Materials to Create an English Brain(1)
by the Copy-Writing Practice（１）−毎日、英語ＴＶ聴、コピー(複写)作文、高速音読
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Jan. 2013 　Hidemori Shimura　
英語脳創りで情報力・発信力を高める
−毎日実践：�@コピー(複写)英作文をする、�A英語放送を聴く、�B英語文章を高速音読する

RE:Materials to Create an English Brain(2)

Re:Materials to Create an English Brain(3)

0101
Regain National Strength through Political Stability
from Yomiuri Editorial Jan.1, 2013

Japan stands at a crossroads of whether it can maintain its national strength and
retain its status as a major power.

National strength is the total power of a country, comprising such elements
as economic and military might, and technological skill.
The primary task of the administration led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
is to maintain and enhance Japan's strength through political stability.

Boosting national strength will lead to improved social security systems,
including pension and health care programs, and reinforce national security policy.
That will also shore up disaster management measures and solidify social infrastructure,
while accelerating reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Political stability is also important for Japan to regain its voice and presence
in the international community.

As former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama created strains in the Japan-U.S. alliance
while he was in office, Japan's relations with China, South Korea and Russia also
deteriorated. Reorganizing the nation's diplomatic strategy is a matter of urgency.

3 Core Policy Initiatives

With price increases being held to almost zero, the nominal growth domestic
product that reflects more closely sentiment felt by households and businesses
has declined by \40 trillion compared with five years ago. Consequently,
the nation's economic size is fixed at about the same level as it was two decades ago.

All possible policies must be carried out to correct the superstrong yen and
defeat deflation so the nation can achieve stable growth.

Abe said he will try to lift the country out of deflation by implementing
three core policies −credit easing, fiscal stimulus and a growth strategy.
His thinking is reasonable.

The yen has recently weakened against the dollar and stock prices have risen.

Setting a 2 percent inflation target, the prime minister has called for
concluding a policy agreement between the government and the Bank of Japan
to carry out drastic monetary easing. The central bank plans to set an inflation target
this month. Stronger cooperation between the government and the central bank
will be called for.

0102-1
North Korea's Kim Jong-un
makes rare new year speech
January　2, 2013

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has delivered the nation's
first new year's message on state media for 19 years.

Kim Jong-un, in power since 2011, spoke of the need to improve
the economy and also to reunify the Koreas, warning that confrontation
only led to war.

The speech came less than a month after the conservative
Park Geun-hye was elected president of South Korea.

In 1994, Mr Kim's grandfather, Kim Il-sung, spoke on radio and TV.
His son, Kim Jong-il rarely spoke in public.

In addition to Mr Kim's televised address, new year's messages
were issued in the form of a joint editorial by North Korea's three
main newspapers.

Kim Jong-un said 2013 would be a year of creations and changes,
calling for a "radical turnabout" that would transform the impoverished,
isolated state into an "economic giant" and raise living standards.

But while he said confrontation between the North and the South
should be removed, Mr Kim stressed that military power remained
a national priority.

"The military might of a country represents its national strength.
Only when it builds up its military might in every way can it develop
into a thriving country," he said.

The message coincides with UN Security Council discussions on how
to punish Pyongyang for a recent long-range rocket launch.

Under Mr Kim's leadership, North Korea has conducted two long-range
rocket launches - actions condemned by the US and Pyongyang's neighbours
as banned tests of missile technology.

The launch in April failed, but December's attempt appears to have been
a success, placing a satellite into orbit.

The US, Japan and South Korea are seeking a response
in the UN Security Council, which banned North Korea from missile tests
after nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.

Kim Jong-un saw in the new year by watching a musical performance
with his wife, North Korean state media reported.
The　End

0102-2
Another Attempt to Deny Japan's History
from New York Times, January 2, 2013, Editorial

Few relationships are as important to stability in Asia as the one between
Japan and South Korea. Yet Japan's new prime minister, Shinzo Abe,
seems inclined to start his tenure with a serious mistake that would
inflame tensions with South Korea and make cooperation harder.
He has signaled that he might seek to revise Japan's apologies
for its World War II aggression, including one for using Koreans
and other women as sex slaves.

In 1993, Japan finally acknowledged that the Japanese military had raped
and enslaved thousands of Asian and European women in army brothels,
and offered its first full apology for those atrocities.

A broader apology by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995
conceded that “through its colonial rule and invasion,” Japan had caused
“tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries,
particularly to those of Asian nations.”

In an interview with the Sankei Shimbun newspaper, Mr. Abe,
a right-wing nationalist, was quoted by Reuters on Monday as saying
he wants to replace the 1995 apology with an unspecified “forward
looking statement.” He said that his previous administration, in 2006-7,
had found no evidence that the women who served as sex slaves
to Japan's wartime military had, in fact, been coerced. However,
at a news conference last week, the chief cabinet secretary,
Yoshihide Suga, said that Mr. Abe would uphold the 1995 apology
but hinted he may revise the 1993 statement.

It is not clear how Mr. Abe, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party
of Japan, might modify the apologies, but he has previously made
no secret of his desire to rewrite his country's wartime history.
Any attempt to deny the crimes and dilute the apologies will outrage
South Korea, as well as China and the Philippines, which suffered
under Japan's brutal wartime rule.

Mr. Abe's shameful impulses could threaten critical cooperation
in the region on issues like North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Such revisionism is an embarrassment to a country that should
be focused on improving its long-stagnant economy, not whitewashing
the past.
The End

0103-1
Tokyo to step up campaign for Olympic bid
Jan.3, 2013

The start of 2013 will signify the beginning of a fierce competition between Tokyo
and its two rivals Madrid and Istanbul to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

In early January, the three cities will be allowed to start international public
relations campaigns after submitting their master plans for hosting the Games
to the International Olympic Committee.

Tokyo hopes to overcome its defeat in bidding for the 2016 Games by stepping up
efforts to raise the rate of public support for the bid at home and by boosting
promotion activities abroad.

According to a survey by the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee from late November
to December, 66 percent of the public expressed their support for Tokyo's bid
for the Games. The bid committee consists of officials from the Japan Olympic
Committee and the Tokyo metropolitan government.

Perhaps partly due to the London Olympics, in which Japanese athletes won
a record number of medals, the figure was above the 47 percent support rate
reported in an IOC survey released in May.

Still, bid committee members are not completely satisfied. "I think the figure
should be a little higher," said newly elected Tokyo Gov. Naoki Inose on Dec. 21,
shortly after taking office. He then announced his goal of raising the figure
above 70 percent.

Some observers are worried because a low support rate would likely be a major
hurdle for Tokyo being chosen. The bid committee is touting its plan of
"ultimately compact Games," in which the main competition venues would be
concentrated within an eight-kilometer radius from the athletes' village.
The plan has met with praise from the IOC, but the low rate of public support
is apparently a primary concern.

As of May, the bid approval ratings in Tokyo's two rival cities already topped
70 percent. The support rate for Madrid's bid was 80 percent in the latest survey.
The End

0103-2
Population fall hits postwar high in 2012
Jan. 3, 2013

The nation's population in 2012 fell by about 212,000, the highest natural
decrease since World War II, a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry survey
has revealed.

The number of babies born in this country last year hit a postwar low of
1,033,000, while the number of deaths came to 1,245,000, the ministry said.

The number of deaths is the highest for a single year in the postwar era
if the deaths from the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami
are excluded from the 2011 figures.

Cancer, heart failure, pneumonia and strokes remained the major causes
of the deaths, according to the survey.

The number of deaths is expected to keep rising because of the aging
of society, a ministry official said. As the number of women is falling,
Japan's population is expected to continue to decrease, the official added.

In 2011, the number of deaths, including victims of the March 11 disaster,
stood at 1,253,066, about 8,000 more than the 2012 figure.

In 2012, the total fertility rate, which represents the average number
of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, was estimated
at a level of 1.39, similar to the preceding year, according to the ministry.
The End

0104-1
Patti Page, singer of Tennessee Waltz,
dies aged 85
January 4, 2013

American singer Patti Page, one of the most popular artists of the 1950s,
has died at the age of 85.

She recorded four US number-one hits, including Tennessee Waltz and
the novelty record (How Much Is That) Doggie In The Window.

She was to have been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award
at next month's Grammy ceremony.

Born Clara Ann Fowler into a poor family in 1928, she was discovered
singing on local radio.

" I was a kid from Oklahoma who never wanted to be a singer,
but was told I could sing," she said in a 1999 interview.
"And things snowballed."

She signed to Mercury Records, where she became their star female
vocalist, selling more than 100 million records.

Tennessee Waltz, her biggest hit, topped the charts in 1950-1951 and
was the last song to sell a million copies of sheet music.

Page became a fixture on US television. The Patti Page Show ran
on TV for a year and its star was nominated for an Emmy award in 1959.

She also acted in films, including Elmer Gantry alongside Burt Lancaster.

But her popularity dipped in the 1960s as her style became dated
by the arrival of rock'n'roll.

She recorded as a more overtly country singer in subsequent decades
and continued to tour extensively.

Patti Page won a Grammy in 1998 for Live At Carnegie Hall.

You tube: Tennessee Waltz
The End

0104-2
More Residents Refuse Nuclear Benefits
after Fukushima Disaster
from Asahi Shimbun, Jan.4 2013

The number of households declining benefits for living near nuclear plants
has nearly doubled since the Fukushima disaster, reflecting growing opposition
to a system long criticized as paying off citizens to promote nuclear power.

In fiscal 2011, 14 prefectures paid 7.6 billion yen in benefits to 1.03
million households, according to figures obtained by The Asahi Shimbun
through interviews and freedom-of-information requests.

In that year, 171 households declined the benefits, an increase of 80 percent
from 94 the previous year. The number ranged between 80 and 100 in preceding years.

A 64-year-old resident of Hitachi, said the accident at the Fukushima No. 1
nuclear power plant caused by the tsunami in March 2011 prompted him
to refuse part of the benefits.

“I have received the benefits without thinking about it, but they are nothing
but bribery,”he said.“We feel indebted if we continue to receive them
even though they are a small amount.”

He said he did not refuse the full amount because he wants Tokyo Electric
Power Co., which serves the prefecture, to continue sending him payment
notices so that he can voice his opposition in response.

The increase in refusers was particularly noticeable in Fukushima,
Aomori and Ibaraki prefectures.

The benefits, funded by taxes collected as part of electricity bills,
are paid by utilities on behalf of municipal governments.

The amounts are based on the power generation capacity of nuclear power
plants and other factors. The annual individual amounts in fiscal 2011 ranged
from 2,172 yen to 36,000 yen.

