NHK World News - July 07, 2011

Pyeongchang wins 2018 Winter Olympics bid

The International Olympic Committee has selected South Korea's northern resort of Pyeongchang to host the 2018 winter Games. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 2:57 JST).

Britain to withdraw extra 500 troops from Afghan

British Prime Minister David Cameron says his country will withdraw another 500 troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 2:57 JST).

Pyeongchang wins 2018 winter Olympics bid

The International Olympic Committee has selected South Korea's northern resort of Pyeongchang to host the 2018 winter Games. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 2:57 JST).

Pyeongchang, the host city of 2018 winter Olympics

The 2018 Olympic host city of Pyeongchang in South Korea is one of the most popular winter resorts in the country. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 2:57 JST).

Japan's nuclear crisis affects farm exports

Japan's exports of farm, marine and forest products in May posted a year-on-year plunge of more than 16 percent, due to the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 2:57 JST).

Reactor cooling to be accelerated in August

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says a new cooling system is now working well so it will accelerate the cooling of the plant's reactors in August. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 7:57 JST).

New IMF head pledges to promptly address problems

The new head of the International Monetary Fund has pledged to address Greece's fiscal crisis and other pending global issues promptly. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 7:57 JST).

Tsunami warnings lifted for New Zealand

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake has struck off New Zealand in the South Pacific. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 6:19 JST).

EU chief criticizes ratings agency Moody's

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has strongly criticized the leading ratings agency Moody's for its sharp downgrading of Portugal's sovereign debt. He said the move adds another speculative element to the situation. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 7:57 JST).

Local governments react to nuclear stress tests

Local municipalities hosting nuclear plants say they are puzzled by the central government's decision to carry out new safety tests at all nuclear power facilities. Two-thirds of the country's nuclear reactors remain off-line after the Fukushima accident. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 10:07 JST).

Japan to allow entry of N.Korean Olympic officials

Japan plans to allow entry of North Korean Olympic officials into the country to attend a meeting of the Olympic Council of Asia in Tokyo next week. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 9:47 JST).

Spacecraft after Atlantis

US aerospace giant Boeing is exhibiting its next generation spacecraft, which will take over when the Space Shuttle program ends at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 12:58 JST).

At least 30 dead in Syrian crackdown

In central Syria, military forces clashed with demonstrators seeking to ouster President Bashar al- Assad. At least 30 people were killed. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 11:51 JST).

Keidanren head, Merkel agree on energy cooperation

The head of Japan's leading business lobby has agreed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of renewable energy. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 11:51 JST).

Nitrogen injection could be delayed at Fukushima

The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi power plant is having trouble injecting nitrogen gas into one of the reactors to prevent a hydrogen explosion. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 12:58 JST).

Saga governor asks govt to clarify conditions

The governor of Saga Prefecture has asked the Japanese government to clarify conditions for resuming operations at a local nuclear plant. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 12:58 JST).

Genkai mayor retracts nuke plant restart consent

The mayor of Genkai Town in southwestern Japan says he will retract his approval for the restart of 2 reactors at a nuclear power plant in his town. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 13:19 JST).

Kyushu Electric employee questioned over e-mails

The president of the operator of the Genkai nuclear plant in Saga Prefecture says he will make a decision on stepping down next week. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 12:58 JST).

Kaieda ready to step down over Genkai confusion

Japan's industry minister Banri Kaieda says he will resign from his post at an appropriate time to take responsibility for the confusion over a restart at the Genkai nuclear power plant. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 14:04 JST).

US: More monitoring needed for N. Korea food aid

The US government says it cannot resume food aid to North Korea without a reliable monitoring system to ensure that the food goes to the people who need it. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 15:06 JST).

Obama in first Twitter town hall meet

US President Barack Obama responded to questions sent via the popular social networking service Twitter at the White House on Wednesday. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 15:33 JST).

33 dead in bus-train collision in India

A bus collided with a train at a railway crossing in northern India on early Thursday, killing at least 33 people. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 16:57 JST).

Shark fin factory resumes operation

A shark fin processor has resumed operations at a makeshift factory in northeastern Japan nearly 4 months after its original plant was devastated by the tsunami. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 15:35 JST).

UN calls for food aid for drought-hit East Africa

The United Nations has warned that more than 9-million people are at risk of malnutrition in eastern Africa, which has seen its worst drought in 60 years. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 16:57 JST).

Genkai mayor retracts plant restart consent

The mayor of Genkai Town in southwestern Japan has retracted his approval for the restart of 2 reactors at a nuclear power plant in his town. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 18:03 JST).

S.Korea to build center for N.Korean defectors

South Korea plans to build a new facility to help defectors from North Korea adapt to life in the South. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 18:03 JST).

Tanabata star festival observed in Fukushima

Children in Fukushima city celebrated the annual Tanabata star festival on Thursday, replacing natural bamboo leaves normally used with polyethylene alternatives because of radiation fears. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 19:14 JST).

Tokyo International Book Fair opens

The Tokyo International Book Fair has opened, featuring some of the latest models of electronic book readers. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 18:03 JST).

US: Terrorists may consider bomb implants

US traffic security authorities are warning that terrorists may use bombs implanted in the human body to attack passenger airplanes. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 19:14 JST).

Event to help disaster-hit Tohoku opens in Tokyo

An event to help with the reconstruction of the disaster-hit Tohoku region in northeastern Japan has opened in Tokyo. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 19:49 JST).

Governors criticize central govt's nuke response

Japan's prefectural governments have criticized the central government for hastily deciding to order safety so-called stress tests at all nuclear power plants. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 19:49 JST).

Govt defends decision to introduce stress test

Japan's industry minister Banri Kaieda says he hopes municipalities hosting nuclear plants will understand the need to conduct additional safety tests of all reactors in the country. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 21:15 JST).

Kaieda ready to resign over nuke policy handling

Japan's industry minister Banri Kaieda says he will step down at an appropriate time to take responsibility for the confusion over restarting the Genkai nuclear power plant. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 21:15 JST).

China dismisses reports of Jiang's death

China's government has dismissed reports that the country's former president Jiang Zemin has died. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 21:15 JST).

SDF installation opens in Djibouti

Japan's Self-Defense Forces have opened their first overseas base in the African republic of Djibouti to conduct anti-piracy operations in the sea off Somalia. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 21:15 JST).

Chilean desert hit by record snow in 2 decades

A desert in Chile has been hit by rare and unusually heavy snowfalls, sparking concerns over rising copper prices. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 21:15 JST).

ECB raises key interest rate

The European Central Bank has raised its key interest rate by 0.25 percent to quell concerns over inflation in the euro-zone. (NHK World Daily News, 07 Jul 22:02 JST).