NHK World News - June 19, 2011

Giant emerald on display in Colombia

A giant emerald, weighing more than 2 kilograms, is on display in Colombia. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 6:59 JST).

UNESCO to convene World Heritage panel

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee is to convene its annual meeting in Paris on Sunday. There is a strong likelihood that it will add 2 places in Japan to the heritage list. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 6:59 JST).

TEPCO: cleanup system could take time

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. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 6:59 JST).

Karzai: US in contact with Taliban

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. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 6:59 JST).

Customer info hacked from Sega unit in Britain

Customers' personal information has been hacked from an online database of a British subsidiary of Japanese game software maker Sega. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 6:59 JST).

Morocco to hold poll on constitutional reform

Morocco will hold a referendum on July 1st on constitutional reform to reduce the king's powers. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 9:03 JST).

Tokyo to revise liquefaction hazard map

The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to revise a map showing areas possibly susceptible to soil liquefaction in the event a powerful earthquake hits the capital city. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 10:34 JST).

Annual festival to be held in disaster-hit area

Municipalities affected by the nuclear accident in Fukushima say they will hold a small version of a traditional festival in July as a symbol of reconstruction. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 10:44 JST).

A-bomb survivors in US receive medical checks

Japanese atomic bomb survivors living in the United States and Canada have undergone medical checkups provided by a team of doctors from Japan. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 11:05 JST).

Obama, opposition Boehner team up for golf

US President Barack Obama has teamed up with his rival, Republican House Speaker John Boehner, on a golf course in an apparent bid to seek a breakthrough in congressional negotiations on a deficit reduction plan. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 14:29 JST).

Japan asked to dispatch SDF unit to southern Sudan

Japan has been unofficially requested by the United Nations to send a Self-Defense Force team to southern Sudan, which is set to declare independence next month. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 12:59 JST).

TEPCO soon to open doors to No.2 reactor building

Tokyo Electric Power Company says it will soon begin to open the doors to the No. 2 reactor building at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for ventilation, to lower humidity, and to start restoration work. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 12:35 JST).

Survey: Average working hours decreased after 3.11

A government survey shows that workers in Japan spent fewer hours at the office after the March 11th disaster compared to the figure a year earlier. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 14:29 JST).

Kitazawa leaves for US to attend 2+2 talks

Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa has left for Washington to attend the "two-plus-two" security talks between Japan and the United States. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 15:09 JST).

Fukushima parents decontaminate school building

Parents and teachers decontaminated an elementary school building in Date City, Fukushima Prefecture, on Sunday. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 16:54 JST).

Floodwater surrounds nuclear plant in Nebraska

Floodwater from the Missouri River surrounds a nuclear power plant in Nebraska, raising fear about its safety. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 16:54 JST).

Anti-Chinese protests enter 3rd week in Vietnam

In Vietnam, an anti-Chinese demonstration over sovereignty of the disputed islands in the South China Sea was held for the 3rd consecutive week on Sunday. (NHK World Daily News, 19 Jun 17:02 JST).

Decontamination equipment failure to be analyzed

Tokyo Electric Power Company started an experiment on Sunday night to determine the cause of a sudden rise in radiation levels that caused a water decontamination system to shut down. (NHK World Daily News, 20 Jun 0:03 JST).

Kan hopes to restart nuclear plants

Prime Minister Naoto Kan says his administration will seek the understanding of local governments for resuming the operation of nuclear power plants nationwide, once their safety is guaranteed. (NHK World Daily News, 20 Jun 0:03 JST).

Robot duck weeds rice paddy in Gifu

A robot duck has been used to weed a rice field in Hajima City, Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. (NHK World Daily News, 20 Jun 0:03 JST).

Panel discusses measures for worst disasters

A Japanese government panel studying measures to counter earthquakes and tsunami has agreed that its draft proposal will include preparations for the worst types of natural disasters. (NHK World Daily News, 20 Jun 0:03 JST).

TEPCO opens doors at No.2 reactor

Tokyo Electric Power Company says it has opened the doors and begun ventilation at the No. 2 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. (NHK World Daily News, 20 Jun 0:03 JST).