NHK World News - June 13, 2011

World Economic Forum on East Asia kicks off

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stressed the need to tackle disputes on natural resources. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 6:03 JST).

Excessive levels of strontium detected in seawater

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. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 6:03 JST).

Expert: Closer watch on marine life necessary

Professor Takashi Ishimaru of the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology says the results were expected because smaller amounts of radioactive strontium have already been detected in the sea both near Fukushima Prefecture and farther away. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 6:03 JST).

March 11th tsunami a record 40-meters high

Japan's Meteorological Agency and researchers have found that the tsunami of March 11th reached heights of up to 40 meters. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 6:03 JST).

Over 60% see no prospect of reconstruction

An NHK survey of municipalities affected by the March 11th disasters has found more than 60 percent of them see little or no prospect of reconstruction. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 7:31 JST).

Ruling party wins election in Turkey

In Turkey the Islamic party led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won Sunday's Parliamentary elections, but its majority has dropped. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 7:31 JST).

94 dead and 78 missing in heavy rain in China

Torrential rain caused flooding in 13 provinces in inland China, killing 94. Roads and bridges are damaged and rescue work is under way. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 8:12 JST).

TEPCO to test water treatment system

Tokyo Electric Power Company hopes to begin a test-run of a new system on Monday to treat highly radioactive water that threatens to overflow from facilities at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 9:59 JST).

Syrian troops storm northwestern town

Syrian forces stormed the northwestern town of Jisr al-Shughour on Sunday, extending the crackdown on anti-government protestors and army defectors. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 10:02 JST).

Japan develops standby energy-free chip

An energy-efficient semiconductor for home appliances will soon be available. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 10:54 JST).

Photos of wounded congresswoman released

The first photos of a US congresswoman who was shot and wounded in January have been released. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 11:40 JST).

Test-run to be delayed at Fukushima

Tokyo Electric Power Company 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. The operator says it wants to conduct the test-run on Tuesday or later -- more than 4 days behind schedule. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 12:44 JST).

Kitazawa, Okinawa governor discuss runway plan

Defense Minister Toshimi 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 US air facility in Okinawa. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 12:44 JST).

Machinery orders decline for 1st time in 4 months

Japan's core private-sector machinery orders fell in April for the first time in 4 months. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 12:09 JST).

New names added to Hiroshima A-bomb list

Two atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima have begun entering thousands of new names to the list of victims who died in the 1945 atomic bombing. The annual event comes ahead of the peace memorial ceremony on August 6th. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 14:47 JST).

Two more earthquakes hit New Zealand

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake has struck southern New Zealand. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 12:44 JST).

Okinawans rally against US base relocation

A group of people in Okinawa has protested against a visit by Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 13:55 JST).

NZ quakes leave at least 6 injured

A series of strong earthquakes have hit New Zealand's South Island, leaving at least 6 people injured and about 54,000 households without power. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 14:47 JST).

Joint survey of high radiation areas in Date

City authorities and the central government jointly checked radiation concentrations on Monday in an area of Date City, Fukushima Prefecture. The estimated levels of accumulated radiation have already exceeded state evacuation standards set in April in some areas of the city. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 17:11 JST).

Farmland in Fukushima no-go zone to be inspected

The national and prefectural governments are to begin inspecting farmland in the no-entry zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant next month. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 15:53 JST).

TEPCO begins operating seawater treatment system

Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, has begun work to reduce the level of radioactivity in seawater near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 17:11 JST).

Tap water deemed safe by health minister panel

A health ministry panel studying radiation levels in tap water in Japan's northeast and areas near Tokyo has concluded that it contains no safety risks for the time being. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 18:39 JST).

Experts discuss measures to counter disaster

Members of a Japanese government panel studying measures to counter earthquakes and tsunami say any disaster management plan should be based on a thorough study of past quakes in Japan. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 19:31 JST).

Guangzhou hit by unrest for 3 days in a row

Violent protests have continued in China's Guangdong Province for 3 days in a row. The rioting was triggered by police maltreatment of domestic migrant workers. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 18:39 JST).

Turkey's ruling party decreases seats

Turkey's ruling party won a third term in Sunday's parliamentary elections, although it decreased its number of parliamentary seats. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 18:39 JST).

Plant worker forgets face mask filter

A worker at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant apparently worked outdoors without putting a filter in his full-face mask to prevent the inhalation of radioactive particles. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 18:39 JST).

Kan support rate falls to 25%

NHK's latest poll shows the support rate for Prime Minister Naoto Kan's cabinet has dropped 3 points from last month, to 25 percent. The disapproval rate has risen 2 points to 57 percent. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 18:39 JST).

Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway set to open

A high-speed railway between Beijing and Shanghai is scheduled to begin commercial service late this month. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 19:05 JST).

Growing exposure problems at Fukushima

The health and labor ministry says six other workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant may have received radiation doses above the allowable emergency level. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 20:57 JST).

Business leaders stress Japan's recovery efforts

Japanese business leaders are working to ease concerns about the country's economy at an international economic conference in Jakarta, Indonesia. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 20:17 JST).

Space probe Hayabusa wins Guinness recognition

Japan's unmanned space probe Hayabusa has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's first space probe to bring back samples of an asteroid. (NHK World Daily News, 13 Jun 21:27 JST).