In 2002, reports surfaced that utilities had compiled a list of refusers and
their beliefs, labeling some as nuclear opponents, and provided
the information to local governments. Local governments said they have changed
the procedures and are no longer aware of the reasons why households
decline the benefits.

A member of an anti-nuclear group in Niigata Prefecture said
the benefits are paid as compensation for inconveniencing residents living
near nuclear power plants.

The system was introduced in fiscal 1981 to seek understanding and
cooperation for nuclear power. It is said to derive from Prime Minister
Kakuei Tanaka’s suggestion in 1973 that electricity charges should be lowered
in areas around nuclear power plants.

In a Diet session in 1982, a lawmaker said the benefits are nothing
but favors doled out to residents and could jeopardize discussions
on the safety of nuclear power plants.

A senior official at the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy told
the Diet session that the government cannot promote construction of
nuclear power plants unless residents receive some gains.

The agency official explained that the system was a temporary measure,
although it has continued for more than 30 years.

Shuji Shimizu, a professor of regional finance at Fukushima University,
said the benefits--cash directly given to individuals--are a blatant example
of dispensing favors.

“I think a growing number of people in areas around nuclear power plants
are saying‘no’to such a practice by rejecting the benefits,” Shimizu said.
The　End

0105
Radioactive waste dumped into rivers
during decontamination work in Fukushima
from THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
January 5 , 2013

Cleanup crews in Fukushima Prefecture have dumped soil and leaves
contaminated with radioactive fallout into rivers. Water sprayed
on contaminated buildings has been allowed to drain back into the environment.
And supervisors have instructed workers to ignore rules on proper collection
and disposal of the radioactive waste.

Decontamination is considered a crucial process in enabling thousands
of evacuees to return to their homes around the crippled Fukushima No. 1
nuclear power plant and resume their normal lives.

But the decontamination work witnessed by a team of Asahi Shimbun
reporters shows that contractual rules with the Environment Ministry
have been regularly and blatantly ignored, and in some cases,
could violate environmental laws.

"If the reports are true, it would be extremely regrettable,"
Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato said at his first news conference
of the year on Jan. 4.
"I hope everyone involved will clearly understand how important
decontamination is to the people of Fukushima."

He called on the Environment Ministry to investigate and present
a clear report to the prefectural government.

The shoddy practices may also raise questions about the decontamination
program itself--and the huge amounts of money pumped into the program.

The central government initially set aside 650 billion yen to decontaminate
areas hit by radioactive substances from the March 11, 2011, accident
at the Fukushima plant. Since last summer, the Environment Ministry
has designated 11 municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture for special
decontamination work.

Work has already begun in four municipalities to remove radioactive
substances from areas within 20 meters of buildings, roads and farmland.

The Environment Ministry itself does not have the know-how to decontaminate
such a large area, so it has given contracts to joint ventures led
by major construction companies to do the work.

A contract worth 18.8 billion yen to decontaminate the municipality of Naraha
was awarded to a group that includes Maeda Corp. and Dai Nippon Construction.
A 7.7-billion-yen contract for Iitate was signed with a group that includes
Taisei Corp., while a 4.3-billion-yen contract for Kawauchi was given
to a group led by Obayashi Corp. A consortium that includes Kajima Corp.
was awarded a 3.3-billion-yen contract to clean up Tamura.

In signing the contracts, the Environment Ministry established work rules
requiring the companies to place all collected soil and leaves into bags
to ensure the radioactive materials would not spread further.
The roofs and walls of homes must be wiped by hand or brushes.
The use of pressurized sprayers is limited to gutters to avoid the spread
of contaminated water. The water used in such cleaning must be properly
collected under the ministry’s rules.

A special measures law for dealing with radioactive contamination of
the environment prohibits the dumping of such waste materials. Violators
face a maximum prison sentence of five years or a 10-million-yen fine.

From Dec. 11 to 18, four Asahi reporters spent 130 hours observing work
at various locations in Fukushima Prefecture.

At 13 locations in Naraha, Iitate and Tamura, workers were seen simply
dumping collected soil and leaves as well as water used for cleaning
rather than securing them for proper disposal.

Photographs were taken at 11 of those locations.

The reporters also talked to about 20 workers who said they were following
the instructions of employees of the contracted companies or
their subcontractors in dumping the materials. A common response of
the workers was that the decontamination work could never be completed
if they adhered to the strict rules.

Asahi reporters obtained a recording of a supervisor at a site
in Naraha instructing a worker to dump cut grass over the side of the road.

Officials of Maeda and Dai Nippon Construction have not responded
to questions from The Asahi Shimbun.

Four workers at a site in Tamura said they were told to dispose of leaves
and soil in a river. At another site in Tamura, reporters saw the leader
of the subcontractor group kick a pile of leaves into the river.

A Kajima official said the company was investigating the incident.

Although the Environment Ministry has asked the construction companies
to take radiation readings before and after decontamination work, the limits
on measurement sites make it difficult to determine the extent to which
decontamination is actually being conducted.

"We were told to clean up only those areas around a measurement site,"
one worker said.

Environment Ministry officials who work on-site said it is impossible
to oversee every aspect of the decontamination effort. But they said they have
begun investigating the practices revealed by The Asahi Shimbun.

The latest revelations will call into question whether taxpayer money is being
properly used. Some living in Fukushima Prefecture have called for using
the decontamination funds to support the lives of the evacuees instead.

The 650 billion yen for initial decontamination covers limited areas
in only four municipalities. Questions will likely be raised on whether
the decontamination program now being implemented is the best use of
taxpayer money.
The End

0106
US unemployment rate holds steady
in December at 7.8%
Jan.6, 2013

The US economy added a further 155,000 jobs in December,
while the unemployment rate held steady at 7.8%, official figures show.

The jobs came mainly in the healthcare, manufacturing, construction
and food services sectors, the Labor Department said.

The public sector shed 13,000 jobs, mainly at the local level,
but this was more than offset by the private sector.

Separate figures suggested a sharp rise in activity in the US service sector.

The Institute of Supply Management said its service index rose to 56.1
in December, from 54.7 the previous month. Any reading above 50
suggests expansion.

The December reading was the highest since February and
was stronger than analysts had expected.

Deadline postponed

The total number of unemployed in the US in December was
largely unchanged at 12.2 million.

The unemployment rate for November was revised up
from 7.7% to 7.8%, the department added.

These are the first figures since a short-term deal to stave off
the US "fiscal cliff" was reached earlier this week.

If a deal had not been agreed, spending cuts and tax rises worth $600bn
would have kicked in. These could have thrown the US back
into recession and sent the unemployment rate shooting upwards.

Still, the deal has only postponed by two months negotiations
over spending cuts and the government debt ceiling
− a legal cap on its total borrowing set by Congress.
If this cap is not raised, the US is set to run out of money by February.

Bottoming out ?

The December new jobs figure was only slightly above the average
153,000 jobs created per month in both 2012 and 2011.

The US economy needs to add about 90,000 jobs a month to keep up
with population growth.

"While a 150,000-170,000 per month trend in payrolls is far from booming,
it is strong enough over time to keep the unemployment rate moving down,"
said Jim O'Sullivan at High Frequency Economics.

Analysts expect many of the 30,000 new construction jobs −
the sector's best performance in 15 months − to reflect rebuilding
in the north-east of the US following the damage inflicted
by Storm Sandy in October.

However, it may also reflect the bottoming-out of prices and
activity in the US housing market following the collapse of last decade's
property bubble.

New home construction has typically played a leading role
in the recovery following previous US recessions.

Last month, the US Federal Reserve said it planned to keep interest
rates at close to zero at least until the US unemployment rate falls below 6.5%.

Interest rates in the US have been close to zero since December 2008,
and the Fed again kept them at below 0.25% last month.
It also continues to buy $85bn (£53bn) a month of government bonds
and mortgage-backed securities to try to boost the economy.

The Fed said in December: "The committee remains concerned that,
without sufficient policy accommodation, economic growth might not be
strong enough to generate sustained improvement in labour market conditions."

Meanwhile, in Canada, the jobless rate fell to 7.1% in December,
its lowest level for four years, according to official figures.

"Canadian employment not only defied expectations in December,
it also appears to be defying gravity," said Doug Porter,
the Bank of Montreal's deputy chief economist.
The　End

0107
Agency to monitor　conditions under seabed
from The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan.7 2013

In preparation for a massive earthquake in the Nankai Trough,
the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology(JAMSTEC) and
other organizations will launch as early as February a project to monitor
subtle bedrock movements and distortion with devices installed below
the seabed off the Kii Peninsula.

Researchers hope the constant monitoring devices will help predict a giant
earthquake. They will be installed about 980 meters below the seabed,
the lowest level in the world for such equipment.

JAMSTEC and the Meteorological Agency are currently monitoring seismic
activity with 20 seismometers installed on the seabed in the Sea of Kumano,
southeast of the KR Peninsula. A massive earthquake is predicted to occur
at some point in the Sea of Kumano.

JAMSTEC and the agency's current monitoring of the area is akin to applying
a stethoscope to the seabed. However, the seabed-based devices only enable them
to monitor seismic waves that have reached the seabed and therefore do not
directly monitor activities inside the crust.

Under the envisaged project, JAMSTEC aims to monitor crustal movements more
accurately by inserting monitoring devices similar to endoscopes deep into the crust
below the seabed.

In 2010, JAMSTEC and other organizations used the deep-sea drilling vessel
Chikyu to burrow about 980 meters below the seabed, which is itself about
1,900 meters deep, at a location 80 kilometers off Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture.

There is a boundary between plates about 7,000 meters below the seabed and
a spray fault 3,000 meters above the boundary. This zone is called a seismogenic
zone, where large earthquakes have occurred in the past.

A steel pipe was inserted into the hole with a strain gauge to check distortion
in the bedrock, along with a seismometer, a thermometer and a water pressure gauge
installed inside the pipe. The strain gauge can detect when the volume of the bedrock
expands or contracts by as little as one billionth of its original size.

All relevant data will be transmitted to a base station on land via a cable and
relayed to the Meteorological Agency and other bodies. Activities inside the crust
below the seabed will be monitored around the clock.

Computer simulations have indicated that there may be certain changes
if a massive earthquake is imminent, such as shifts in the locations of points
where subtle earthquake motions are active or a slowing down in subduction
of the crust. The envisaged project is expected to detect these phenomena
in advance with devices installed inside the crust.

The Japanese "K" super-computer in Kobe will be used to conduct more
advanced calculations in computer simulations. Real data obtained under
the envisaged project will also be used to hopefully improve the accuracy of
earthquake prediction.

According to JAMSTEC, around-the-clock monitoring of crustal movements is
currently conducted about 200 meters below the seabed in Canada.

