Daily English News
January
January 31, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. As clashes between protesters and security forces continue in Egypt, the former U.N. nuclear agency chief predicts the present regime will end in the next few days.
2. World leaders pledge to do what they can to end the continuing violence in Egypt and ensure an orderly transition to a democratic government that Egyptians are demanding.
3. In southern Sudan, officials say residents have overwhelmingly voted for independence, clearing the way for Africa’s 54th country.
4. Japan’s Meteorological Agency is warning people to stay further away from an erupting volcano in the southwest of the country.
January 30, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Michelle Yamamoto and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Anti-government protests are continuing in Egypt, and looting is disrupting the livelihood of people in the country.
2. In soccer, Japan defeated Australia 1-0 in the Asian Cup final in Qatar.
3. Russian investigators say that the suicide bomber responsible for Monday’s Moscow airport attack was a 20-year-old man from the North Caucasus region.
January 29, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says he has no intention of resigning despite the massive anti-government protests.
2. Due to concerns over the escalating unstable situation in Egypt, New York stocks dropped more than 180 points at one point on Friday.
3. Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan has arrived in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum.
January 28, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Across the Arab world, thousands of Yemenese, Tunisians and Egyptians take part in anti-government demonstrations, demanding the resignation of dictatorial regimes.
2. A volcano in southwestern Japan that straggles two prefectures continue its violent eruption. It is first in half a century, spreading ash over a wide area.
3. The IMF and political and business leaders now meeting in Davos, Switzerland, urge the governments of Japan and the U.S. to speed up their fiscal reconstruction efforts.
4. A trial real estate tax is introduced to some Chinese cities in an effort to curb rising housing prices and tame inflation.
January 27, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. More chickens in central Japan test positive for bird flu in the fifth outbreak, while South Korean officials confirm cases of bird flu at poultry farms in 15 municipalities.
2. Tensions remain high in Egypt as anti-government demonstrations continue across the country in what becomes the country’s biggest protest in years.
3. Following Moscow’s deadly airport explosion, Russia’s president tells the world’s business and political leaders in Davos, Switzerland, that he will continue the fight against terrorism.
4. The national debt for both Japan and the United States in fiscal 2011 is expected to be the highest ever recorded, revealing the serious problems of the growing dependence on debt to finance public spending.
January 26, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. As the tension mounts across Egypt, riot police begin taking tough measures against people participating in nationwide anti-government demonstrations inspired by protests in Tunisia.
2. The Lower House of Russia’s Parliament approves a new nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States whose Congress ratified the pact last month.
3. Authorities in southern Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture complete the culling of chickens confirmed to be infected with the H5 strain of the bird flu virus.
4. Japan’s central bank buys 25% of bonds issued by the euro zone nations to help stabilize the euro and to counter China’s increasing influence in Europe.
January 25, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. An explosion in the crowded international arrival hall of Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport has killed at least 35 people in what authorities support as a suicide bombing.
2. French President Nicolas Sarkozy says rising food prices and reforms of the international currency system will be discussed at the G20 summit meeting in November.
3. In Japan’s southwestern Miyazaki Prefecture, the rush is on to kill hundreds of thousands of chickens to contain an outbreak of bird flu amid a warning that the virus could be spreading.
4. A new United Nations agency, UN Women, lays out an action plan for promoting women’s rights around the world.
January 24, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The second outbreak of bird flu virus in Miyazaki Prefecture is detected in at least five of two dozen dead chickens found at a local farm.
2. Two days of discussions among six major countries in Istanbul, Turkey, regarding Iran’s nuclear program ended without progress on Saturday.
3. Anti-government protests are spreading to other Arab nations, following this month’s ouster of Tunisia’s long-term ruler El Abidine Ben Ali.
4. Qatar-based satellite TV network Al Jazeera begins releasing more than 1,600 equal documents related to the Middle East peace process.
January 23, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson
1. Officials in Miyazaki Prefecture in southwestern Japan, have completed the slaughter of about 10,000 chickens, following an outbreak of bird flu, and continues to inspect chicken farms around the area.
2. Talks between Iran and six major world powers over its nuclear development program have ended in a stalemate.
3. In Tunisia, civilian protests are continuing, with thousands of police officers rejecting the interim government and joining the uprising.
January 22, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson
1. The British Broadcasting Corporation has apologized for its treatment of a Japanese double atomic bomb survivor in a comedy program.
2. An outbreak of bird flu has been reported in Miyazaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan. More than 10,000 chickens are to be destroyed to prevent further infections.
3. Chinese President Hu Jintao is heading home after completing a 4-day state visit to the United States.
January 21, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson
1. Officials in South Korea’s government say North Korean leaders have again proposed high-level military talks to discuss ways to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
2. Chinese President Hu Jintao tries to erase the distrust U.S lawmakers and businesspeople feel about his country by improving economic ties.
