Daily English News

 

June

 

 

 

June 30, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu

1.     TEPCO says an improperly adjusted valve has led to a halt in the operation of a key water decontamination system at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

2.     Over 1,000 people have been injured in Egypt, as demonstrators unhappy with the country’s military rulers clashed with security forces.

3.     Greece’s parliament has narrowly approved a key austerity bill, paving the way for4 a new international rescue package.

 

June 29, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      At least 10 people have been killed in an attack by Taliban insurgents at a luxury hotel in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

2.      The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has for the second time halted its new reactor cooling system after finding more water leaking from the system’s pipes.

3.      The United Nations has asked Japan to send a Ground Self-Defense Force team to Southern Sudan to build social infrastructure.

 

June 28, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Yuriko Yamada

1.      The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has apologized to its shareholders.

2.      The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is checking its trouble-hit water recycling system to try to get it running again as soon as possible.

3.      The U.S. Senate has unanimously condemned China’s use of force in the South China Sea.

 

June 27, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Asumi Ukon and Mr. David Crystal

1.      Tokyo Electric Power Company says it will begin using decontaminated water as a coolant at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Monday afternoon.

2.      Business sentiment at large Japanese manufacturers is expected to tumble, due to the effects of the March 11th disaster.

3.      Thousands of mainly German and Swiss protestors rallied at a French nuclear power plant, calling for its immediate closure.

 

June 26, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      UNESCO has added the Hiraizumi district in northeastern Japan to its list of World Heritage sites.

2.      The Japanese government will on Monday convene the first meeting of its task force for the reconstruction of areas devastated by the March 11th disaster.

3.      The United States and China have started their first high-level talks on the Asia-Pacific region amid rising tension between China and Southeastern Asian nations over disputed islands in the South China Sea.

 

June 25, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      UNESCO has added Japan’s tropical Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific to its list of world heritage sites.

2.      The ministerial meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded its 5-day talks, with Director General Yukiya Amano pledging to strengthen the nuclear watchdog.

3.      The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says it still cannot obtain accurate data on the water level and pressure in the Number 2 reactor.

 

June 24, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Raja Pradan

1.      U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon says he wants to take the initiative in promoting safer nuclear power while serving in the U.N. top post for another term.

2.      The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is striving to prevent highly radioactive water from overflowing the facility amid delays in restarting a key water decontamination system.

3.      Vietnam announced on Thursday that its navy will hold a joint exercise with the U.S. Navy.

 

June 23, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Participants at a closed door session of the IAEA have agreed to set up an international mechanism to share information in the event of nuclear emergencies.

2.      Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa is marking the 66th anniversary of the end of fighting between the Japanese Army and U.S. forces during World War II.

3.      U.S. President Barack Obama has announced a plan to withdraw a total of 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by next summer.

 

June 22, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed on the need of emergency inspections of nuclear reactors around the world.

2.      Japan and the United States have agreed on the current plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to a less populated area of Nago City also in the prefecture.

3.      Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou’s new Cabinet has won a vote of confidence in Parliament.

 

June 21, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Mick Corliss

1.      Ministers from the International Atomic Energy Agency member countries have agreed to set up a new international framework.

2.      The defense and foreign ministers of Japan and the United States will call on China to take responsibility for regional stability.

3.      Leaders from north and south Sudan have agreed to demilitarize the disputed oil fields in central Sudan and allow peacekeeping troops from neighboring Ethiopia to move into the area.

 
 

June 20, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      The International Atomic Energy Agency’s ministerial conference on nuclear safety is set to begin in Vienna on Monday.

2.      Japan posted its second worst trade deficit in May as the impact of the March 11th disaster continues to delay the country’s economic recovery.

3.      Japan and the United States are likely to agree on promoting procurement of eco-friendly military equipment in the upcoming

“two-plus-two” security talks.

 

June 19, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa and Mr. David Crystal

1.      The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it may take several days before a system to decontaminate highly radioactive water accumulating in the facility can be restarted.

2.      UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee is to convene its annual meeting in Paris on Sunday.  There is a strong likelihood that it will add two places in Japan to the heritage list.

3.      Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the United States is in contact with the Taliban before the start of a planned troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in July.

 

June 18, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      Tokyo Electric Power Company has halted operation of a system to decontaminate highly radioactive water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant as one the parts reached its radiation exposure limit in a significantly shorter time than expected.

2.      The International Atomic Energy Agency says Japan’s complicated organizational structure causes it to respond more slowly to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi than it should have.

3.      Economy and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda has asked local governments to restart operations of nuclear power plants that were shut down for safety checks following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

 

June 17, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Raja Pradan

1.      Tokyo Electric Power Company says that a damaged valve caused a water leak in a system to decontaminate the highly radioactive water accumulating in the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

2.      The Japanese and the U.S. governments have officially given up their previously agreed upon 2014 timetable to relocate the U.S. Marines’ Futenma Air Station in Okinawa.

3.      The leaders of China and Russia have agreed to increase bilateral trade by more than three times and develop closer economic ties between the two nations.

 

June 16, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu

1.      The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is carrying out a final test run on a system to decontaminate highly radioactive water that is building up at the plant.

2.      Japan has again protested a visit by a South Korean cabinet minister to disputed islets in the Sea of Japan.

3.      Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou says he will reshuffle his Cabinet on Thursday and seek a vote of confidence in parliament.