"We want to monitor the focal area of a massive earthquake in three dimensions
by combining monitoring on and under the seabed," project leader Yoshiyuki Kaneda said.

The Nankai Trough is a shallow ocean trench created in an area where the huge
Philippine Sea Plate subducts beneath a landward plate. A giant earthquake is
predicted to occur at or near a boundary of the plates.

The government estimates that up to 320,000 people could be killed in the event
of a powerful magnitude-9 earthquake with its focus in the Nankai Trough.
The End

0108
Abe Stresses Focus on Economic Recovery
from Yomiuri , Jan.8, 2013

"We want a rocketlike start toward economic recovery...The Year of the Snake
symbolizes prosperous business. This administration will unite to boost the economy,"
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.

Abe emphasized his determination to realize economic recovery during a press
conference he held Friday after visiting the Ise Grand Shrines in Ise, Mie Prefecture.

The House of Councillors election scheduled in July will be a key moment in the
nation's political situation, many observers agree.

In a bid to win the upper house election, Abe apparently aims to maintain a high
approval rating for the Cabinet by improving the economy and achieving good
results in diplomacy and national security, such as strengthening Japan-U.S.
relations and reducing friction with neighboring countries.

The prime minister's economic policies - dubbed "Abenomics" by economists
and market players - have raised hopes in the market. The stock and currency markets
have reacted favorably to the Abe administration since just before it was launched,
which appears to have given Abe self-confidence.

During the press conference, Abe called the set of economic reforms "three arrows
for growth": a bold monetary policy, a flexible fiscal policy and a growth strategy
to stimulate private investment.

The government plans to have the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy and
the newly established headquarters for Japan's economic revitalization work together
closely with the Bank of Japan to map out specific measures, Abe said.

"The Bank of Japan's monetary policy is critically important, so the central bank
should act responsibly," he said. Abe then strongly urged the bank to adopt
a 2 percent inflation target.

The central bank is scheduled to hold a two-day policy-setting meeting
on monetary measures on Jan. 21-22, the first such meeting of 2013.

According to sources, Abe firmly believes the setting of the 2 percent inflation
target by the central bank is necessary to buoy up the economy.

"For the time being, we'll have the Bank of Japan follow the policy of the prime
minister's administration," said a Cabinet minster close to Abe.

As Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa's term will expire in April, Abe plans
to appoint a person who will aggressively carry out monetary-easing policies.

Budget compilations urgent

Compiling a supplementary budget for fiscal 2012 in parallel with the fiscal 2013
budget also is a major issue the Abe administration must tackle.

The government wants to take fast-impact measures to shore up the economy
by expanding public investment works and compiling a large supplementary budget
to that end. It aims to achieve satisfactory results in economic recovery before
the upper house election.

It is widely thought that the passage of the fiscal 2013 budget will be delayed
- possibly to as late as early May- as the new administration plans to redo budget
compilation work done by the previous Democratic Party of Japan administration.

Abe, however, aims to implement the budget as early as possible, and has
instructed bureaucrats and Liberal Democratic Party members to compile it as
quickly as they can.

It is essential to win the cooperation of opposition parties in the upper house
over a budget-related bill and the appointment of Bank of Japan governor,
as the LDP lacks a majority in the chamber.

Indeed, it is feared the administration's management will become unstable
if the government fails to obtain the cooperation of opposition parties.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga referred to the appointment of a successor
for Shirakawa on Friday, saying, "As the Diet is divided, we will make an effort
to gain the approval from opposition parties by providing a detailed explanation
of our stance on the issue."

Regarding the consumption tax hike scheduled to start in April 2014,
Abe has said he will carefully decide whether to implement the hike at that time
based on a "flexibility" clause in a bill to raise the consumption tax rate
that stipulates that an economic turnaround is a precondition for implementing
the higher tax rate.

However, some observers say postponing the tax hike may aggravate
the budget deficits and negatively affect the economy.

At the press conference, Abe stressed that the government will "revitalize
the economy so we can move toward the tax hike."

Meanwhile, there is a strong current of opnion calling for restarting nuclear
power plants because they are essential to ensuring a stable supply of inexpensive
electricity to revitalize the economy.

The prime minister said at the press conference his government will carefully
consider whether to restart the idled reactors and construct new nuclear power reactors,
adding it will take some time to make a decision on the issues.

Abe indicated he will make a final decision based on a broad view of issues
related to nuclear power plants but in any case would not decide until the Nuclear
Regulation Authority puts together new safety standards by July. He is believed
to want to eliminate the fear of an electric power shortage to pave the way
to an economic recovery.
The End

0109-1
Small, Midsize Enterprises to get more Help
from The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 9, 2013

To strengthen support for small and midsize enterprises, the government
plans to reorganize the current Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation
of Japan (ETIC) in April, an organization backed by both public and
private investment.

The change will be included in an emergency economic package
the government will compile shortly, and necessary bills will be submitted
in the ordinary Diet session. The new body--tentatively called
the local revitalization initiative corporation--will be able to invest in funds,
set up by local or shinkin credit union banks, aimed at corporate turnarounds.

The government plans to let the Small and Medium-size Enterprise Financing
Facilitation Law expire in March. The law helps facilitate loans
to the companies, and there are concerns the expiration of the law may
trigger an increasing number of bankruptcies beginning in April.

ETIC participated in the turnaround of Japan Airlines and telecommunications
provider Willcom Inc. But ETIC has only participated in 28 turnaround
cases since its establishment in 2009.

This is presumably because it has been difficult for enterprises in rural areas
to utilize ETIC as the organization, in principle, requests companies
to hold preliminary consultations at its Tokyo headquarters.

After the reorganization, the government hopes assistance to companies will
improve as the new organization will be more flexible in supporting
enterprises by investing funds from local financial organs with in-depth knowledge
of the regional economic situation.
The　End

0109-2
The 2013 International CES Show Open
Jan.9, 2013

After months of preparation, the 2013 International CES show floor is now open !
The show floor spans the space of more than 393 basketball courts and Michael
Phelps would have to swim 483 laps to travel the 15 miles of the carpeted CES
show floor. The show floor is open for 33 hours, or 1,980 minutes - so don't miss
out on the hottest and newest innovations! Check out our videos page
for CES coverage and don't forget to follow us - @intlCES. The official hashtag
of the 2013 International CES is #2013CES.

CE Industry Revenues to Reach Record-High $209 Billion in 2013

Revenues for the consumer electronics industry are projected to grow
nearly three percent, reaching a new record-high of $209.6 billion,
according to the semi-annual industry forecast released today
by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), producer of the 2013
International CES. The forecast also shows 2012 industry revenues reached
$204 billion, up five percent from the previous year. “CEA’s forecast once again
confirms that CE products play an increasingly indispensible role in consumers’
lives,” said Steve Koenig, CEA’s director of industry analysis.
“Consumer adoption of smartphones and tablets continues to expand briskly,
as mobile connected devices take center stage in today’s connected, digital lifestyle.”

The Brand Matters SuperSession: How Are Your Consumers REALLY
Engaging with Digital Media ?

Join us at 3-5 p.m. on January 9 at the LVH Theater for a free Brand Matters
SuperSession. Hear from senior product executives of some of the biggest
digital platform companies - Amazon, Facebook, Foursquare, Tumblr, Twitter,
and YouTube - as they respond to a panel of consumers about how they really
engage with digital media and in the process, unearth the social, cultural,
technological and media forces that are making them increasingly elusive
for most marketers.
The End

0110
Norovirus gaining extra nasty edge
from Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan.10, 2013

The series of mass norovirus infections at restaurants, hospitals and
elderly care facilities since autumn has likely been prolonged because of
mutated strains first detected in early 2012, as mutations have been detected
in more than half the nation's prefectures.

The Yokohama city government conducted an on-site investigation
at Yokohama Denentoshi Hospital from Thursday to Sunday,
where more than 100 people have been infected with acute infectious
gastroenteritis. The epidemic has resulted in four deaths--patients aged
80 to 97 who were reportedly bedridden due to dementia and stroke sequelae.

The epidemic began shortly after three employees began complaining
of symptoms resembling those seen in norovirus infections on Tuesday.

"To be honest, we didn't expect the infection to spread this far,"
Seiji Shibuya, director of the hospital, said at a press conference Saturday night.

There was a large number of cases of acute infectious gastroenteritis,
mostly caused by norovirus, last year, following the record figures marked in 2006.
Group infections thought to be caused by norovirus have occurred one after another
nationwide, including one that caused six deaths at a hospital in Miyazaki Prefecture
in December.

Norovirus is said to be a main cause of acute infectious gastroenteritis in winter.
It causes severe vomiting and diarrhea for one or two days. Many infections occur
in people who come into contact with contaminated vomit or stool, and then infect
themselves orally by touching the mouth or face. There is no vaccine or medicine
for norovirus.

The number of child patients has increased steadily since mid-October,
peaking in the week of Dec. 3-9, according to a nationwide survey of 3,000
pediatric departments by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
The medical facilities surveyed reported an average of 19.62 norovirus patients
during the peak week. Although this dropped to 19.23 in the week of Dec. 10-16,
experts say the epidemic is ongoing.

A mutated virus is thought to be behind the epidemic. A mutated strain was
first detected in Japan in January 2012 from stool samples from people affected
by food poisoning in Hokkaido and Osaka Prefecture. Starting in October,
a series of group infections have occurred, including one at a welfare
facility in Niigata Prefecture. As of Friday, several mutations have been identified
in Tokyo, Hokkaido and 26 other prefectures.

"The group infections possibly occurred because many people lack immunity
to the mutated viruses," said Kazuhiko Katayama, head of the Department of
Virology II at the infectious disease institute.

Asymptomatic patients

Resistance to the virus can differ from person to person, meaning some people
show no signs of infection, or only develop a mild case of diarrhea. These people
can spread the disease without knowing it.

Surveys in 2005-07 of 1,855 employees at 55 eateries where cases of norovirus
food poisoning occurred showed that 133, or 7 percent, of the people who had
norovirus detected in their stool did not develop symptoms such as nausea.

Cases of acute infectious gastroenteritis normally begin to decline in mid-December,
when schools' winter breaks start, but the data cited above is based on figures from
pediatrics departments, and thus does not reflect society as a whole.

Cases of norovirus due to food poisoning usually peak in January, likely due to
the surge in people eating out for New Year's events.

"Be aware that anyone suffering from diarrhea might be infected [with norovirus],"
said Takafumi Tsunoda, director of the infectious disease and internal medicine
department at Ebara Hospital in Tokyo.
The End

0111
Australia boils as extreme heat hits
Jan.11,2013

Australia is in the grip of a an extreme heatwave with maximums
to soar past 40deg Jan.4 - and the hot air will affect more of the country
over the next week.