3. Russia’s deputy defense minister visits the Russian-held Island of Etorofu, which is among the four northern islands that are claimed by Japan.
4. Negotiators from Japan and Vietnam conclude a deal to have Japanese firms build nuclear power plants in the Southeastern Asian nation.
January 20, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson
1. The U.S. and Chinese presidents discuss a wide range of issues at the White House, including the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula and human rights.
2. The Chinese economy returns to a double-digit growth for the first time since 2007 on strong domestic consumption and recovery in exports.
3. Arab League leaders agree to implement emergency economic measures in a bid to relieve public frustration that has been growing in the region since the downfall of Tunisia’s government.
4. The death and injury toll from a spell of bomb attacks in Iraq continues to rise after two such attacks on Wednesday in central Iraq.
January 19, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson
1. Chinese President Hu Jintao is now in the United States on his first official visit in five years, during which he hold talks with President Barack Obama at the White House.
2. Tunisia’s new caretaker government collapses after four cabinet ministers resigns to protest the members of the former administration have retained key posts.
3. Concerns are growing among Arab dictators that anti-authoritarian movements may spread from Tunisia to other Middle Eastern countries.
4. Japan’s government plans to send a delegation to Ukraine’s capital Kiev in April to participate in an international conference on the peaceful use of nuclear power.
January 18, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson
1. A caretaker government is unveiled in Tunisia in which opposition leaders are participating for the first time, but members of the former government have retained key posts.
2. After an overwhelming majority of people in southern Sudan voted for independence in a referendum, the region seems set to become Africa’s 54th nation.
3. Japan’s government prepares to hold a meeting in mid-March of foreign ministers from Japan, China and South Korea in the ancient capital city of Kyoto.
4. The Japanese government agrees to jointly build a liquefied natural gas facility with Russia’s state-backed energy firm Gazprom.
January 17, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson
1. Residents in the port city of Kobe and other areas in western Japan are marking the 16th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake which killed 6,434 people.
2. Prime Minister Naoto Kan is expected to deliver a speech on Japan’s new foreign policy initiatives for China and other Asian countries that are based on the maintenance of Japan-U.S. alliance.
3. In the Middle East, regional media outlets say that mass protests in Tunisia that ended a dictatorship there may spread widely to other Arab nations.
4. The Bank of Japan will maintain its easy-monetary policy which appears to indicate the pace of the economic recovery is slower.
January 16, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson
1. Japan and the United States have agreed to hold their first talks on environmental issues at U.S. bases located in Japan this month.
2. Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara says Japan may seek direct bilateral talks with North Korea although such talks must come only after inter-Korean dialogue.
3. A day after mass protests forced the Tunisian government out of power, the constitutional council on Saturday ordered a presidential election to be held within sixty days.
January 15, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Prime Minister Naoto Kan has pledged to promote more openness in both Japanese society and its trade policies as one of the basic policy goals of his reshuffled Cabinet.
2. Japan and the United States have agreed to set up a joint working group to speed up talks paving the way to Japanese Self-Defense Forces sharing U.S. bases in Japan.
3. Tunisia’s President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has fled the country after weeks of mass protests, bringing an end to his 23-year dictatorship.
January 14, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. In the newly-reorganized cabinet of Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan that is to be inaugurated later on Friday, six posts will have new ministers while 11 incumbents will retain their posts.
2. The U.S. defense secretary expresses his intention to come up with firm plans to coordinate with Japanese officials on issues concerning security matters relating to North Korea and China.
3. Torrential rains bring floods and major damage to nations as far apart as Brazil, Australia and Sri Lanka with the number of dead and missing people continuing to rise.
4. In Haiti, Japanese Self-Defense Force troops participate in U.N. peace keeping activities but finishing touches on a dormitory for orphans.
January 13, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Concerns about the increasing instability in East Asia have led Japan’s prime minister and the visiting U.S. defense secretary to agree to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance.
2. Prime Minister Naoto Kan plans to appoint an opposition party leader to a key government post as part of a cabinet reshuffle on Friday.
3. Lebanon’s national unity government collapses after 11 ministers belonging to Hezbollah and its allies quit the cabinet.
4. The governments of Iraq and Kuwait have agreed to negotiate the payment of reparations for Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
January 12, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The U.S. secretary of defense proposes the creation of a framework for strategic security dialogue between his nation and China.
2. A U.S.-Russian civilian nuclear agreement comes into effect, allowing the two nations to cooperate more closely to prevent nuclear proliferation.
3. One year after a massive earthquake struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti, about 800,000 people remain homeless, despite the many pledges of support for Haiti from the international community.