 

June 15, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will test on Wednesday another part of a newly installed system to treat the highly radioactive water that is building up within the complex.

2.      Canada has lifted all restrictions on food imports from Japan.

3.      In central Iraq, eight people died as a team of gunmen opened fire and detonated car bombs on Tuesday.

 

June 14,2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Yuriko Yamada

1.      The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has begun testing a device to process highly radioactive water after a four-day delay.

2.      An NHK poll shows that nearly half Japanese people want fewer nuclear power plants in the country.

3.      Japan’s economy and industry minister has stressed the importance of considering nuclear power generation in the context of Japan’s energy needs.

 

June 13, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Asumi Ukon

1.      TEPCO has further postponed the test-run of a new system to treat highly radioactive water that threatens to overflow from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

2.      Radioactive strontium that exceeds the government-set safety level was detected for the first time in sea water in the inlet next to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

3.      Defense Minister Toshima Kitazawa has officially told the governor of Okinawa that Japan and the United States will seek to reach an agreement next week on runways for a planned U.S. air facility in Okinawa.

 

June 12, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      Treatment of highly radioactive water at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is likely to be delayed by a problem with the flow of water.

2.      Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani have agreed that their countries will pursue peace talks with the Taliban.

3.      NHK has learned that dozens of Syrian security force personnel have defected and are fighting to protect citizens from the government crackdown.

 

June 11, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      Three months after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, more than 90,000 people in Japan are still living in evacuation centers.

2.      The National Police Agency says 8,095 people are still missing three months after the disaster.

3.      After the breakdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, there are still a huge number of obstacles to getting the plan under control.

 

June 10, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Tokyo Electric Power Company is conducting a test run of a new system to treat highly radioactive water that is flooding facilities at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

2.      The nominee for the post of a U.S. defense secretary has hinted that he may consider an alternative plan to relocate a U.S. base within Okinawa Prefecture.

3.      Three crew members of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft have moved into the International Space Station.

 

June 9, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Raja Pradan

1． TEPCO continues to struggle to prevent possible leaks of highly radioactive water that is accumulating at its troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

2． NHK has learned that the IAEA will ask Japan to provide a more transparent report on the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

3． Japan has revised slightly upward its economic growth rate for January to March 2011.

 

June 8, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      Researchers have found that the seabed off Japan’s northeastern coast had been gradually sinking days before the March 11th earthquake.

2.      TEPCO says it is making final preparations to activate special purification equipment to treat radioactive waster water at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. 

3.      A Russian Soyuz spacecraft is traveling as scheduled toward the International Space Station, carrying Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa and two other crew.

 

June 7, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Mick Corliss

1.      Labor ministry officials have started inspecting the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to investigate why two workers were exposed to radiation exceeding government safety limits.

2.      Japan’s nuclear safety agency says about 800 to 1,000 kilograms of hydrogen was produced in each of the three reactors at the nuclear power plant soon after the March 11th earthquake.

3.      Syria’s state-run media says armed groups have killed 120 people, most of them security personnel, in attacks on the northern part of the country.

 

June 6, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal

1.      Japan’s ruling and opposition parties are clashing over when Prime Minister Naoto Kan will step down.  At the same time, they are exploring the possibility of a grand coalition.

2.      The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says it will try to reduce humidity inside the Number 2 reactor building.

3.      The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has introduced daylight saving time ahead of expected power shortages this summer.

 

June 5, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      High radiation levels have been detected above roadside drainage ditches in Fukushima Prefecture, which hosts the crippled nuclear power plant.

2.      Tokyo Electric Power Company has found that pressure inside the Number 1 reactor at its Fukushima Daiichi power plant had dropped to close to the outside atmospheric pressure.  It will reaffirm that the reactor has been damaged.

3.      Yemen’s president has reportedly arrived in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment one day after a rocket attack by opposition forces wounded him.

 

June 4, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      In Yemen, the president and other senior government officials have been reportedly injured when the presidential palace in the capital was shelled.

2.      The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says steam was observed coming out of the floor of the No.1 reactor building, and extremely high radiation was detected in the vicinity.

3.      U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the United States will enhance its military presence in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean area.

 

June 3, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Raja Pradan

1.      Japan’s former prime minister Yukio Hatoyama is urging Prime Minister Naoto Kan to step down immediately.

2.      The International Atomic Energy has called on Japan to report the latest, most detailed information on the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

3.      Japanese electronic maker Sharp says it will start producing LCD panels for smart phones and tablet computers at plants in western Japan.

 

June 2, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu

1.      The country’s Lower House is about to vote on a no-confidence motion against him and his Cabinet.

l  Japan’s Lower House is about to vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his Cabinet.

2.      The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is struggling to move pools of highly radioactive wastewater as fears of an overflow get more intense.

3.      New car sales in the United States fell in May with Japanese automakers showing huge declines in the aftermath of the March 11th disaster.

 

June 1, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is urging Tokyo Electric Power Company to lay out its plan to decontaminate the radioactive waste water that continues to accumulate at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

2.      Two opposition parties are expected to jointly submit a non-confidence motion against Prime Minister Naoto Kan as early as Wednesday.

3.      Sudan’s government in the north and the autonomous southern government have agreed to set up a demilitarized zone along their shared border.