NHK World News - June 2, 2011

Japan, China open environmental exposition

Japan and China have opened an exposition in Beijing, showcasing cutting-edge environmental and energy conservation technology. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 1:30 JST).

Govt thanks foster parents of war-displaced people

Japan's ambassador to China has for the first time officially thanked a Chinese foster mother for raising a war-displaced Japanese orphan. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 1:30 JST).

TEPCO to use additional facilities to store water

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, which is struggling to remove radioactive water, says it may use 2 additional buildings inside the compound as storage. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 1:55 JST).

Rwanda hopes Japan's aid in tech and education

Rwanda's foreign minister says the African country hopes to get Japanese assistance in technology and education. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 5:51 JST).

Bahrain lifts emergency law

Bahrain's authorities have lifted emergency rule in the Gulf state but reports say that protest are continuing. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 5:51 JST).

Syria frees over 600 prisoners

The Syrian government has released hundreds of political prisoners as a concession to opposition forces. But it vows to continue cracking down on protestors. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 6:07 JST).

Lawmakers to vote on no-confidence motion

Executives of Japan's governing Democratic Party and dissidents are actively lobbying intraparty swing-voters before Thursday's vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Naoto Kan's administration. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 5:51 JST).

Italy to hold referendum on nuclear energy policy

Italy will hold a referendum on June 12th and 13th, to decide whether or not the country should accept nuclear power. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 5:51 JST).

US nuke authority tries to calm public concerns

The US nuclear regulatory authority is trying to calm public concerns about the safety of a nuclear power plant after a tornado shut it down. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 6:39 JST).

Dow falls 280 points

New York stocks fell nearly 280 points on Wednesday as a series of downbeat US economic indicators prompted fears that the country's economic recovery might stall. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 6:40 JST).

Soccer:Japan, Peru draw 0-0

In Soccer, Japan and Peru fought to a scoreless draw in a friendly match on Wednesday. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 7:03 JST).

Blatter re-elected as FIFA president

Sepp Blatter has been reelected unopposed for his 4th term as president of soccer's world governing body FIFA. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 8:01 JST).

Hakuho visits Fukushima evacuees in Saitama

Sumo grand champion Hakuho has visited a facility near Tokyo where people fleeing the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant crisis are taking shelter. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 9:37 JST).

SMS to be mutually available among carriers

Five Japanese mobile phone service providers say they will allow the short messaging service SMS to be mutually accessible among their rival firms' handsets from next month. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 12:00 JST).

Azumi: DPJ can defeat no-confidence motion

A senior member of Japan's governing Democratic Party says he is confident that the party can defeat a no-confidence motion submitted against Prime Minister Naoto Kan's administration. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 10:43 JST).

Kan faces no-confidence vote

Japan's Lower House will vote on a motion of non-confidence in Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet at a plenary session on Thursday afternoon. The vote is expected to be close, with many members of the ruling party expressing support for the motion. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 12:00 JST).

Google says Gmail hacked from China

Google says that hackers have stolen the login information of hundreds of Gmail accounts, including those of US senior government officials and Chinese political activists. It suspects that the hacking originated from China. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 13:37 JST).

Wastewater rises, fears mount

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is struggling to remove pools of highly radioactive wastewater as fears of an overflow get more intense. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 13:03 JST).

Kamei asks Kan to resign

The head of Japan's ruling coalition partner, the People's New Party, has suggested that Prime Minister Naoto Kan should resign. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 13:03 JST).

LDP says Kan should not dissolve Diet

The leader of Japan's opposition Liberal Democratic Party says Prime Minister Naoto Kan must not dissolve the Lower House for a general election, even if a no-confidence motion against him passes. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 13:03 JST).

Japanese automakers slip amid weak US sales

New car sales in the United States fell in May with Japanese automakers showing huge declines in the aftermath of the March 11th disaster. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 13:03 JST).

Edano: Kan will not resign voluntarily

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has denied the possibility of Prime Minister Naoto Kan stepping down. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 13:03 JST).

Earthquake hits Niigata, no tsunami alert

A medium-strength earthquake hit Niigata Prefecture north of Tokyo on Thursday morning. But no major damage has been reported and a nuclear power plant in the prefecture is unharmed. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 13:37 JST).

Kan offers to resign after taking care of disaster

Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan says he intends to resign once he fulfills his role in handling issues related to the March 11th disaster and the Fukushima nuclear accident. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 13:36 JST).

LDP calls Kan's intention to resign comedy

The president of Japan's opposition Liberal Democratic Party, Sadakazu Tanigaki, says Prime Minister Naoto Kan's expression of his intention to resign is nothing but a comedy. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 15:08 JST).

Vietnam says Chinese boats fired on fishing boats

Vietnamese authorities say warning shots were fired at Vietnamese fishing boats by what appeared to be Chinese patrol ships near disputed islands in the South China Sea on Tuesday. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 16:28 JST).

Fukushima to check internal radiation exposure

Fukushima Prefecture has decided to check the internal radiation exposure of residents near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and adjacent areas with high radiation levels. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 16:28 JST).

No-confidence motion against Kan voted down

The Lower House of Japan's Diet has voted down a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 15:36 JST).

No-confidence motion against Kan voted down

The Lower House of Japan's Diet has voted down a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 16:59 JST).

Okinawa to invite Fukushima children during summer

A youth hostel in Okinawa Prefecture is inviting children in Fukushima Prefecture to spend time there this summer free of charge, away from fears of radiation from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 17:01 JST).

Hatoyama: Kan to resign as early as by end of June

Former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says that Prime Minister Naoto Kan may quit as early as later this month. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 19:05 JST).

Overseas media report of Kan surviving vote

Major overseas media have quickly reported Prime Minister Naoto Kan's survival in a no-confidence vote in the lower house. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 19:05 JST).

TEPCO plans to plug all potential leaks

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, plans to plug all potential leaks of highly radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in June. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 19:31 JST).

Regular sumo tourneys to resume in July

Japan's regular sumo tournaments are to resume in July after the suspension of two ordinary rounds due to a bout-fixing scandal. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 19:31 JST).

Nagasaki staffers exposed to Fukushima radiation

Nagasaki University Hospital says that at least 40 percent of local people sent to Fukushima Prefecture, host to the crippled nuclear plant, suffered internal radiation exposure. (NHK World Daily News, 02 Jun 21:20 JST).