4. Massive flooding in East Australia is threatening to submerge Brisbane, the country’s third largest city and the capital of the State of Queensland.
January 11, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. South Korea’s government makes a counterproposal to a call for talks from North Korea’s leaders so that it can focus on the North’s attack last year on Yeonpyeong Island and denuclearization.
2. Chinese and American officials formally agree to resume military exchanges nearly a year after their suspension following a U.S. decision to sell weapons to Taiwan consortium.
3. The Iraqi government asks that the corsortium of Japanese companies return to suspended negotiations to develop a major oil field in southern Ira q.
4. U.S. investigators believe the suspect last weekend’s shooting rampage in Tucson, Arizona, had apparently planned to assassinate a U.S. congresswoman.
January 10, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. A Japanese official is asking that Saudi Arabia use its card as an influential member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to help stabilize soaring oil prices.
2. High-ranking U.S. officials meet with their counterparts in China to narrow differences between the two nations ahead of a summit scheduled for later this month.
3. South Sudanese participate in the week-long historic independence referendum that is expected to split the troubled African nation into two parts.
4. U.S. authorities file murder charges against the 22-year-old man who opened fire at a gathering for a congresswoman in the southwestern state of Arizona.
January 9, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson
1. South Sudanese are to go to the polls on Sunday in a referendum on independence. The vote looks certain to see the majority supporting the secession of southern Sudan.
2. A gunman opened fire at a public meeting by a U.S. congresswoman in the western state of Arizona, killing six people and wounding 13 others. The congresswoman is in critical condition.
January 8, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Japan’s Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg have agreed to speed up the drafting of a joint statement on deepening the Japan-U.S. alliance.
2. North Korea has repeated its call for the resumption of dialogue between the North and South Korean governments and proposed Red Cross talks around the end of January.
3. French automaker Renault is considering filing a criminal complaint against three executives suspected of leaking sensitive information on elective vehicle development in which over 5 billion dollars were invested with Japanese partner Nissan.
January 7, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The top diplomats of Japan and the United States have agreed to review strategic security goals shared by two countries in light of recent activities by China and North Korea.
2. A senior U.S. defense official indicates that the Chinese military is enhancing air capabilities in addition to its naval forces.
3. Japanese and South Korean negotiators agree to continue their efforts to restart stalled negotiations on concluding an economic partnership accord.
4. On Sunday, January 9, people in southern Sudan will vote in an referendum on whether they should create an independent state.
January 6, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. U.S. and Chinese negotiators agree that relations between North and South Korea must improve before the stalled 6-party talks on the North’s nuclear program can resume.
2. Japan’s foreign minister is flying for Washington to meet with his U.S. counterpart and to lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s visit to the U.S.
3. Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to move a Self-Defense Force missile defense system command post to a U.S. airbase this year to boost the country’s defense capabilities.
4. A team of Japanese observers will monitor an upcoming referendum on the independence of southern Sudan.
January 5, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Senior U.S. and South Korean officials are beginning talks this week on how to halt North Korea’s expanding nuclear program.
2. Iranian government officials have invited representatives from the European Union and several other countries to visit its nuclear facilities in mid January.
3. Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan tries to find time to join the world’s leading politicians and business figures at the World Economic Forum in Davos later this week.
4. A Japanese railway company studies ways to increase the carriage strength of its high-speed bullet trains so they can meet U.S. safety standards.
January 4, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. As global climate change starts to take a toll on some farm products, Japan’s environment ministry comes up with guidelines for measures to mitigate the damage.
2. The government here in Japan plans to shore up agricultural sectors in an effort to increase international competitiveness ahead of talks on a regional trade agreement.
3. In this new year, Japan plans to strengthen the nation’s defensive posture around southwestern islands close to China.
4. Economists say the Chinese government faces many new challenges this year as it tries to maintain strong growth while tightening its monetary policy.
January 3, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The top U.S. envoy on North Korean issues will visit Japan, South Korea, and China this week to discuss how to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
2. The Japanese government will speed up its efforts to promote free trade.
January 2, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson
1. Japan’s economy is expected to recover moderately this year. It could slip into stagnation, however, if things go poorly for the U.S. economy and if the yen continues to rise.
2. Japan’s space agency will begin full development of the successor to the asteroid probe Hayabusa. The Japanese spacecraft made the first-ever round trip to an asteroid last year.
3. Japan’s Emperor Akihito has wished for world peace and the happiness of the people in his annual New Year’s greetings to the public.
January 1, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan has expressed his resolve to actively talk with countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, in line with the government’s policy of pursuing comprehensive economic partnership.
2. Shrines and temples across Japan are crowded with worshippers praying for good luck and economic recovery in 2011.
3. In Egypt, a car exploded outside a Coptic Christian church, killing at least seven people as worshippers emerged from a New Year’s Mass at the church.