Daily English News
October
October 31, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Asumi Ukon and Mr. David Crystal
1. The Japanese government and the central bank intervened in the currency market on Monday morning in an attempt to halt the yen’s historically sharp rise.
2. Leaders of the Group of 20 developed and emerging economies will discuss how to contain the European debt crisis at the upcoming G-20 summit which opens on Thursday in Cannes, France.
3. The death toll from last week’s powerful earthquake in eastern Turkey has surpassed 600.
October 30, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The Japanese Environment Minister has come up with a plan to deal with radioactive soil and waste generated by the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
2. More than 70 people were killed in South Sudan on Saturday when anti-government militants attacked government forces in the northern state of Unity.
3. Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has spoken positively about her country’s bid to chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2014.
October 29, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. More flooding is reported in the Thai capital with the peak of the spring tide.
2. One of the crippled reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has a cover in place that will help lower radioactive emissions.
3. Japan’s national debt is likely to top 1,000 trillion yen, or 13.1 trillion dollars for the first time at the end of the current fiscal year next March.
October 28, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. The yen hit yet another high against the dollar in New York on Thursday.
2. The Thai military and police are on high alert as seasonal high tides are increasing the risks of flood damage in the center of the capital Bangkok.
3. The U.N. Security Council has voted unanimously to end its authorization of military action in Libya next Monday.
October 27, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. E.U. leaders have agreed on a plan to ask banks to take a 50 percent write-down on Greek government bonds.
2. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and the governor of Okinawa have failed to bridge a gap over the proposed relocation of a U.S. Marine air station in the prefecture.
3. International aid workers have begun arriving in the eastern Turkish province of Van, three days after a deadly earthquake.
October 26, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Michael Rhys
1. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has urged Bangkok residents to prepare for flooding, saying that water levels may reach up to 1.5 meters in the city.
2. Rescue efforts are continuing in eastern Turkey after Sunday’s major earthquake.
3. The yen climbed to a historic level against the dollar in New York trading on Tuesday against the backdrop of the prolonged credit crisis in Europe and concerns about the U.S. economy.
October 25, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. Rescue efforts continue following Sunday’s earthquake in Turkey, where survivors are battling the cold and suffering from a shortage of relief supplies.
2. Thai authorities are warning of further flooding in Bangkok as the spring tide is set to peak on Saturday.
3. The U.S. special envoy to North Korea says the two countries still need to overcome differences concerning the North’s nuclear program.
October 24, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The search for survivors in Turkey is continuing after a powerful earthquake killed more than 200 people.
2. Libya’s interim government has officially declared the liberation of the country.
3. Tunisians went to the polls on Sunday to vote in the first parliamentary election since ousting former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January.
October 23, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Floodwater almost totally receded from the city center of Bangkok on Sunday after swamping the area. However, Thai authorities are on high alert against more flooding around the time of high tide expected in the afternoon.
2. European Union finance ministers have agreed on measures to recapitalize banks in the region.
3. Tunisians, who have affected the course of “Arab spring” movement, will go to the polls on Sunday to vote in the first parliamentary election since ousting former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January.
October 22, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The yen hit a fresh historic high against the dollar on Friday, reaching 75.78 at one point in New York trading.
2. Eurozone finance ministers have agreed to pay Greece its next batch of bailout loans to avert a default.
3. Libya’s National Transitional Council is stepping up efforts to establish a provisional government.
October 21, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. A senior official of Libya’s National Transitional Council says the body of Muammar al-Qadhafi will be buried in secrecy after final confirmation of his death by DNA analysis.
2. The Greek parliament has approved a set-up of additional austerity measures in defiance of a general strike and violent protests.
3. The governor of Bangkok has expanded the areas on alert for floods as the waters from the Chao Phraya River edge toward the capital.
October 20, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Massive strikes and demonstrations have been held in Greece to protest austerity measures submitted to parliament.
2. With floodwater threatening Bangkok, the Thai government is racing against time to pile up over a million sandbags.
3. An extraordinary session of Japan’s Diet has been convened to discuss an extra budget bill for post-disaster reconstruction.
October 19, 2011(2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys
1. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak have agreed to expand mutual currency support to help stabilize markets shaken by Europe’s debt crisis.
2. Japan’s semi-governmental energy body and a major U.S. energy company have sealed a deal to test for methane hydrate reserves in the northern part of the U.S. state of Alaska.
3. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unannounced visit to the Libyan capital Tripoli on Tuesday. She congratulated the people on their uprising against the government of Myammar al-Qadhafi.
October 18, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Yuriko Yamada
1. Fukushima City has launched a massive campaign to clean up radioactive materials.
2. The flooding in Thailand continues to have a huge effect on people and the economy.
3. The Japanese government is moving forward with its controversial plan to relocate the U.S. Futenma Air Base to Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, in southern Japan.
October 17, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Asumi Ukon
1. The Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company say that a cold shutdown of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will be achieved by the end of this year.
2. The Thai capital of Bangkok is on high alert for flooding after a record rainfall in the country.
3. A Japanese research group has developed lithium-ion batteries without using rare metals.
October 16, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. G20 finance ministers and central bank governors have urged European countries to take comprehensive measures to stabilize financial institutions.
2. Finance Minister Jun Azumi told the G20 meeting that the Japanese government intends to raise its consumption tax to 10 percent.