A "superheated" air mass flowing from the deserts of central Australia
will push temperatures well above 40C across huge areas of Queensland,
South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory
into next week.

A sweltering Victoria is on full alert, with a total fire ban declared
statewide as the mercury climbs towards 44C in the northwest.

Thousands of firefighters are on alert in Victoria as authorities brace
for days of the most dangerous conditions since the Black Saturday
bushfires, which killed 173 people in 2009.

Melbourne is bracing for a blistering 41C Ｊａｎ．４
This forecast map shows temperatures set to get close to 50degrees in some parts
of the interior on Friday, january 4. Image: Australian Bureau of Meteorolgy

Authorities warned residents to have their survival plans ready and
to check on the young and the elderly.

An "extreme" fire danger rating has been issued for the Wimmera,
South West and Central regions.

The alert is "severe" elsewhere.

CFA state duty officer Tony Bearzatto said: "The whole of the state needs
to be prepared, and to have their plans in place and to make their decision early."

James Mackay of Stansbury, right, does his best to keep cool near a fire
site in the Clare Valley as Lachlan Hennekan and Peter Bywaters look on.

Northerly winds expected to reach 50km/h have intensified the fire risk.

In South Australia, firefighters are bracing for one of the worst fire-danger
days in several years as temperatures soar into the mid-40s today.

Total fire bans have been declared across the state, with three of
the 15 fire ban districts - Kangaroo Island, Mount Lofty and
the Lower South East - rated as catastrophic.

Extreme fire danger conditions are forecast in the Upper South-East,
Murraylands, Yorke Peninsula, Northwest Pastoral, West Coast, Lower Eyre
Peninsula and Upper Eyre Peninsula fire ban districts. Severe fire danger
conditions are forecast in the Northeast Pastoral, Flinders Mid-North,
Riverland and Adelaide Metropolitan areas.

Country Fire Service state co-ordinator Malim Watts said the forecast top
of 44C, coupled with strong northerly winds ahead of a cool southerly
change in the evening, presented a serious risk to the community and firefighters.

New South Wales is bracing for a sevenday heatwave with temperatures
expected to soar as high as 44C in the state's west - prompting warnings
from the fire services and health authorities.

While the highest temperature in the Sydney CBD over the next seven days
will only reach a maximum of 30C, the mercury is expected to reach 39C
in Penrith on Tuesday. Other parts of western Sydney, such as Campbelltown
and Liverpool, are tipped to hit 37C, while Broken Hill and Tibooburra are
expecting 44C.

The heatwave is set to last until at least next Thursday.

Queensland is heading into a wild weekend of weather, with a scorching
heatwave fuelling outback bushfires while beaches are battered by big waves.

Much of Queensland's interior, west of a line from Roma to Charter Towers,
will be hit by the searing heat, with Birdsville tipped to peak above 46C.

Locals are being warned to stay indoors to escape the extreme heat.

The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service yesterday issued a severe
fire danger warning for most of the state's north and far southwest as humidity
of less than 10 per cent and 35km/h winds helped create tinder-dry conditions.

Fourteen bushfires were burning across the state and fire crews yesterday
battled two blazes that threatened properties near Koah and Speewah, west of Cairns.

Bushfires are still threatening parts of Western Australia as the heatwave
- which saw Perth suffer several days of temperatures in the high 30s
over New Year - starts to ease.

Tasmania is also on high fire alert, as the state braces for near-record
temperatures today. Hobart is forecast to hit 39 - one less than its January record.
The End

0112
Bushfires rage on in Australia
'helped' by climate change
January 12, 2013

Australian firefighters are continuing to tackle more than 100 bushfires,
which have gutted houses and thousands of hectares of land.

Officials say temperatures are lower than feared, but gusty winds are
making it hard to contain the blazes in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Six people have been treated for heat exposure, but nobody has died.

A government commission says the heatwave and fires have been exacerbated
by global warming.

"Climate change is increasing the risk of more frequent and longer heatwaves
and more extreme hot days, as well as exacerbating bushfire conditions,"
the Climate Commission said in its report.

It warned that "when (a) fire occurs in more extreme weather conditions,
there is the potential for the fire to be far more intense and difficult to control".

The current heatwave saw the average maximum daily temperature
across Australia reach 40.3C (104.5F) earlier this week,
breaking the previous record of 40.17C registered in 1972, David Karoly,
one of the report's authors, told the AFP news agency.

However, on Saturday temperatures have somewhat eased in the three affected
states where the fires have the potential to threaten communities,
the BBC's Nick Bryant in New South Wales reports.

He says that so far, local residents have not been fleeing their homes,
but there is the worry that the winds will pick up and change direction.

In 2009, more than 170 people died in the so-called Black Saturday firestorm
- Australia's worst natural disaster in modern times.
The End

0113
Net retailers back in drug business
from The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan.13, 2013

Many online retailers expressed their enthusiasm to resume or enter
the online drug sales market after the Supreme Court ruled a blanket
restriction on such sales was illegal and invalid.

While Friday's ruling liberalizes online sales of nonprescription drugs
for the time being, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will decide
on new regulations over such sales.

People suffering from medication-induced health problems voiced concern
that the deregulation could result in product safety being neglected.

After the ruling, Genri Goto, 45, president of Kenko.com Inc., one of
plaintiffs in the lawsuit the court was ruling on, said at a press
conference in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district, "Safety and convenience
can be compatible."

Just 1-1/2 hours after the ruling, the Tokyo-based online retailer
resumed sales of Category 1 drugs, which are believed to have
a high risk of side effects.

The company said from it will enhance its communication with
customers via telephone and e-mail and increase the number of pharmacists.

An official of Yokohama-based Wellnet Corp., the other plaintiff, said:
"As the right to sell was approved, we're also preparing to start selling
Category 1 and 2 medicine online."

Other companies have also taken actions following the top court's ruling.

An official of Rakuten Inc., which operates an online shopping site,
said: "We welcome the ruling. We'll improve conditions so retailers
on our site can safely sell nonprescription medicine."

Yahoo Japan Corp. also announced it would begin online sales of drugs.

While the ruling is likely to lead to a rapid expansion in online drug
sales, concerns about such liberalization remain deep-rooted.

According to the health ministry, over the five years to fiscal 2011
there were 1,220 reported cases of side effects to nonprescription drugs,
such as acute hepatitis.

There are also fears an increasing number of people will try to use
the easily available drugs to commit suicide.

According to the Japan Poison Information Center, it handled
245 cases in which people attempted to kill themselves
with nonprescription medicine in 2011.

Kazue Yuasa, 60, a representative of an association of patients of
Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), a side effect of medicine that causes
severe skin blisters, said: "I'm worried about whether necessary
information can properly be provided to patients in online sales.

"Risks and responsibilities will be passed on only to members of
the public, who may not have this knowledge."

However, Yoji Ochiai, a lawyer and expert on Internet-related issues,
said: "Online sales make it possible to reduce the risk of abuse and
medication-related incidents, as retailers can issue customer IDs or set up
a system to prevent orders from being filled unless side effects notices are read.

"There's no doubt online sales would improve consumers' convenience.
So the government should relax the regulations," he said.

Keio University Prof. Mayumi Mochizuki, an expert in medicine, said:
"Current nonprescription drug sales focus on safety...with pharmacies
providing customers information directly.

"However, at online retailers, consumers can click yes or no to questions
about their condition on computer screens. I'm doubtful about whether
safety can be ensured."
The End

0114-1
Chinese Air Pollution
Jan.14, 2013

Chinese media said on Monday the government had to take urgent action
to tackle air pollution, which has blanketed parts of the country at dangerous
levels in recent days, and one newspaper called for a re-think of a "fixation"
on economic growth.

China's media are under tight Communist Party control and usually steer clear
of controversy, but news organizations are more free to report on pollution,
partly because it can't be hidden from the public.

Air quality in Beijing was far above hazardous levels over the weekend,
reaching 755 on an index that measures particulate matter in the air
with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers. A level of 300 is considered dangerous
while the World Health Organization recommends a daily level of no more than 20.

"How can we get out of this suffocating siege of pollution ?"
the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, said
in a front-page editorial.

"Let us clearly view managing environmental pollution with a sense of urgency."

A thick smog shrouded the capital on the weekend, cutting visibility and
sending many people out to buy face masks in a bid to protect themselves.

It was the worst recorded air pollution in the capital, according to Zhou Rong,
climate and energy campaigner at Green peace.

Monday was again gloomy but the pollution index stood at 321 in the afternoon,
according to widely followed data collected by the U.S. Embassy from its own
measuring device.

The Global Times newspaper said the foul air "shocked locals ... triggering calls
from the public to shift the country's development model away from
the previous fixation on economic growth".

It said heavy smog was hanging over most of the north China plain.

"STAY INDOORS"

Cars pump out much of the pollution which fills the air on cold, windless days.
Many people burn coal for heat in the winter, and this winter is the coldest in years.

The China Daily blamed Beijing's tall buildings for trapping the pollution.

"The high-rises are too densely built and block the dirty air from dispersing," it said.

Many other cities showed alarmingly high pollution over the weekend.
About half of 74 cities monitored for air quality showed severe pollution,
the People's Daily said.

Particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers, known as PM2.5,
can cause cardiopulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infection,
according to the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.

Authorities advised citizens to stay indoors and ordered government car fleets
to cut back driving.

Beijing resident Xu Tingting, 27, said it was up to the government to do something:
"The air quality would be better if the government could take measures."

Ma Jun, founder of the Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs, said
a first step would be good monitoring and accurate data.

"There is no overnight solution to this," Ma told Reuters. "We need transparency
in information."

Users of China's Twitter-like microblogs complained extensively.

"Do you want to go to Beijing and become human vacuum cleaners"?
asked one microblog user under the name Educated With a Master's Degree.
The End

0114-2
Heavy Snow Paralyzed Kantoand Koshin regions
Jan.14, 2013

Snow fell on the Kanto and Koshin regions on Monday, blanketing
the capital for the first time this winter. Snow started falling in central
Tokyo at around 10 a.m.

The snowfall paralyzed traffic, affecting planes, trains, buses and cars,
as well as stranding young people taking part in traditional coming-of-age
ceremonies. Traffic came to a standstill on the expressways at about 3 p.m.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, 7 cms of snow fell
on Tokyo and Chiba and 8 cms on Yokohama. The temperature
in Tokyo at noon was 0.8 degrees, the agency said.

Policemen helped drivers shove cars stuck on snow-covered roads
while employees cleared the pavement in front of their shops.

