February
February 28, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. U.S. President Barack Obama has announced a plan to withdraw most U.S. troops in Iraq by the end of August 2010.
2. the summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Thailand has opened in Thailand to discuss regional integration.
3. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso is under pressure from members of his own party to step down ahead of a Lower House election scheduled for this year.
February 28, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. U.S. President Barack Obama has announced a plan to withdraw most U.S. troops in Iraq by the end of August 2010.
2. The summit meeting by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will be held in Thailand over the weekend.
3. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso is under pressure from members of his own party to step down ahead of a Lower House election scheduled for this year.
February 27, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. Japanese electronics maker Sony says its president will step down.
2. A North Korean official says the country will go ahead with its plan to launch a satellite.
3. Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, has reported an outbreak of bird flu at a quail farm.
February 27, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. The Japanese government is considering sending destroyers on an anti-piracy mission to the coast of Somalia on March 14.
2. Japan’s labor ministry says that the ratio of job offers to job seekers in January dropped to a 6-year low.
February 26, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso says he and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed that the two countries will keep in contact and watch for a North Korean missile launch.
2. A South Korean media report said that North Korea has built an underground fueling facility near a missile launch site in the country.
3. Toyota Motor says it will further cut production next fiscal year.
February 26, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. U.S. President Barack Obama is calling for tough new regulations to keep financial institutions in check and avoid future crises.
2. In southern Afghanistan, suspected Taliban attacks killed a total of seven U.S. and British soldiers on Tuesday and Wednesday.
3. Iran has completed its first nuclear power plant amid criticism from the United States and Western countries over its nuclear ambitions.
February 25, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. U.S. President Barack Obama delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso and U.S. President Barack Obama held their first summit in Washington on Tuesday.
February 25, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. U.S. President Barack Obama delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso and U.S. President Barack Obama held their first summit in Washington on Tuesday.
February 24, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Share prices in Asia tumbled on Tuesday morning, following a 12-year low on the New York Stock markets.
2. North Korea says it is preparing to launch a satellite, apparently indicating the possibility that it will test-fire a long-range missile.
3. Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are holding a conference in Tokyo on computer security.
February 24, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. On the New York Stock Exchange, a key index tumbled to a 12-year low on Monday due to uncertainty about U.S. corporate performance.
2. Prime Minister Taro Aso has arrived in Washington for his first summit with U.S. President Barack Obama.
3. The U.N. Human Rights Council has urged the international community to support national efforts to ensure equal job opportunities for the most vulnerable people.
February 23, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Two Japanese films won Academy Awards this year, one for the best foreign language film and the other for an animated film.
2. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso will leave for Washington D.C. on Monday night for his first meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama.
February 23, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. A Japanese film “Okuribito”, or “Departures” has won this year’s Academy Award for the best foreign language film.
2. Asian finance ministers have agreed to provide an extra 40 billion dollars to address a shortfall in foreign exchange reserves.
February 22, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has visited a church in Beijing and later met leaders and women in civic groups.
2. The prime ministers of Japan and Australia have agreed to work closely together for the success of the Group of 20 financial summit in London in April.
February 22, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The U.S. secretary of state and Chinese leaders have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in order to tackle the global financial crisis.
2. The prime ministers of Japan and Australia have agreed to work closely together for the success of the Group of 20 financial summit in London in April.
3. An NHK survey has found that the number of people who committed suicide in Japan have topped 30,000 for 11 years in a row.
February 21, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1.U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has urged Japan and other countries to make bigger contributions to help security in Afghanistan.
2. An air attack on Sri Lanka’s largest city, Colombo, has killed at least two people and injured 42.
3. Myanmar’s military government has announced an amnesty for more than 6,300 prisoners to allow them to take part in a general election.
February 21, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1.U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has urged Japan and other countries to make bigger contributions to help restore security in Afghanistan.
2. General Motors’ loss-making Swedish carmaker, Saab Automobile, has filed a bankruptcy protection.
3. An air attack on Sri Lanka’s largest city, Colombo, has killed at least two people and injured 42.
February 20, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung Hwan have agreed to work closely together to urge North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.
2. Tokyo stocks fell on Friday over growing concern about the worsening economy with the TOPICS key index closing at its lowest level in 25 years.
February 20, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. Prime Minister Taro Aso is likely to express Japan’s readiness to work with the United States on various global issues when he meets U.S. President Barack Obama next week.
2. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung Hwan have agreed to work closely together to urge North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.
February 19, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. The head of the Asian Development Bank says the growth rate for the region should not dip below five percent.
2. Indonesian President Sisilo Bambang Yudhoyono and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to strengthen cooperative ties between their two countries.
3. The number of new condominiums put on sale in Japan marked a 16-year-low in 2008.
February 19, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has indicated that the United States wants to mend ties with Muslim nations left strained by the Iraq War.
2. The U.S. Federal Reserve Board has sharply downgraded its projections for the U.S. economy, saying it will contract this year by up to 1.3 percent.
3. U.S. President Barack Obama has announced a mortgage foreclosure relief plan in an effort to cope with the prolonged housing crisis in the country.
February 18, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have agreed to speed up talks to resolve the long-standing dispute over four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.
2. Stock prices in Tokyo fell sharply on Wednesday, with the key Nikkei and TOPICS indexes closing at the lowest level this year.
February 18, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Prime Minister Taro Aso and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed that Japan and the United States will work together closely to resolve the North Korean abduction issue.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso is believed to have asked Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have agreed to speed up talks to resolve the long-standing dispute over four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.
