from today's Nikkei

原発輸出サウジと協議　事故後初案件　再開へ転換　政府

According to sources familiar with the matter, the government has entered into talks with Saudi Arabia in terms of exporting a nuclear power generation system. It is said that Saudi Arabia intends to have built as many as 16 nuclear reactors by the year of 2030.
The Shinzo Abe's administration will likely make clear its policy to resume exporting nuclear power plants, which was freezed after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Under the circumstances that there is no prospect of resuming necler power plants at home, the government would clear the way in foreign markets for utilizing Japanese expertisem human resources and its technology, related to neclear power generation.Then, this deal will be the first one after the 2011 March disater.

from today's Nikkei

米、日本にシェールガス　来月にも輸出禁輸　

According to sources familiar with the matter,the U.S. govvernment will likely lift its ban on exporting natural gas, such as shale gas, a new type of gas, as soon as possible, in spring this year in the earliest case. The government intends to permit the exports to other countries than the signatories of the Free Trade Agreement(FTA) with the U.S. Then, a consortium of Japanese companies are expected to participate in the project related to the shale gas. It is said that through the so-called shale gas revolution the U.S. will become the world's largest producer of gas and oil. If exports of cheaper gas from the country extend full-fledgedly, there will be a great influence on the world's demand and supply situation of energy, relationship between oil-producing and consuming countries, and firms' business strategies.

from today's Nikkei

車・精密　円安で利益増　トヨタ　１１００億円上方修正　３月期　中国減速、下押しも

A recent weaker yen in the foreign exchange market has begun to bolster the automobile and precision machinery industries in terms of their profits. Toyota Motor Corporation revised Tuesday its consolidated profit before tax in the business year through the end of March this year by 110 billion yen from the previous estimate. There has also been a positive effect for other firms like Daihatsu Motor Co. and Richo co. On the other hand, in the electric machinery and general machinery industries, there is still an influence from a decelerated Chinese economy. So, in total, an overall margin of increase of estimated profits is small.

from Nikkei (February 5)

老朽インフラ　官民で監視　無人技術を実証実験　国交省　橋・トンネル　維持費も抑制

According to sources,the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,Transport and Tourism will likely introduce a system in which decrepit infrastructures like bridges and tunnels are being automatically supervised in terms of their safety on an around-the-clock basis. Specifically, the ministry will begin an experimental test for detecting abnormality of facilities at an early stage by making use of Japanese firms' high-sensitive sensor technology. This efforts will naturally lead to a great deal of cost down in the maintenance of such infrastructures.

from today's Nikkei

電機自動車に目標価格　経産省　普及へ値下げ促す　

According to sources concerned, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will establish a system in which they encourage car makers to reduce the prices of their next-generatioin cars like so-called electric vehicles in fiscal 2013, it has been learned.Specifically, the ministry intends to set price goals for each type of vehicles ech year over the next three fiscal years from 2013 to 2015.