Japanese airlines cancelled more than 460 domestic flights, mainly to or
from Tokyo’s Haneda airport where runways were temporarily closed
as workers removed snow, public broadcaster NHK said.

Dozens of train services in the capital were also cancelled.
Highways were also closed at many points in Tokyo and surrounding
areas, news reports and officials said. 891 people were injured in either traffic
accidents by slipping over, NHK reported.

The severe weather disrupted Coming-of Age Day ceremonies
across the nation on Monday, a national holiday at which 20-year-olds
celebrate legally reaching adulthood.

"The snow disappointed me as I was hoping for fine weather,”
a 20-year-old woman wearing a traditional kimono and sheltering
under an umbrella told TV Asahi at a ceremony hall in the city's western
district of Oume.

Other young women in colourful kimonos walked gingerly
through the snow-covered streets to the ceremonies.

The weather agency warned of further severe winter storms and
heavy snow overnight in eastern Japan.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that up to 40 cms of snow
is expected to fall in the Tokyo metropolitan region by 6 p.m.
The End

0115-1
Japanese auto sales in China hurt
by tensions between Beijing and Tokyo
from The Asahi Shimbun, Jan.15, 2013

China's auto sales rose 7.1 percent in 2012 after growth accelerated in December
as an economic recovery began to gain traction, an industry group reported on Jan. 11.

Sales in the world's biggest market by number of vehicles sold totaled
15.5 million units, the China Association of Auto Manufacturers said.
December sales rose 6.9 percent to 1.46 million vehicles.

Global automakers are looking to China to drive revenues amid weakness elsewhere.
But last year's growth was hampered by an economic slump and ownership
restrictions imposed by some cities to curb traffic and smog.

Full-year growth was healthy even though it came in below the CAAM's
earlier forecast of 8 percent, said Zhang Xin, an industry analyst
for Guotai Jun'an Securities in Beijing.

"The purchasing power of Chinese auto customers is pretty good," said Zhang.
"Growth in 2013 could be even better, even without any stimulus.
And the new government also is advocating expanding domestic demand."

The communist government is promoting auto manufacturing and
ownership but has tried to fine-tune policies to encourage sales of smaller,
more fuel-efficient vehicles. General Motors Co., Nissan Motor Co.
and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz have launched lower-priced Chinese brands
for the vast but poor rural market.

Sales that racked up monthly double digit increases in the first half of
the year decelerated as China's economic growth slowed to a three-year low
of 7.4 percent in the three months ended in September. Sales growth declined
steadily from June's 15.8 percent to 11 percent in July before bottoming out
at 3.7 percent in August.

As for China's new but ambitious domestic automakers, sales rose
6.1 percent to 6.5 million vehicles, meaning they lost market share to global rivals,
the association said. Their share of the passenger car market declined
0.4 percentage point from 2011 to 41.9 percent.

"They are hurt more by foreign brands than by local or the newly created local ones,"
said Zhang. "Competition in the future will be stronger and stronger, for sure."

Total vehicle sales including trucks and buses rose 7.1 percent in December
to 1.8 million vehicles, according to the CAAM. For the year, sales rose
4.3 percent to 19.3 million vehicles.

Also on Jan. 11, the Chinese government released a forecast that total vehicle sales
should rise to 20.8 million this year.

Among global automakers, Ford Motor Co. said earlier sales of Ford brand vehicles
in China rose 21 percent in 2012 to 626,616 vehicles. It said December sales rose
43 percent from a year earlier to 70,510.

Sales of Japanese brands were hurt by tensions between Beijing and Tokyo
over disputed islands in the East China Sea, which kept buyers away
from the showrooms of Japanese autos.

Nissan said its 2012 sales fell 5.3 percent to 1.18 million vehicles but beat
its forecast of 1.175 million. It said December sales of 90,400 vehicles
showed a "continuing recovery trend" over November but gave no details.

Daimler said Chinese sales of its Mercedes-Benz, Smart, AMG and
Maybach brands rose 4 percent over 2011 to 206,150 vehicles.
The End

0115-2
Music of the Night

You tube : Music of the night by Sarah Brightman

Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defences

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendour
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your face away from cold, unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night

Close you eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar
And you'll live as you've never lived before

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you

Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night

Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to go
Only then can you belong to me

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the harmony which dreams alone can write
The power of the music of the night
The End

0116
Women-power in New Hampshire
- from Congress to Halls of State,Women Rule
Jan.16, 2013

After the 2012's November election, New Hampshire turned pink.

Women won the state's two Congressional seats. Women already held
the state's two Senate seats. When they are all sworn into office
on Thursday, New Hampshire will become the first state in the nation's
history to send an all-female delegation to Washington.

New Hampshire's new governor is a woman. So are the speaker of
the State House and the chief justice of the State Supreme Court.

These women did not rise to the top together overnight. Nor was there
an orchestrated movement to elect them.

Each toiled in the political vineyards, climbed the ladder in her own time
and campaigned hard for her job.

But they have caught the state's collective imagination, inspiring forums
and media interest.

Women will make up 20 percent of the new Senate and 17.9 percent of
the new House. These are records in Washington, but they fall far short
of matching the 50.8 percent of the general population that is female.

While New Hampshire is doing more than its share of bolstering
the number of women on Capitol Hill, six states ? Alaska, Delaware,
Iowa, Mississippi, North Dakota and Vermont - have never elected
a woman to the House. And four of those - Delaware, Iowa, Mississippi
and Vermont - have never sent a woman to the Senate.

The state after New Hampshire, with the next highest proportion of
women in its Congressional delegation, is Hawaii, where both House
members and one senator are women.

In only three other states, Maine, Missouri and Washington, do women
make up at least half of the delegations. Sixteen states, including
New Jersey, have no women in Congress.

Although the women in New Hampshire are serving all at once
by happenstance, women have long held prominent positions
in New Hampshire government.

One reason is the size of the State House, a typical pipeline for aspiring
politicians. It has 400 members, making it the largest of the states
and the fourth-largest governing body in the English-speaking world
(after the United States Congress, the British Parliament and the Indian
Parliament). With so many seats available, women have a better chance
of being elected in New Hampshire than they have in many other states.

New Hampshire also has a long history of volunteerism, and serving
in the General Court, as the legislature is known, amounts to an act of
volunteerism because it pays just $100 a year, plus mileage. Every year
since 1975, more than 100 women have served.

Even if the legislature in New Hampshire is big, the state itself is small.
That makes it easier for everyone to know everyone else, and most
of the women in the Congressional delegation have intricate ties to one another.

Most of these women grew up with mothers who worked, which set
an example for them, and are mothers themselves, which, they say,
has given them practice at reaching compromise and solving problems.

They also had supportive families who urged them to run for office.
The End

0117
Boeing Dreamliner:
More grounded on safety concerns
from BBC News, Jan.17, 2013

Boeing's troubled 787 Dreamliner continues to face problems as more
global regulators and airlines grounded the plane on safety concerns.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered US airlines
to stop using 787s temporarily after a battery fault caused an emergency
landing in Japan.

Airlines in Chile and India quickly complied by grounding their Dreamliners.

Boeing said that it stood by the integrity of the 787.

A string of issues have raised questions about the 787's future.

In recent weeks Dreamliners have suffered incidents including fuel leaks,
a cracked cockpit window, brake problems and an electrical fire.
However, it is the battery problems that have caused the most concern.

On Wednesday, an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight made an emergency
landing because of a battery malfunction. That caused them to ground all 17
of their Dreamliners and Japan Airways followed suit.

The FAA said that airlines must demonstrate battery safety before flights
can resume.

'Every necessary step'

The FAA added that it had alerted the international aviation community
of its airworthiness directive so that other authorities could take
parallel action to cover the fleets operating in their countries.

Leithen Francis, from Aviation Week, said that could mean more bad
news for Boeing in the coming days.

"When the FAA issues an airworthiness directive civil aviation and
airlines around the world have to follow the FAA airworthiness directive,
particularly in regards to the 787 because it a US-designed and
developed aircraft," he told the BBC.

Boeing said it supported the FAA but added it was confident the 787 was safe.

Chief executive Jim McNerney said: "We will be taking every necessary step
in the coming days to assure our customers and the travelling public of
the 787's safety and to return the airplanes to service.

"Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had
on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience
to them and their passengers."

Boeing shares closed down more than 3% on Wall Street on Wednesday.

Complying airlines

United Airlines, the only US airline currently operating Dreamliners,
said it would immediately comply with the FAA's directive and
would begin re-accommodating customers on alternative aircraft.

Chile's LAN announced it would suspend usage of its three Dreamliners
in co-ordination with the Chilean Aeronautical Authority.

Indian aviation regulators also complied by ordering Air India
to stop operating its 787s.

"The FAA has issued an advisory to ground the Dreamliners. We took
a decision after that," said director general of civil aviation Arun Mishra.

"As of now there is no clarity on when the Dreamliners will be back
in service. Boeing has to satisfy everyone with safety standards."

Poland's Lot Airlines, which was due to launch its 787 transatlantic
service this week, has also been affected. It went ahead with its
first flight from Warsaw to Chicago on Wednesday afternoon,
but cancelled the return flight following the FAA's directive.

All together with the Japanese airlines, who are the Dreamliner's biggest
customers, more than four-fifths of the 787s in use are now not flying.

Mr Francis said this could have an effect on airlines currently considering
ordering 787s, causing them to choose rival Airbus' A330 instead,
which is a comparable aircraft and a proven product.

Under investigation

Late on Wednesday, the FAA said it would work with the manufacturer
and carriers on an action plan to allow the US 787 fleet to resume
operations as quickly and safely as possible.

"The in-flight Japanese battery incident followed an earlier 787 battery
incident that occurred on the ground in Boston on January 7, 2013,"
the regulator said.

"The AD (airworthiness directive) is prompted by this second incident
involving a lithium ion battery."

It said the battery failures resulted in the release of flammable
electrolytes, heat damage, and smoke, and the cause of the failures
was under investigation.

"These conditions, if not corrected, could result in damage to critical
systems and structures, and the potential for fire in the electrical
compartment," the FAA said.
The End

0118
Product Safety Is China's Achilles' Heel
Jan.18, 2013

Toxic and otherwise unsafe Chinese exports could derail the country's
economic miracle.

An International Hazard

We launched a national public-awareness project last year called
the Toxic Trade Campaign, involving thousands of union activists
who sponsored "Get the Lead Out" testing kits for American families
to screen China-made toys for lead paint.

Growing public outrage drove Congress to pass the Consumer
Product Safety Commission Reform Act of 2008.

It's a good first step toward holding Chinese manufacturers accountable
when they introduce products that risk public health and safety.

