Daily English News

 

August

 

August 31, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      New Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiro Noda has decided the key posts in his ruling Democratic Party, and plans to inaugurate his cabinet as early as Friday.

2.      Libya’s opposition leader has urged the supporters of Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi to surrender before Saturday.

3.      Tokyo Electric Power Company suspects there are five active faults near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that could affect the crippled plant if they cause a tremor.

 

August 30, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Mick Corliss

1.      The Lower House of Diet has named Yoshihiro Noda the new prime minister of Japan.

2.      Japan’s jobless rate worsened in July for the second straight month.

3.      Algeria’s Foreign Ministry says that Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi’s wife and three of his children have fled Libya to neighboring Algeria.

 

August 29, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      A run-off is underway in the leadership election of Japan’s ruling Democratic Party between Economy and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda and Finance Minister Yoshihiro Noda.

2.      A suicide bombing at a mosque in Baghdad has killed at least 28 people, including an Iraqi lawmaker, and wounded more than 30 others.

3.      Conditions in Libya are slowly returning to normal, but forces loyal to Colonel al-Qadhafi are still fighting back in his hometown of Sirte.

 

August 28, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      NHK has learned that Economy Minister Banri Kaieda has moved ahead in the leadership race of the governing Democratic Party of Japan.

2.      A senior U.S. official says that Al Qaeda’s second-ranking figure has been killed in Pakistan, dealing a major setback to the group.

3.      Fighting continues in Libya as supporters of ex-leader Muammar al-Qadhafi refuse to surrender even after most of their compatriots have been driven from the capital Tripoli.

 

August 27, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      The governing Democratic Party of Japan has officially launched an election campaign to choose its next leader who will succeed Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

2.      In the Nigerian capital of Abuja, a car bomb  exploded at a U.N. building on Friday, leaving at least 16 people dead.

3.      In Libya, fighting continues in the capital Tripoli and other areas following the effective collapse of Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi’s government.

 

August 26, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu

1.      Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has officially announced that he will resign.  Kan made the announcement at a meeting of executive officials of the ruling Democratic Party on Friday.

2.      The U.N. Security Council has decided to release 1.5 billion dollars in frozen Libyan assets for humanitarian aid.

3.      South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy has visited China to discuss the resumption of 6-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program.

 

August 25, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu

1.      Libya’s Transitional National Council says it is working to set up a new administration while conducting an all out search for Muammar al-Qadhafi.

2.      The U.S. Defense Department says China appears set to build a modern, regionally focused military by 2020.

3.      The Japanese government has decided to lift all the remaining bans on shipments of beef cattle.

 

August 24, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      Libya’s opposition forces have stormed into the compound of the country’s leader Muammar al-Qadhafi in the capital Tripoli.

2.      U.S. credit agency Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded Japan’s debt by one notch, on concerns over the country’s worsening fiscal situation.

3.      North Korean leader Kim Jung Il and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will hold their first summit in Siberia later on Wednesday.

 

August 23, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Yuriko Yamada

1.      Libyan rebels say they are now almost in control of the capital Tripoli.  But the government is insisting that its leader Muammar al-Qadhafi is still safe in the city.

2.      Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan says that his Cabinet will resign en masse next Tuesday, if the Diet enacts a bill on renewable energy as expected on Friday.

3.      Japan’s Nuclear Safety Commission has revised downward the estimated amount of radioactive substances released from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

 

August 22, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Asumi Ukon and Mr. David Crystal

1.      NATO-backed opposition forces in Libya are gaining ground in the capital, Tripoli.  Government troops are still fighting back near leader Muammar al-Qadhafi’s home.

2.      On the Tokyo foreign exchange, the yen edged down slightly against the dollar and traded in a narrow range Monday morning following a record high in New York on Friday.

3.      Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rejected calls from Western countries for his resignation and reaffirmed his determination to crack down anti-government protesters.

 

August 21, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      Anti-government forces in Libya have reportedly reached the capital Tripoli, but are meeting fierce resistance from troops loyal to Muammar al-Qadhafi.

2.      North Korea’s state-run media say the country’s leader Kim Jong Il has expressed pleasure in seeing achievements by the Russian people during his trip to Russia.

3.      In Myanmar, pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi said that she was happy and satisfied with her first meeting with President Thein Sein.

 

August 20, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      The Japanese currency surged to a record high against the dollar on the New York foreign exchange market on Friday, breaking the previous record set soon after the March disaster in northeastern Japan.  The dollar fell to 75.95 yen at one point.

2.      In Pakistan, more than 50 people have been killed in a suspected suicide bombing at a mosque.

3.      In the Afghan capital of Kabul, at least eight people have been killed in a Taliban attack on a British cultural facility.

 

August 19, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Concerns over the global economy cause share prices to plunge in New York by more than 500 points at one time on Thursday.

2.      China’s Vice President Xi Jinping has said to his U.S. counterpart that the world’s top two economies share the responsibility of reviving trust in financial markets.

3.      The United States will provide emergency humanitarian assistance to help North Korea cope with the damage caused by severe flooding.

 

August 18, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Raja Pradan

1.      Tokyo Electric Power Company will begin operation of a new Japan-made decontamination unit as early as Thursday afternoon at its troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

2.      The dollar briefly fell close to a record low against the yen in New York on Wednesday on persistent concerns about the U.S. economic outlook.

3.      The Secretary General of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, Katsuya Okada, has indicated that he wants the DPJ presidential election to take place sometime between August 28th ad 30th.

 

August 17, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      The government and the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant plan to secure more experts on radiation management by training existing employees and new recruits.

2.      Police in India have ordered the release of a leading anti-corruption activist after his arrest triggered protests across the country.

