korea over islets in the Sea of Japan to the International Court of Justice.
2. Japan’s labor ministry has instructed operators of nuclear facilities to better ensure workers’ safety during an emergency.
3. On the 15th day of the London Olympics on Friday, Japan won bronze medals in men’s boxing and wrestling, increasing the country’s total medal count to 35.
August 12, Sunday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Strong earthquakes that hit northwestern Iran on Saturday have left at least 180 people dead and 1,300 injured.
2. Japanese ministers are considering measures to protest South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to disputed islets in the Sea of Japan.
3. Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force ships have left for the Persian Gulf to take part in U.S.-led mine disposal training next month.
August 13, Monday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The closing ceremony for the London Olympic Games was held on Sunday, ending 17 days of competition by more than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries and territories.
2. Egypt’s presidential spokesperson said on Sunday that President Mohamed Morsi has ordered the retirement of two top military officials.
3. Japan’s economy expanded for the 4th straight quarter in the April-June period with increased public investment for reconstruction following last year’s disaster.
August 14, Tuesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. David Crystal
1. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak says Japan’s reluctance to address the issue of so-called “comfort women” prompted his visit to disputed islets in the Sea of Japan.
2. Japan’s government and governing party will place a priority on allocating funds to energy, social services and agriculture when compiling next year’s national budget.
3. Leaders of Muslim countries around the world are set to discuss suspending membership of Syria from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
August 15, Wednesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Japan has marked the 67th anniversary of the end of World War II on August 15th, 1945.
2. China and North Korea have agreed to speed up the development of special economic zones in the North that were set up by the two countries.
3. The United States has called on China to press Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end the violence in his country.
August 16, Thursday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Patrick Devolpi and Ms. Helen Lewis
1. The Japanese government strands itself in a diplomatic impasse with a recent territorial infringement by Chinese activists, and the increasingly hard-line stance of South Korea’s President Lee Myung-bak.
2. A Japan Coast Guard vessel has docked in Naha, Okinawa with 5 of the 14 Hong Kong activists who illegally entered Japanese territory on Wednesday.
3. Leaders of Muslim countries around the world have decided to suspend Syrian from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
August 17, Friday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Maxwell Powers and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. The Japanese government is to deport 14 Chinese nationals for illegally entering Japanese territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands which are claimed by China.
2. Japan has informed South Korea of its plan to take a bilateral territorial dispute over islets in the Sea of Japan to the International Court of Justice.
3. The U.N. Security Council has officially decided to withdraw its observer mission from Syria.
August 18, Saturday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Members of the Japanese government are considering increasing the presence of the Japan Coast Guard in territorial waters and imposing heavier penalties on intruders.
2. Japan’s Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba has proposed filing a joint request for the International Court of Justice to rule on the dispute over sovereignty of the Takeshima Islands in the Sea of Japan.
3. Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi has been named the new U.N.-Arab League peace envoy for Syria.
August 19, Sunday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. The Japan Coast Guard says 10 Japanese landed on one of the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday morning . The East China Sea islands are also claimed by China and Taiwan.
2. Anti-Japan protests are spreading across China in the wake of the arrest of Chinese people by Japanese authorities after they landed on Japan’s Senkakku Islands.
3. Tension is rising further in Syria ahead of a scheduled pullout of the U.N.’s observer mission on Sunday.
August 20, Monday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal
1. Japan’s Foreign Ministry has delivered a strong response to China’s criticism of a visit by Japanese activists to islands in the East China Sea.
2. In China, demonstrations by anti-Japan protesters claiming sovereignty over Japan’s Senkaku Islands have been reported in at least 24 cities on Sunday.
3. More than one hundred people were reportedly killed on Sunday in continuing fighting in Syria.
August 21, Tuesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. A Japanese journalist was killed in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday in gunfire allegedly by government troops.
2. The U.N. and Arab–League new envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi has met French President Francois Hollande to discuss how the international community should deal with the crisis.
3. Japan has decided to quickly consider additional measures to protest South Korean President lee Myung-bak’s recent visit to the disputed islands in the Sea of Japan.
August 22, Wednesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Michael Rhys
1. Japan is returning its ambassador Masatoshi Muto to South Korea after it temporarily recalled the diplomat in protest over the territorial dispute with the country.
2. Russia has become the newest member of the World Trade Organization.
3. Syria’s government troops and opposition fighters are increasing their forces in the northern city of Aleppo, raising fears of a major clash in the near future.
August 23, Thursday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The Syrian government is hitting back at rebel forces with intensive attacks in several parts of the country.
2. Japan’s ambassador to South Korea says he hopes to improve relations between the two countries following a diplomatic spat.
3. Violent clashes between farmers and cattle grazers in Kenya have killed at least 48 people.
August 24, Friday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Human rights group Amnesty International has released a report on Syria. It expresses grave concern over the sharp increase in the number of civilian victims of indiscriminate attacks by government forces.
2. Japan’s Finance Minister Jun Azumi says the country will consider postponing plans to buy South Korean government bonds, amid strained bilateral ties.
3. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will hold a news conference to express his views on a territorial dispute over the Takeshima islets.
August 25, Saturday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda says he will act firmly and resolutely to safeguard Japanese sovereignty in dealing with territorial issues involving South Korea and China.
2. Syrian forces have pounded mosques in the northern city of Aleppo that were filled with worshippers. Many civilians appear to have been killed or wounded in the attacks.
August 26, Sunday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. A large and very strong typhoon is moving toward the southern islands of Japan. The typhoon is one of the most powerful in more than 60 years to approach Okinawa.
2. Japan’s space agency says the Arctic Ocean’s ice cover has shrunk to a record low.
3. NHK has learned that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has blamed Japan for the lack of progress in resolving the two countries’ territorial dispute over four islands off Hokkaido.
August 27, Monday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Syrian government forces and opposition fighters are blaming each other for an alleged massacre near the capital Damascus.
2. Iran has criticized economic sanctions of Europe and the United States at an international conference that began in Tehran on Sunday.
3. The Japanese government has decided not to grant a Tokyo Metropolitan government request to land on the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
August 28, Tuesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. Most Chinese newspapers on Tuesday morning briefly reported that the Chinese government is investigating an incident involving a flag being stolen from the car of Japan’s ambassador to China.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will send a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao to call for calm and high-level talks on bilateral and regional issues.
3. Iran says a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement is set to adopt a declaration denouncing U.S. economic sanctions on member nations, including Iran and Syria.
August 29, Wednesday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Japan and North Korea are to hold their first talks in four years.
2. The Japanese ambassador to China says no single issue should be allowed to undermine broader bilateral relations.
3. The U.S. Republicans have formally nominated Mitt Romney as their party’s challenger to President Barack Obama in the November presidential election.
August 30,Thursday, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Patrick Devolpi and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. South Korea has refused Japan’s proposal that the two countries take their territorial dispute to an international court.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister says he will continue to work harder at his duty one day after his censure motion was passed. This has been taken as an indication that he does not intend to step down for the time being.
3. The London Paralympics has got underway with athletes from more than 160 countries taking part.
August 31, Friday, 2012(2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Maxwell Powers
1. China says its police have identified all the suspects in the recent incident in which the Japanese ambassador’s car was attacked in Beijing.
2. Japan will go it alone in an attempt to settle its dispute with South Korea over sovereignty claims for the Takeshima Islands.
3. Syrian government forces have intensified their attacks after rebel fighters shot down a government warplane on Thursday.