China exports of toxic toys, filthy seafood, unsafe steel and tires,
poisoned milk and pet food have jolted the Asian nation's remarkable
economic growth. It was built on a strategy of flooding America
and the world with cheap, government-subsidized, unfairly traded,
and often unregulated exports.

The axiom "Cheap goods carry a high price" rings truer each day
as Chinese manufacturers issue recall after recall of low-cost, toxic goods.

As buyers became more wary, demand weakened, and now the world's
financial crisis has hit China. Scores of factories have closed across
the Asian country, including half of its toy exporters. The 3 million U.S.
manufacturing jobs that have been offshored to China since 2001 make
for an economics lesson the congressional act alone cannot fix.

What was cheap yesterday in U.S. retail box stores now bears
the true price of the China economic miracle for us all.

China Has Solutions Under Way

Like the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, China is learning
some hard lessons about the responsibilities that come along with a booming
industrial economy. Those lessons are being taught by its own people,
as well as the responses of its export partners when a product fails
to meet acceptable standards.

The good news is that China's leaders have been working with U.S. officials
and companies to improve standards and step up enforcement. The question now
is whether China can implement those changes. All the regulations in the world
cannot make a difference without proper enforcement.

U.S. consumers and companies have a big stake in the outcome. American
consumers obviously want safe products, and U.S. companies want a strong
Chinese economy to consume our products. China is now the third-largest
customer for American exports?and growing far faster than our other major markets.

We have more allies in China on this issue than opponents. Chinese
consumers want safe products, too. Legitimate Chinese producers don't want
to be tainted by the bad actors. China's government is concerned about
the "Made in China" brand.

The Chinese are learning a tough lesson in the marketplace. They have more
to do?just as we do here in the U.S.?but we should work with them
to ensure the safety of both Chinese and American consumers.
The End

0119
Battery problem may have grounded ANA 787
from The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan.19, 2013

Overheated batteries may have caused a Boeing 787 passenger jet
to make an emergency landing at Takamatsu Airport on Wednesday
after a strange smell was detected in the plane, according to transport
safety authorities.

The incident occurred as the cutting-edge airliner, operated
by All Nippon Airways, was flying over Kagawa Prefecture.

The Japan Transport Safety Board said the incident was likely caused
by the overeating of lithium-ion batteries used for plane operation control,
as an electrolyte leak was detected.

The board examined the plane Wednesday evening to determine
whether the incident is related to the case of a Japan Airlines 787
in which a small fire occurred at Boston's Logan International Airport
after arrival from Tokyo on Jan. 7. Both planes use the same type of
batteries.

The main batteries in the ANA plane are located in a compartment
for electronics systems behind and underneath the cockpit.
The batteries, which can heat up and ignite in abnormal conditions,
are stored in a metal container with a control apparatus.

The safety board found the container had turned black due to electrolyte
believed to have spilled inside it. The liquid also was found on the floor
of the plane.

Sources said the batteries were replaced in October following a problem
with engine ignition. The airplane was introduced in January last year.

According to GS Yuasa Corp., the Kyoto-based manufacturer of
the lithium-ion batteries, petroleum solvent is used for the batteries'
electrolyte, a solution that can come to a boil and cause a spill when
batteries overheat due to overcharge or overdischarge.

On Thursday, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry
issued a technical circular directive to ANA and JAL to temporarily
ground all Boeing 787s following the issuance of a similar airworthiness
directive by the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority to U.S. airlines.
The End

0120-1
Algeria crisis-Captors and hostages die in assault:
Why Algeria acted alone ?
January 20, 2013

A four-day siege at a gas facility in the Sahara desert has ended,
with militants and some hostages killed.

Seven hostages were killed by their captors during a final raid by Algerian troops
- at least 23 hostages and 32 hostage-takers died in the four-day stand-off,
Algerian officials say.

Five Britons are feared dead or missing - five Norwegians are unaccounted for.

US President Barack Obama said blame for the violent outcome rested
with the "terrorists" behind the attack.

"We will continue to work closely with all of our partners to combat the scourge
of terrorism in the region," said Mr Obama.

His defence secretary, Leon Panetta, earlier told the BBC the US would go
after al-Qaeda wherever they tried to hide.

French President Francois Hollande defended the Algerian response to the crisis
as being "the most suitable".

"When you have people taken hostage in such large numbers by terrorists
with such cold determination and ready to kill those hostages - as they did -
Algeria has an approach which to me, as I see it, is the most appropriate
because there could be no negotiation," he told journalists.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said that "one British citizen has already
been killed in this brutal attack and we now fear the worst for the lives of
five others who are not yet accounted for".

"There is no justification for taking innocent life in this way.
Our determination is stronger than ever to work with allies right
around the world to root out and defeat this terrorist scourge and
those who encourage it," Mr Cameron said.

Clearing mines

The In Amenas gas field is situated at Tigantourine, about 40km
south-west of the town of In Amenas and 1,300km south-east of Algiers.

The plant is jointly run by BP, Norway's Statoil and Algeria's state-owned
oil company.

The militants had been involved in a stand-off since Thursday
after trying to occupy the remote site.

Details are still sketchy, but unconfirmed reports say the hostage-takers
summarily killed the remaining seven hostages before themselves
being killed in a final army raid.

Citing a provisional total from the interior ministry, state news agency
APS said 685 Algerian workers and 107 out of 132 foreigners working
at the plant had been freed.

At least 23 hostages are known to have died, but the nationalities of some
are still not known.

With 14 Japanese nationals thought to be missing, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
said he had received "severe information" about the fate of the hostages.

The chief executive of BP group said 14 of its 18 staff were safe -
the company had "grave fears" for the other four.

Helge Lund, chief executive of Norway's Statoil, said the company was still
missing five workers and feared "bad news", Reuters news agency reported.

Algerian national oil and gas company Sonatrach said the army was now
clearing mines planted by the militants.

The Algerian interior ministry said troops had recovered:

six machine guns
21 rifles
two shotguns
two 60mm mortars with shells
six 60mm missiles with launchers
two rocket-propelled grenades with eight rockets
10 grenades in explosive belts
Weapons allegedly seized from the kidnappers were shown on Algerian TV.

The crisis began on Wednesday when militants attacked two buses carrying
foreign workers. A Briton and an Algerian reportedly died in the incident.

The militants then took Algerians and expatriates hostage at the complex.
The leader of the hostage-takers is said to be a veteran fighter from Niger,
named as Abdul Rahman al-Nigeri by the Mauritanian news agency ANI,
which has been in contact with the militants.

The Algerian armed forces attacked on Thursday as militants tried
to move some of their captives from the facility.

APS reported before Saturday's raid that a group of militants remained
at the site, holed up in a workshop with the remaining hostages and armed
with rocket-launchers and machine guns.

A statement from the kidnappers said the assault on the gas plant was
launched in retaliation for French intervention against Islamist groups
in neighbouring Mali.
The End

0120-2
China opposes US comment about Diaoyu Islands
Jan.20, 2013

China is firmly opposed to comments made by the United States
about the Diaoyu Islands, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Sunday.

Qin was answering media questions relating to comments US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton made on Friday.

Qin said, "We urge the US side to adopt a responsible attitude in regard
to the issue of the Diaoyu Islands. It should be careful with its words, and
act and maintain regional peace, stability and the general situation of
China-US relations with practical actions and build credit with the Chinese people."

At a joint news conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida
in Washington, Clinton said the United States does not take a position
on the ultimate sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands.

However, she admitted that the Diaoyu Islands was under the administrative
authority of Japan, saying the United States opposes any unilateral actions
to undermine Japanese authority over the islands.

"The comments by the US side are ignorant of facts and indiscriminate
of rights and wrongs," Qin said.

The United States cannot deny its historical responsibility on the issue of
the Diaoyu Islands, Qin said, referring to the fact that despite opposition
from China, the United States put the islands under the control of Japan
after the World War II.

Qin said the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islets have been the inherent
territories of China, which is an undeniable fact backed up by historical
records and international laws.

Qin said the primary source of persistent tension over the Diaoyu Islands
lies with the Japanese government. He said Japan insisted on carrying out
the wrongful action of purchasing some of the islands and continued
to adopt escalating moves.

"This is yet another fact that cannot be covered up by any people," Qin said.
The End

0121
Heavy pollution in Beijing as smog returns
Jan.21, 2013

The air quality in Beijing Municipality fell to dangerous levels again
on Saturday after only a few days of blue skies.

Fog started lingering in the city on Friday night, taking the PM2.5
concentration to between 300 and 400 micrograms per cubic meter of air,
or Level VI, which is at a dangerous level, according to Beijing
Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center statistics.

PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter.

The weather forecast bureau has issued yellow alerts for fog and haze,
the third highest level following red and orange.

Visibility in the city's southern region will be less than 500 meters
during daytime Saturday. A haze with a visibility less than 3,000 meters
is expected to cover most of the city.

The city's environmental protection departments have advised residents,
especially the elderly and children to stay indoors, and urged
relevant departments to tell companies to take measures to curb emissions.

According to the weather forecast, it will snow on Saturday evening
through to Sunday morning, which is likely to improve the air quality.

Beijingers suffered from heavy smog for seven days through until
Wednesday, when a cold front with wind dispersed it.

The air quality indices were off the charts during the seven days,
exceeding the "maximum" level of 500 in the city, as well as
many other cities in central and north China.
The End

0122-1
Xi Jinping vows unswerving fight against Corruption
Jan.22, 2013

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of China (CPC), vowed to unswervingly fight against corruption
during a CPC disciplinary watchdog meeting on Tuesday.

Xi said anti-corruption efforts must be consistent and will never slacken.

"We must have the resolution to fight every corrupt phenomenon,
punish every corrupt official and constantly eradicate the soil which
breeds corruption, so as to earn people's trust with actual results," he said.

Xi made the vow during a speech at a plenary meeting of the CPC's
Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan and
Zhang Gaoli, members of the Standing Committee of the Political
Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, were present at the meeting.

Wang Qishan, secretary of the CCDI and also a member of
the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central
Committee, presided over Tuesday's meeting.

The CCDI's plenary session opened on Monday.
The End

0122-2
RECHARGING JAPAN
- Internationalization will help curb Brain Drain
from The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan.22, 2013

This is the sixth installment in a series focusing on the present state of
Japan's "brains" from various perspectives.

Seen from a campus perched above it, the azure sea off Okinawa is
a beautiful sight.

At the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate
University (OIST) in Onna, Okinawa Prefecture, half of researchers hail
from outside Japan, and they speak to each other in English.

Its unique campus building has only one entrance to facilitate interaction
among people.

As the campus building has ample common areas, researchers can
have exchanges with others relatively easily.