3.      China’s Railway Ministry has fired its spokesperson who drew criticism over his comment on the handling of last month’s high speed railway crash in Zhejiang Province.

 

August 16, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      The Japanese government says it will prepare by the end of August a basic plan for decontaminating areas near the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

2.      Google has announced that it will buy a U.S. mobile phone maker Motorola Mobility for 12.5 billion dollars.

3.      The Israeli government has approved the building of 277 houses at a Jewish settlement on the disputed West Bank land the Palestinians claim for a state.

 

August 15, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hiroko Kitagawa and Mr. David Crystal

1.      Japan is marking the 66th anniversary of the end of World War II on August 15, 1945.

2.      The Japanese economy shrank 0.3 percent in the April to June period, reflecting the continuing economic impact of the March 11th disaster.

3.      The Japanese government has endorsed a plan to set up a new nuclear safety agency under the Environment Ministry.

 

August 14, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      The upcoming presidential election of Japan’s governing Democratic Party is likely to focus on whether to seek a grand coalition with opposition parties.

2.      Researchers in Japan have found that wheat absorbs a relatively small amount of radioactive cesium from its roots, and the impact of the substance on wheat grain may be small.

3.      Faced with the yen’s record high levels against other currencies, the Japanese government and governing coalition are considering a comprehensive economic package to be included in a third supplementary budget.

 

August 13, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      Share prices in New York rose on Friday, with the Dow Jones industrial average briefly gaining more than 200 points.

2.      Japan and China will jointly propose the establishment of working groups for speeding up economic partnerships in Asia and Oseania.

3.      Syrian security forces shot and killed at least 10 people on Friday as anti-government protesters around the country continued to demand the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad.

 

August 12, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Raja Pradan

1.      The New York stock market surged more than 400 points on Thursday as investors bought back stocks in bargain hunting.

2.      A European market regulator says short selling of shares in four countries will be banned from Friday.

3.      A crackdown by Syrian military and security forces on anti-government demonstrators continues.

 

August 11, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu

1.      Stock prices in New York plunged again on Wednesday with the Dow Jones industrial average plummeting more than 500 points.

2.      The decontamination of radioactive water at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is failing to reach its target, putting the timetable for bringing its reactors under control in doubt.

3.      British Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to take all-out measures to restore law and order in the streets of his country.

 

August 10, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      The U.S. Federal Reserve Board says it will keep interest rates at their current near-zero levels until at least the middle of 2013.

2.      Share prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange recovered on Wednesday morning on the heels of a surge in the Dow Jones Industrial Average in New York.

3.      Syria’s president says the military will continue its attacks on anti-government protesters, despite a request by the visiting Turkish foreign minister to stop the crackdown.

 

 

August 9, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. David Crystal

1.      Share prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange continue their steep decline on Tuesday morning, reflecting an overnight plunge in New York.

2.      Nagasaki's mayor used the 66th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city to make an unprecedented appeal for a shift away from nuclear power.

3.      Syria has dismissed its defense minister as neighboring Arab countries joined the international criticism of its brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters.

 

August 8, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Asumi Ukon

1.      Finance chiefs of the Group of Seven industrialized countries have pledged to take concerted action to stabilize the financial markets.

2.      U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has met evacuees of the March 11th disaster and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

3.      The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has begun evaporating contaminated salt water.

 

August 7, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is facing yet another problem with its wastewater filtering system.  The system came to a halt again on Sunday.

2.      A NATO helicopter has crashed in Afghanistan, killing 30 U.S. troops and seven Afghans—the deadliest single incident for U.S. military in the country.

3.      The G7 finance ministers and central bank governors are to hodl emergency coordinated efforts to stabilize the global financial system.

 

August 6, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      Hiroshima is marking the 66th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city during the last few days of World War II.  The Hiroshima mayor has called on the central government to change Japan’s nuclear-dependant energy policy.

2.      The Japanese government is considering allowing evacuees whose homes are close to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to return home temporarily.

3.      U.S. credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s has lowered its long-term credit rating on U.S. government bonds by one notch to AA-plus from its highest AAA level.

 

August 5, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Tokyo stocks fell across the board on Friday morning, following a plunge in the New York market.

2.      August 6th marks the 66th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.  To mark the occasion, Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan will express his resolve to reduce Japan’s dependency on nuclear energy.

3.      The Japanese government is planning to buy up all beef contaminated with radioactive cesium that has already reached the distribution chain.

 

August 4, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Raja Pradan

1.      Japan’s monetary authorities have begun intervening in the currency market in an attempt to apply the brakes on the yen’s rapid surge.

2.      Japanese industrial giants Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have agreed to start negotiations to establish a new company.

3.      The U.S. embassy in Tokyo says it will send the deputy chief of mission to the August 6th ceremony to mark the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945.

 

August 3, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      The U.S. Senate has approved a bill that allows the government to raise its debt ceiling.

2.      People living near seven nuclear reactors in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, have sought a court injunction against restarting them.

3.      The European Union has imposed further sanctions against Syria as the Syrian government tightens its grip on anti-government protesters.

 

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

1.      Another case of questionable conduct by Japan’s nuclear regulator has come to light.

2.      Japan’s minister in charge of the nuclear crisis says full-scale decontamination measures will begin next month.

3.      The Japanese women’s soccer team is to receive the People’s Honor Award for its victory at last month’s World Cup.

 

August 1, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the White House and the Republican Party have agreed on raising the federal debt ceiling to avoid an imminent default.

2.      Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, installed new decontamination equipment at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Sunday.

3.      North Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator maintains that the country’s uranium enrichment program is for a peaceful purpose.