ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 23/9/18-22

ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 23/9/18(月)そごう・西武労組異例のストライキ
SOGO & SEIBU LABOR UNION GOES ON STRIKE
Sogo % Seibu labor union goes on strike
2023年8月31日のニュース

The labor union of the Sogo & Seibu department store chain has staged a one-day strike, in a rare protest for the industry. The flagship store in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district was shut down on Thursday.
The strike is in response to the planned sale of the struggling department store. Sogo & Seibu’s parent company Seven & i Holdings decided in November to sell it to U.S.-based firm Fortress Investment Group.
The labor union’s objection stems from worries about job losses. The strike is the first at a major department store in Japan in about 60 years.
Seven & i held a board meeting earlier in the day and approved a sale worth 220 billion yen, or 1.5 billion dollars.
Fortress Investment’s Japanese unit says the firm will do its best to keep Sogo & Seibu’s department store business going. It also says it will work with Seven & i to preserve as many jobs as possible.

ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 23/9/19(火) ロンドン排ガス規制区域拡大へ
LONDON’S CLEAN-AIR TOLL EXPANDED TO ENTIRE CITY
London’s clean-air toll expanded to entire city
2023年8月29日のニュース

Driving in London just got a lot more expensive with a controversial anti-pollution measure taking effect citywide. From Tuesday, if your vehicle doesn’t meet emissions standards, you’ll have to pay to enter the capital.
The “Ultra Low Emission Zone” was introduced in 2019, but only for a part of the city center. Now it covers the whole of Greater London. Entering the zone in a non-compliant vehicle will cost 12 pounds 50, or about 16 dollars.
The idea is to improve London’s air quality. But the plan has faced strong opposition from people already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis. They say the toll penalizes those who can’t afford the latest vehicles.

(Citizen)
“It’s wrong. Absolutely wrong. And it’s hitting the poorest people in society. Everything in this country’s gone up.”

(Citizen)
“It’s not like central London where you can jump on a bus, jump on a tube, anything like that. We need our vehicles.”

ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 23/9/20(水) 豪先住民に関する国民投票へ
AUSTRALIA TO VOTE ON RECOGNIZING FIRST PEOPLES IN CONSTITUTION
Australia to vote on recongnizing first peoples in constitution
2023年8月30日のニュース

Australia’s prime minister has announced that a referendum will be held in October to change the constitution to recognize the country’s Indigenous peoples.

(Anthony Albanese / Australian Prime Minister)
“Today, I announce that referendum day will be the 14th of October. On that day, every Australian will have a once-in-a-generation chance to bring our country together and to change it for the better.”

A “yes” vote would establish a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. That would give the country’s First Peoples a say in key policies that affect them.
Indigenous Australians account for about three percent of the population. They still face disadvantages, including discrimination and poor outcomes in health and education.
Opinion polls showed that many Australians supported the plan in April. But a survey conducted last month showed 41 percent of respondents supported the plan, while 48 percent opposed it.

ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 23/9/21(木) 辺野古工事めぐる裁判沖縄県の敗訴確定
OKINAWA OBLIGED TO APPROVE WORK ON U.S. BASE RELOCATION
Okinawa obliged to approve work on U.S base relocation
2023年9月4日のニュース

Japan’s Supreme Court has ruled against Okinawa Prefecture over a landfill project to relocate a U.S. military facility. Okinawa opposes the construction of the new airfield within the prefecture.
The central government started reclamation work in 2018 to move the Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City to the Henoko district in Nago City. About 70 percent of the reclamation site was found to have soft ground.
The central government looked to revise the original plan to solidify the area. But the prefecture refused to approve the revision and the reclamation work stopped.
The central government issued a directive last year for the Okinawa government to approve the revision. But the prefecture filed a suit against the directive, saying it was illegal.
The top court on Monday upheld the high court ruling that said the central government’s involvement was legitimate and rejected Okinawa’s appeal.

ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 23/9/22(金) “腸内細菌がインスリンの働きに関与”
RESEARCHERS: GUT BACTERIA MAY PROTECT AGAINST DIABETES
Reserches: Gut bacteria may protect against diabetes
2023年9月4日のニュース

Japanese researchers say they’ve found a type of intestinal bacteria that may help prevent the development of diabetes. They say it may help activate insulin, the hormone that helps reduce blood sugar levels.
They published their findings in the science magazine Nature last week. The group includes researchers from the RIKEN research institute and the University of Tokyo.
They surveyed more than 300 adults who were found to have risks of developing diabetes. They examined the participants’ gut bacteria types, fecal carbohydrates, and insulin conditions. They found that insulin works better in people with high levels of the bacteria Alistipes.
The team then gave the bacteria to obese mice. It says their blood glucose levels dropped 20 percent compared to mice that were not given the bacteria.