OIST is a special graduate school, established as part of the central
government's measures to promote development of Okinawa Prefecture.

It carries none of the academic shackles seen in universities elsewhere.
It offers only a five-year PhD science program, which includes
multidisciplinary research. The school recruits academics in diverse fields
from around the world, encouraging a free intellectual exchange.

Satoshi Mitarai, a 42-year-old associate professor who spent extensive time
in the United States, came to OIST in 2009, turning down an offer
from a top-notch oceanology research institute in the United States.

"I was fascinated by the interesting atmosphere here. I didn't want
to leave my network of top researchers, but I thought I could bring
them here, instead," he said.

After carrying out many joint international research projects,
he is expected to produce tangible results in his research on coral reefs
and other areas.

Colleagues working in nearby labs include a 33-year-old American
physicist of Indian decent and a 38-year-old Palestinian nanoparticle
researcher. There are other cutting-edge researchers from diverse
backgrounds working in various fields.

Simply put, OIST is not like a Japanese university.

The institute was created to provide an attractive research environment
through the strategic injection of government funds into Okinawa,
a beautiful, natural crossroads of Asia and Oceania.

Needless to say, it remains to be seen whether the institute will
produce tangible results. The possibility that research carried out
at the institute may end up wasting taxpayers' money is not small.
But in reality, exceptional talents have begun coming to OIST
from around the world.

National boundaries are disappearing in science. Young scientists who
have left Japan will return, having gained valuable skills. Foreign
students who have studied in Japan will return to their home countries,
becoming key players in linking Japan internationally.

A dynamic "cycle of brains" will eventually benefit Japan. The biotech
and computer industries, which the United States excels at,
are supported by scientists from around the world.

Yet in Japanese universities, where faculty members are mostly Japanese
and only a few foreign students study, the manpower migration cycle
will stall, and there will be no hope of joining the international cycle of
intellectual growth.

Silicon Valley in the United States came into being with Stanford
University at its core.

OIST President Jonathan Dorfan, who was recruited from Stanford,
said he hopes the area around the university will become Japan's
Silicon Valley.
The End

0124
North Korea 'plans third nuclear test'
Jan.24, 2013

North Korea says it is proceeding with plans for a third nuclear test.

In a statement carried by KCNA news agency, the country's top military
body said the "high-level nuclear test" and more long-range rocket
launches were aimed at its "arch-enemy", the US.

The statement gave no time-frame for the test. North Korea has
conducted two nuclear tests, in 2006 and 2009.

The move comes two days after a UN Security Council resolution
condemned Pyongyang's recent rocket launch.

The Security Council also expanded sanctions against the isolated
communist country following its December launch, which was seen
by the US and North Korea's neighbours as a banned test of long-range
missile technology.

North Korea said the rocket was solely aimed at putting a satellite
into space for peaceful purposes.

'Ready'

The statement, which came from North Korea's National Defence
Commission, hit out at the resolution as "illegal", before pledging
a response.

"We do not hide that the various satellites and long-range rockets
we will continue to launch, as well as the high-level nuclear test
we will proceed with, are aimed at our arch-enemy,
the United States," KCNA quoted it as saying.

"Settling accounts with the US needs to be done with force,
not with words," it added.

Recent reports from South Korean and US bodies which monitor
North Korea's nuclear test sites had said North Korea could be
preparing for a third test.

Earlier on Thursday, a South Korean defence ministry spokesman
said it appeared that North Korea was "ready to conduct a nuclear
test at anytime if its leadership decides to go ahead".

Regional neighbours and the US have urged it not to proceed.

"We hope they don't do it, we call on them not to do it.
It will be a mistake and a missed opportunity if they were to do it,"
said Glyn Davies, the US special envoy on North Korea policy
who is currently visiting Seoul.

"This is not a moment to increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

A South Korean foreign ministry spokesman said Seoul deeply
regretted the North Korean statement and "strongly" urged it not
to go ahead.

China's foreign ministry, meanwhile, called on all relevant parties
to "refrain from action that might escalate the situation in the region".

Beijing - North Korea's closest ally and biggest trading partner -
backed Tuesday's Security Council resolution, something which
correspondents say will have angered its northern neighbour.

'High-level'

Both North Korea's previous nuclear tests followed long-range rocket
launches.

If it were to go ahead, this would be the first nuclear test under
Kim Jong-un, who took over the leadership after the death of
his father Kim Jong-il in December 2011.

There was no explanation in the statement of what "high-level" test
might mean.

Experts believe the two previous tests used plutonium as fissile
material, but North Korea is also believed to have been working
on a programme to produce highly-enriched uranium.

It is thought that North Korea is not yet able to make a nuclear
device small enough to mount on a long-range missile,
although the US believes that is Pyongyang's ultimate goal.
The End

0125
from The Moon and Sixpence Chapter XIX
by Somerset Maugham
Related Sight:Practice the English Copy-Writing Method Every Day �A

'Why should you think that
beauty, which is the most precious thing in the world,
lies like a stone on the beach for the careless passer-by
to pick up idly ? 　

Beauty is something wonderful and strange
that the artist fashions out of the chaos of the world
in the torment of his soul.

And when he has made it, it is not given to all to know it.

To recognize it you must repeat the adventure of the artist.
It is a melody that he sings to you,
and to hear it again in your own heart you want knowledge and
sensitiveness and imagination.'
The End

0126
Trade deficit climbs to 32-year high
- 6.93 trillion yen figure nearly triple on year
from The Yomiuri Shimbun Jan.26, 2013

Japan posted a record 6.93 trillion yen trade deficit for 2012,
according to the latest figures released by the Finance Ministry,
the largest since the nation recorded a 2.61 trillion yen deficit in 1980,
just after the second oil shock in 1979.

The figure is primarily attributed to a decline in exports and an increase
in imports, namely a fall in exports to Europe and China, and
record-high imports of liquefied natural gas for thermal power generation.

Marking the second consecutive year the nation has posted a trade
deficit, the figure was 2.7 times bigger than 2.56 trillion yen in 2011.

Exports declined for the second year in a row to 63.74 trillion yen,
down 2.7 percent from 2011.

Exports to the European Union decreased by 14.7 percent to 6.5 trillion yen.
Due to the European fiscal crisis, exports of vehicles and other products
shrank last year.

Exports to China also decreased by 10.8 percent from 2011 to 11.51
trillion yen, down for two years in a row. In addition to a decline
in exports of such products as industrial engines and steel products,
the figure reflected the adverse effects of a boycott of Japanese
vehicles in China as a result of the territorial dispute over
the Senkaku Islands.

Meanwhile, imports for fiscal 2012 stood at 70.67 trillion yen,
up 3.8 percent from 2011 for the third consecutive yearly increase.
LNG imports reached a record high of more than 6 trillion yen,
up 25.4 percent from 2011. Imports of smartphones from China also
jumped in 2012.

As a result, the nation's trade deficit with China ballooned
to a record high of 3.52 trillion yen. Japan also posted its first-ever
trade deficit with the European Union at 139.7 billion yen.

In relations with the United States, however, Japan posted
a 5.1 trillion yen trade surplus due mainly to a recovery in auto exports.

December trade figures, also released on Thursday by the ministry,
showed Japan posted a trade deficit for the sixth consecutive
month at 641.5 billion yen. It marked the nation's largest monthly
deficit since January 1979, when comparable data became available.
The trade deficit was 208.3 billion yen one year earlier in December 2011.
The End

0127


Global Warming & Climate Change
Jan. 27, 2013

Global warming has become perhaps the most complicated issue
facing world leaders.

Warnings from the scientific community are becoming louder,
as an increasing body of science points to rising dangers
from the ongoing buildup of human-related greenhouse gases ?
produced mainly by the burning of fossil fuels and forests.

Global emissions of carbon dioxide were at a record high in 2011
and were likely to take a similar jump in 2012, scientists reported
in early December 2012 ? the latest indication that efforts
to limit such emissions are failing.

Over all, global emissions jumped 3 percent in 2011 and are expected
to jump another 2.6 percent in 2012, researchers reported.

The new figures show that emissions are falling, slowly, in some of
the most advanced countries, including the United States.

That apparently reflects a combination of economic weakness,
the transfer of some manufacturing to developing countries
and conscious efforts to limit emissions, like the renewable power
targets that many American states have set.

The boom in the natural gas supply from hydraulic fracturing is also
a factor, since natural gas is supplanting coal at many power stations,
leading to lower emissions.

But the decline of emissions in the developed countries is
more than matched by continued growth in developing countries
like China and India, the new figures show.

Coal, the dirtiest and most carbon-intensive fossil fuel,
is growing fastest, with coal-related emissions leaping
more than 5 percent in 2011, compared with the previous year.

Emissions continue to grow so rapidly that an international goal
of limiting the ultimate warming of the planet to 3.6 degrees,
established three years ago, is on the verge of becoming unattainable,
said researchers affiliated with the Global Carbon Project,
a network of scientists that tracks emissions.

Yet nations around the world, despite a formal treaty pledging
to limit warming ? and 20 years of negotiations aimed
at putting it into effect ? have shown little appetite for the kinds
of controls required to accomplish that goal.

For almost two decades, the United Nations has sponsored annual global talks,
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
an international treaty signed nearly 200 countries to cooperatively discuss
global climate change and its impact. The conferences operate
on the principle of consensus, meaning that any of the participating
nations can hold up an agreement.

The conflicts and controversies discussed are monotonously familiar:
the differing obligations of industrialized and developing nations,
the question of who will pay to help poor nations adapt,
the urgency of protecting tropical forests and the need to rapidly develop
and deploy clean energy technology.
The End

0128
JCG to create 600-strong Senkaku unit
Jan.28, 2013

To beef up security around the Senkaku Islands, the Japan Coast Guard
will create a 600-member unit exclusively engaged in front-line
missions in waters around the islands, where spotting Chinese
vessels has become a daily operation, according to sources.

The JCG also plans to newly deploy 12 patrol ships in the area
around the islands in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture.

Improved JCG functions are considered necessary to better handle
possible intrusions by Chinese vessels into Japan's territorial waters
over a prolonged period.

The JCG plans to establish improved systems with increased staff
and equipment in three years, mainly for the Ishigaki branch
of the JCG's 11th regional headquarters, which oversees waters
around Okinawa Prefecture, the sources said.

Since the Japanese government nationalized Uotsurijima and
two other islets of the Senkaku Islands in September,
Chinese surveillance ships have repeatedly entered waters
near the islands--almost every day except under bad weather conditions.
Intrusions into Japan's territorial waters took place on 24 days in total.

Although 10 or more Chinese vessels were spotted in each such
incident shortly after the nationalization of islands, the number
has recently decreased to about five.

