NHK World News - June 1, 2011

Zuma: Qadhafi says he will not leave

Libyan leader Muammar al Qadhafi is refusing to leave his country despite his readiness to accept a ceasefire. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 2:59 JST).

Radiation levels fall in Fukushima seawater

Tokyo Electric Power Company says radiation levels have fallen in seawater near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 2:59 JST).

Suspended death sentence for Japanese man in China

A district court in the northeast Chinese city of Dalian has passed a suspended death sentence for a Japanese man for smuggling stimulant drugs into Japan. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 2:59 JST).

Germany protests Iran's blockade of Merkel flight

Germany has lodged a protest against Iran after it briefly refused to allow a plane carrying Chancellor Angela Merkel to enter Iranian airspace before landing in India. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 2:59 JST).

Tiananmen victims' families issue statement

The Chinese government has been urged to review the military suppression of student protests at Tiananmen Square 22 years ago. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 2:59 JST).

Russia fined over jailed former oil tycoon

The European Court of Human Rights has imposed fines on Russia, saying that the imprisonment of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky violates the European Convention on Human Rights. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 2:59 JST).

Toyota expected to match 2010 output this year

Toyota Motor is expected to produce more than 7 million cars globally in the business year that ends next March. The figure is about the same level as its output for the 2010 business year. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 7:36 JST).

Parties to submit no-confidence motion against Kan

Two opposition parties are expected to jointly submit a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Naoto Kan as early as Wednesday. The motion is likely to be put to a vote in the House of Representatives on Thursday. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 7:35 JST).

IAEA: Japan underestimated tsunami impact

A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency will submit a summary of its report to the Japanese government on Wednesday after concluding its investigation into the nuclear disaster in Fukushima. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 7:35 JST).

Serbia sends Mladic to Hague war crimes tribunal

The government of Serbia has sent former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic to the UN tribunal in the Hague. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 9:10 JST).

Tokyo police arrest man for $7.4 mil. robbery

Tokyo police have arrested one of the 2 suspects who allegedly robbed a security company office last month and fled with 604 million yen, or more than 7.4 million dollars -- a record amount for a cash robbery in Japan. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 7:49 JST).

SDF opens anti-piracy operation base in Djibouti

An air unit of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has opened an operation base for an anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 9:58 JST).

China willing to support Japan through tourism

China has expressed its willingness to help Japan's reconstruction from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami by promoting travel to the country. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 9:08 JST).

Lab tests clear Spanish cucumbers in E. coli cases

German health authorities say Spanish cucumbers suspected of causing 16 deaths in Europe have been cleared in laboratory tests. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 9:24 JST).

Japan urges tougher sanctions on N.Korea

Japan has called on other governments to fully implement the UN sanctions on North Korea. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 9:24 JST).

WTO to settle for partial Doha accord

The World Trade Organization will aim for a partial accord at the Doha Round of trade liberalization talks this year, rather than the initially sought comprehensive deal. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 10:47 JST).

Utilities report 342 faults near nuclear plants

Japan's electric power companies have reported 342 faults and geographical changes near nuclear power plants that they previously did not consider to be risks. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 10:32 JST).

North, south Sudan agree on demilitarized zone

Sudan's government in the north and the autonomous southern government have agreed to set up a demilitarized zone along their shared border. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 10:33 JST).

Govt kicks off "Super" Cool Biz campaign

The Environment Ministry has launched an enhanced version of its annual energy-saving Cool Biz campaign. The new program is in response to the acute power shortages expected this summer. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 12:42 JST).

Long sleeve uniforms urged in Fukushima

Some schools near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are urging that children continue to wear long-sleeves in summer, to limit their exposure to radioactive fallout. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 13:32 JST).

Evacuees pick up their cars from no-entry zone

Evacuees from the no-entry zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant have returned briefly to their homes to collect their cars. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 13:47 JST).

NISA urges TEPCO to set policy for decontamination

Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is urging Tokyo Electric Power Company to lay out its plans for decontaminating the radioactive water that continues to accumulate at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 12:25 JST).

Short pants OK'd in Takeo City

A city in southwestern Japan is taking the government summertime energy-saving campaign a step further. It's allowing employees to work in shorts. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 13:05 JST).

US to deepen engagement in SE Asia

A senior government official says the US will deepen its engagement in territorial disputes in the South China Sea. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 15:14 JST).

Snow on Fukushima peaks found to be radioactive

Snow in the mountains in Fukushima Prefecture is showing radioactive contamination at levels above the safety limit for drinking water. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 15:40 JST).

IAEA team submits report to Japan government

A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency has submitted to the Japanese government a summary report of its investigation into the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 15:59 JST).

10,000 children flee Fukushima over nuke fears

Japan's education ministry says about 10,000 children have moved out of Fukushima Prefecture following the March 11th disaster and crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 16:52 JST).

Major semiconductor firm resumes partial operation

A major Japanese semiconductor maker has partly resumed operations at a plant that was hit by the March 11th earthquake. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 15:59 JST).

Space shuttle Endeavour completes last mission

The US space shuttle Endeavour has returned to Earth, completing its final mission. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 18:07 JST).

Auto sales down in May

Japan's automakers say domestic sales were down in May due to parts supply disruptions in the wake of the March disaster. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 16:34 JST).

TEPCO shares hit another record low

Tokyo Electric Power Company shares closed at another record low on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Wednesday. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 17:29 JST).

Japan population decreasing despite more births

Japan's population decrease is accelerating, despite a slight increase in the number of births last year. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 19:00 JST).

WHO panel warns cellphones may cause cancer

Cancer experts at the World Health Organization have for the first time found evidence that the heavy use of mobile phones may increase the risk of developing brain tumors. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 19:53 JST).

French research institute finds high radioactivity

A French independent radioactivity watchdog has found radiation in Fukushima Prefecture 60 times higher than the annual reference level for ordinary people recommended by an international commission. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 21:49 JST).

Kan rejects LDP's call for his resignation

The leader of Japan's largest opposition Liberal Democratic Party has urged Prime Minister Naoto Kan to resign, claiming he is incapable of achieving the reconstruction of quake-hit northeastern Japan. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 19:00 JST).

Opposition submits no-confidence motion

Three Japanese opposition parties have submitted a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 18:07 JST).

Opposition submits no-confidence motion

Three Japanese opposition parties have submitted a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan. The motion is expected to be put to a vote in the full session of the Lower House of the Diet on Thursday. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 19:00 JST).

North Korea rejects South's summit offer

North Korea says it rejected a South Korean proposal made at a secret meeting in Beijing in May to hold a series of inter-Korean summits. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 20:25 JST).

Some Democrats to join motion against Kan

Former Democratic Party leader Ichiro Ozawa and former prime minister Yukio Hatoyama say they intend to vote in favor of a no-confidence motion submitted against Prime Minister Naoto Kan. Their decisions may spur a split in Japan's largest governing party. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 21:13 JST).

Manila protests to China over Spratly islands

The Philippines says Chinese ships brought building materials last month to a reef claimed by Manila in the South China Sea. (NHK World Daily News, 01 Jun 21:49 JST).