3. Thousands of protesters have thronged Times Square in New York City amid the spread of anti-Wall Street demonstrations across the United States.
October 15, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of 20 nations are discussing concrete measures for preventing the European debt problem from becoming a global economic crisis.
2. High concentrations of radioactive cesium have been found in plankton from the sea near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
3. The United Nations says more than 3,000 people have been killed in Syria since the government’s violent crackdown started in March.
October 14, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak have confirmed that the free trade agreement passed by the U.S. Congress on Wednesday will further strengthen bilateral relations.
2. Slovakia has approved the expansion of the eurozone bailout fund.
3. The Japanese education ministry says the high level of radiation detected in a residential area in Tokyo is likely to have come from radium 226, and has nothing to do with the nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
October 13, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says the facility could be kept safe even if its reactor-cooling system is knocked out by another huge earthquake.
2. Slovakia’s main ruling parties and the opposition have reached a deal to approve changes to the euro zone’s bailout fund.
3. Myanmar’s pro-democracy party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, says it has confirmed the release of 184 political prisoners.
October 12, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Slovakia’s parliament has voted down a plan to expand the eurozone bailout fund.
2. The U.S. Senate has voted to punish China for keeping its currency undervalued against the American dollar.
3. The tsunami warning system has officially began serving 24 coastal countries on the Indian Ocean, seven years after the region was devastated by tsunamis.
October 11, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The Japanese Environment Ministry has come up with a revised plan to clear away radioactive substances from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
2. Egypt’s ruling military council has pledged to investigate the clash between Coptic Christians and security forces that killed 25 people and injured 300.
3. The president of the European Union said on Monday that he is delaying next week’s summit of EU leaders until October 23.
October 10, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hioroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal
1. In the Egyptian capital of Cairo, clashes between demonstrators and security forces have killed at least 24 people and injured about 200 others.
2. On Sunday the prime ministers of France and Belgium agreed on a rescue package for the ailing Dexia financial group amid growing credit fears in Europe.
3. A team of radiation experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency has visited Minami Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, to inspect efforts to remove radioactive materials.
October 9, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. A team of radiation experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency has visited Fukushima Prefecture to exchange views with members of the Japanese government decontamination task force.
2. New footage of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi plant has been released by the Tokyo Electric Power Company. No steam is seen leaving the No.2 and 3 reactors, which indicates that internal temperatures have dropped.
3. Yemen’s human rights activist who won this year’s Nobel peace prize says she will continue to fight for democracy.
October 8, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The United States has eased its evacuation advisory for U.S. citizens in northeastern Japan regarding the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
2. Major credit rating agency Fitch has downgraded the government bonds of Spain and Italy.
3. The head of Japan’s central bank says the on-going credit crisis in Europe and the rising yen are major threats to the country’s economy.
October 7, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. Troops of Libya’s National Transitional Council have launched an all-out attack on Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi’s hometown of Sirte.
2. The Netherlands has approved a plan to boost its contribution to the eurozone bailout fund designed to prevent the spread of European credit concerns.
3. The International Atomic Energy Agency has sent a team of experts to Japan to give advice on cleaning up the radioactive contamination from the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
October 6, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Former Democratic Party leader, Ichiro Ozawa, has pleaded not guilty to involvement in the alleged falsification of political funding reports.
2. Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba is due in Seoul on Thursday on a two-day visit to South Korea.
3. The board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, has voted to recommend Palestine for full membership.
October 5, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys
1. Russia and China have vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that warned of stronger actions against Syria if it fails to halt its military crackdown on anti-government protesters.
2. E.U. finance ministers have agreed to introduce a system of imposing almost automatic sanctions against eurozone nations that fail to observe the group’s new financial rules.
3. Japan has deployed its newest patrol ship to boost security around the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
October 4, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. The euro hit a new 10-year low against the yen on the New York Foreign Exchange amid concerns over Greece’s debt crisis.
2. Japan’s nuclear watchdog has ordered the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to draw up clear safety guidelines to oversee its work to get the plant under control.
3. Japan has transferred nine North Korean defectors to South Korea in line with their requests.
October 3, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Asumi Ukon and Mr. David Crystal
1. A team of scientists has found that for the first time, the depletion of the Arctic ozone layer has reached levels approaching the size of the ozone hole over the Antarctic.
2. A Swedish newspaper says that Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka is the contender for this year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine. The announcement will be made on Monday.
3. Demonstrators continue to besiege New York’s financial district to protest against high unemployment and the government’s economic policies. A Nobel laureate has joined the rally.
October 2, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. The U.S. government has alerted its citizens of the possibility of retaliation for the killing of a U.S.-born al Qaeda leader, Anwar al-Awlaki.
2. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has denounced Israel and called for complete freedom for Palestine.
3. A government team has returned to Japan from South Sudan after conducting a week-long survey to determine whether Japan will send a Ground Self-Defense Force engineering unit on a U.N. peace-keeping mission.
October 1, 2011 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Mr. David Crystal
1. The Japanese government has lifted an evacuation advisory for areas outside the 20-kolmeter no-entry zone around the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, but the residents are reluctant to return home, saying their first priority should be given to radioactive decontamination.
2. The United Nations will review Palestine’s bid for full membership over the next two weeks, but tough going is expected because of sharp divisions among council members.
3. U.S. and Yemeni forces say they have killed a U.S.-born Islamic cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, who was reportedly involved in numerous terrorist attacks.