But four Chinese vessels stayed in Japan's territorial waters for about 13
hours from around noon on Jan. 7 through early next morning.

To respond to these incidents, 1,000-ton-class or larger patrol ships
are considered the most suitable vessels. But the 11th Regional
Coast Guard Headquarters in Naha currently has only seven such vessels,
including three for the Ishigaki Coast Guard Office.

The JCG has dispatched patrol ships from other parts of the nation
to the 11th regional headquarters to help its security operations.
But this has caused problems such as drills at sea being cut short.
A senior JCG official said, "If the situation remains as it is, it may
cause serious problems even in marine rescue operations across the nation."

The JCG therefore decided to significantly expand its functions to guard
territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands and add 12 more vessels.

It already has started building four 1,000-ton-class patrol vessels
with reserve funds for this fiscal year. Costs for the construction of
six more ships of the same type are included in a supplementary budget
approved by the Cabinet on Jan. 15. The JCG also plans to deploy
two more ships, called the Patrol Vessel Large with Helicopter,
by means such as refurbishing vessels currently in service.

About 40 crew members are said to be necessary for each 1,000-ton-class
patrol ship. The JCG intends to request an increase of 500 members
from fiscal 2014 to fiscal 2015 when 10 new vessels are to be completed.
Combined with crew members for PLH vessels, the size of the new unit
is expected to be about 600, according to the sources.

To increase the vessels' operational efficiency, the JCG plans to introduce
a rotational system for crew members.

The JCG plans to make Ishigaki Port, the base nearest to the Senkaku
Islands, capable of anchoring about five large patrol vessels.
Only two such vessels can be anchored there at present, the sources
said. It has started coordination with the Ishigaki city government and
other entities through the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry.

The JCG aims to complete the creation of a new unit by the end of
fiscal 2015, the sources said.
The End

0129
Major floods hammer northern Australia
Jan.29, 2013

A man was missing in raging floodwaters and hundreds of homes were
evacuated in northeastern Australia as storms pelted the Queensland state
on Sunday, with the army put on standby as the weather worsened.

Towns and cities devastated by floods in Queensland two years ago which
claimed 35 lives were bracing for another devastating inundation as
ex-tropical cyclone Oswald hammered the northern state.

A 27-year-old man was missing after he attempted to cross a swollen creek
near Gympie north of Brisbane and a swift-water rescue team lost their
boat trying to retrieve him, according to the town’s mayor Ron Dyne.

Dyne said a number of people had been forced to retreat to the roofs
of their homes to await rescue from the rising waters, with the centre
of Gympie expected to flood later Sunday.

“At this stage, we’ve got major concerns,” said Dyne. “Everything’s
occurred rather rapidly given the amount of rain we’ve had.”

Further north, major flooding was expected in the towns of Bundaberg
and Gladstone, with hundreds of homes and businesses at risk, some of
which had only just been rebuilt following the 2011 floods.

An emergency evacuation warning was issued in Bundaberg after the Burnett
River broke its banks on Sunday afternoon. It was expected to peak
at more than nine metres, well in excess of the devastating 7.92m seen in 2011.

In Biloela, west of Bundaberg, a woman had to be plucked to safety
after spending eight hours clinging to the branches of a tree.

The Insurance Council of Australia declared a state wide catastrophe,
noting there had already been “severe inundation…in several towns
and cities” and that major flood warnings had been issued.

“Unfortunately, this catastrophe declaration is the result of the first
cyclone to come close to the coast this season, and the weather bureau
has warned it’s highly possible we will see more before the end of
summer,” said ICA chief Rob Whelan.

At least one international flight was diverted from Brisbane to Sydney
due to the high winds and Qantas has cancelled a number of domestic
services, with the Sunshine Coast regional airport shut down.

About 900 homes had been evacuated in the Gladstone region and
about 100 backpackers were sheltering in a community centre
at Rainbow Beach after being removed from Fraser Island according to Dyne.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said the army was on standby
to assist in the unfolding emergency.

“The challenge now is that we’ve got multiple events going on,”
Newman told reporters, adding that he had spoken with Prime Minister
Julia Gillard.

The weather bureau said there had been reports of “possible
tornado activity” throughout southeastern Queensland overnight and
warned that further storms were likely, bringing “significant damage
or destruction to homes and property”.

Cyclones and floods are common in Australia’s northeast during
the warmer summer months. A massive inundation of Queensland
in 2011 killed 35 people and brought Brisbane to a standstill
for several days, swamping some 30,000 homes.
The End

0130
BP's record $4bn
Deepwater criminal penalties approved
January 30, 2013

A US court has approved the biggest criminal penalties in US history
given to British oil giant BP as part of a settlement related to
the fatal 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.

In November, BP said it would pay $4bn to the US Department
of Justice
and agreed to plead guilty to 14 criminal charges.

The sum included a $1.26bn fine.

The Deepwater Horizon incident was one of the worst environmental
disasters in US history.

It killed 11 workers and released millions of barrels of crude
into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days.

At the latest hearing Luke Keller, a Vice President of BP America,
told the court, the families of the dead, and other victims of the tragedy
of the company's regret and apologised for its role in the Deepwater
Horizon accident.

"We - and by that I mean the men and the women of
the management of BP, its board of directors, and its many employees
- are deeply sorry for the tragic loss of the 11 men who died and
the others who were injured that day," said Mr Keller.

"Our guilty plea makes clear, BP understands and acknowledges its role
in that tragedy, and we apologise - BP apologises - to all those
injured and especially to the families of the lost loved ones.

"BP is also sorry for the harm to the environment that resulted from the spill,
and we apologise to the individuals and communities who were injured."

Two BP workers have been indicted on manslaughter charges and
an ex-manager charged with misleading Congress.

The oil giant has been selling assets worth billions of pounds to raise
money to settle all claims. The company is expected to make
a final payment of $860m into the $20bn Gulf of Mexico compensation
fund by the end of the year.

The resolution with the DoJ includes a record criminal fine of $1.26bn,
as well as $2.4bn to be paid to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
and $350m to be paid to the National Academy of Sciences, over
a period of five years.

"Today's guilty plea and sentencing represent a significant step
forward in the Justice Department's ongoing efforts to seek justice
on behalf of those affected by one of the worst environmental disasters
in American history," said US Attorney General Eric Holder.

"I'm pleased to note that more than half of this landmark resolution
- which totals $4bn in penalties and fines, and represents the single
largest criminal resolution ever - will help to provide direct support
to Gulf Coast residents as communities throughout the region continue
to recover and rebuild."

BP will also pay an $525m to the Securities and Exchange
Commission over a period of three years.

Other companies involved included Transocean, the owner of
the rig and responsible for the safety valve known as the blowout
preventer, and Halliburton, who provided cementing services.

BP is yet to reach a settlement with these firms. A civil trial that will
determine negligence is due to begin in New Orleans in February.
The End

0131
US economy shrinks a surprise 0.1%
in fourth quarter
Jan.31, 2013

The US economy unexpectedly shrank at an annualised rate of 0.1%
in the fourth quarter of 2012, initial official estimates indicate.

If confirmed, it would be the first contraction logged
by the US economy since the 2009 global recession.

The world's largest economy grew 3.1% in July to September.

The fourth quarter period was dominated by the "fiscal cliff"
- the spending cuts and tax rises that had been due to come
into force from 1 January.

These were avoided by a last-minute deal between the Republican
-dominated Congress and the White House. However, economists
warned at the time that fears of an abrupt cut in government
spending were undermining business and consumer confidence.

However, part of that deal includes tax rises for the highest-earning
Americans and - more significantly for the economy - the expiry
of a payroll tax holiday for all US employees, something which is
widely expected by economists to further weigh on growth during
the current quarter.

Spending cuts

The fourth-quarter shrinkage in economic output comes as a shock
to analysts on Wall Street, who had been expecting 1.1% growth
according to a poll by news agency Reuters. Not one economist
surveyed had predicted an economic contraction.

It will add to pressure on the US Federal Reserve to do more
to stimulate the economy. Members of its Federal Open Markets
Committee are due to announce the conclusions of their latest
policy-setting meeting later on Wednesday, and will have had
an advance look at the economic data.

Growth was dragged down by a 22% cut in the federal
government's defence spending - the biggest since 1972,
when the US was winding down from the end of the Vietnam War
- and by the decision of many businesses to halt the rapid
rebuilding of their inventories that began over the summer.

These two relatively volatile components of the data subtracted
a combined 2.6 percentage points from the overall growth figure.

Consumer spending did pick up, as did business investment,
suggesting that the economy may have some underlying momentum.
Sales of computers and cars both made positive contributions
to the economy's performance.

Residential investment also grew 15%, adding to evidence
that the housing market has finally turned the corner.

"Frankly, this is the best-looking contraction in US
[gross domestic product] you'll ever see," said Paul Ashworth,
an economist at Capital Economics, in a note to clients.
"The drag from defence spending and inventories is a one-off.
The rest of the report is all encouraging."

The October-to-December period was also negatively affected
by Storm Sandy, which caused the closure of many factories
and businesses in the New York area, and by a sharp drop in exports.

Growth for 2012 as a whole came in at 2.2%, up from 1.8%
in 2011, but still unusually slow compared with previous economic
recoveries in the US following recessions in the post-War era.

Debt ceiling

Looking ahead, domestic spending in the current quarter is
expected to be dogged by further uncertainty over the federal
government's tax and spending.

Workers have already experienced a 2% average cut in their
take-home pay, due to the expiry of the payroll tax holiday.
That means a household earning $50,000 a year will have about
$1,000 less to spend.

The income lost is likely to have been behind a sharp fall
in consumer confidence recorded by surveys in January.

Meanwhile, the recently re-elected President Barack Obama
and Congress are expected to clash once again in the coming
months over the debt ceiling.

The US Treasury is approaching the $16.4tn legal limit
on its total debt, and must gain permission from Congress
to borrow the money needed for it to continue meeting its bills.

Last time there was a stand-off over the issue, in the summer
of 2011, the political deadlock prompted ratings agency Standard &
Poor's to deprive the US of its top AAA rating, a move that sent
stock markets sharply lower.

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to extend
the country's debt limit until May, deferring the budget debate
for a few months at least.
The End


関連サイト：

特選航空写真集　志村英盛撮影　Aerial Photos Taken by Hidemori Shimura

予習挑戦型へ脱皮して潜在能力を開発する

１．毎日コピー(複写)英作文法実践で英語脳を創る�@

２．毎日コピー(複写)英作文法実践で英語脳を創る�A

３．毎日コピー(複写)英作文法実践で英語脳を創る�B

４．毎日コピー(複写)英作文法実践で英語脳を創る�C