February 17, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1.Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso will meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington next Tuesday.
2.Japan’s Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa says he will resign after the Lower House of Parliament approves the fiscal 2009 budget and related bills.
February 17, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1.Japan’s Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa says he will resign amid criticism of his behavior at a news conference after a Group of Seven meeting in Rome.
2.Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso and U.S. President Barack Obama will hold their first bilateral summit on February 24 in Washington.
February 16, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Japan’s GDP shrank at an annualized rate of 12.7% in the last quarter, its biggest dive in more than 30 years.
2. U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has suggested that the United States will call on North Korea to provide more information on Japanese nationals abducted to that country.
February 16, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Japan’s GDP shrank at an annualized rate of 12.7% in the last quarter, its biggest dive in more than 30 years.
2. U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, left Washington on Sunday to begin a tour of four Asian countries. She will visit Japan, Indonesia, China and South Korea.
February 15, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The Group of Seven nations are under pressure to quickly launch further measures aimed at stabilizing their economies and financial markets before the Group of 20 meeting in April.
2. A senior lawmaker of Japan’s ruling party says Prime Minister Taro Aso is to increase the budge for stimulus measures to deal with the economic slowdown.
February 15, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The Group of Seven nations are under pressure to quickly launch further measures aimed at stabilizing their economies and financial markets before the Group of 20 meeting in April
2. U.S. President Barack Obama has described the passage of the 787-billion-dollar stimulus package as only the beginning.
February 14, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The U.S. Congress has passed a 787-billion-dollar economic stimulus package submitted by President Barack Obama.
2. The G7 finance ministers and central bank governors have finished the first of two days of talks in Rome on ways to tackle the global economic slowdown.
3. In Iraq, a suicide bomber has killed 35 pilgrims, many of them women and children.
February 14, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The U.S. Congress has passed a 787-billion-dollar economic stimulus package submitted by President Barack Obama.
2. The G7 finance ministers and central bank governors have finished the first of two days of talks in Rome on ways to tackle the global economic slowdown.
3. In Iraq, a suicide bomber has killed 35 pilgrims, many of them women and children.
February 13, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1.A U.S. passenger plane has crashed into a residential area in Buffalo in the state of New York, reportedly killing all 48 people on board and one person on the ground.
2.A senior Pakistani official has admitted that last year’s terrorist attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai were partly planned in Pakistan.
February 13, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1.A senior Pakistani official has admitted that last year’s terrorist attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai were partly planned in Pakistan.
2. In Israel, the ruling centrist Kadima Party has been named a narrow winner in Tuesday’s election.
3. President Barack Obama’s top intelligence official has warned that North Korea may be secretly continuing nuclear enrichment.
February 12, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1.Envoys for U.N. climate change talks are meeting in Tokyo for an unofficial conference.
2.Israel’s two main political parties that came out on top in Tuesday’s general election have both claimed victory.
3. The U.S. administration says it will remain committed to working toward stabilizing the Middle East, no matter what kind of government is formed in Israel after Tuesday’s election.
February 12, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1.Israel’s two main political parties that came out on top in Tuesday’s general election have both claimed victory.
2.U.S. President Barack Obama and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari have agreed to step up cooperation in working out strategies to counter terrorism.
3.U.S. Congress is said to vote on a compromise economic stimulus package by the end of this week.
February 11, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1.Israel’s moderate governing Kadima Party won Tuesday’s general elections by a narrow margin.
2.Two explosions have occurred almost simultaneously in the Afghan capital, Kabul, apparently causing casualties.
February 11, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1.Israel’s moderate governing Kadima Party won Tuesday’s general elections by a narrow margin.
2.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has indicated that she will consult Asian allies over North Korea’s hostile attitude toward South Korea.
February 10, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1.Voters are going to the polls in Istael to elect a new parliament.
2.Japan’s Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa says re-emerging trade protectionism will be one of the topics at this weekend’s meeting of Group of Seven finance ministers and central bank governors in Rome.
February 10, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1.Israelis are going to the polls in a general election on Tuesday.
2.Tuesday marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran.
3.The worst forest fire in Australian history have killed at least 173 people.
February 9, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1.Japan’s current account surplus fell a record 34.3 percent in 2008 from the previous year.
2.Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura says the government wants to facilitate a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the families of Japanese abductees taken by North Korea decades ago.
February 9, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1.The wild fires raging through southern Australia have claimed the lives of at least 116 people.
2.The Japanese government is pressing the United States to have Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meet the families of Japanese abducted by North Korea during Clinton’s up-coming visit to Japan.
February 8, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1.Japan’s defense minister, who is visiting Germany, has told reporters that Japan hopes to send vessels to Somalia on an anti-piracy mission in early March.
2.Japan’s defense minister and a prominent security expert have affirmed the importance of bilateral cooperation under the Obama administration.
February 8, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1.Japan’s defense minister, who is visiting Germany , has told reporters that Japan hopes to send vessels to Somalia on an anti-piracy mission in early March.
2.Japan’s defense minister and a prominent security expert have affirmed the importance of bilateral cooperation under the Obama administration.
February 7, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1.Japan and Thailand have agreed that Asian nations should work together to overcome the global financial crisis.
2.The U.S. Senate continues working on a revised economic stimulus measure worth 780 billion dollars.
3. Toyota is to consider cutting assembly lines in Japan and North Korea in an effort to improve profitability.
February 7, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan and Thailand have agreed that Asian nations should work together to overcome the global financial crisis.
2. The U.S. unemployment rate jumped to 7.6 percent in January. That’s the highest level in 16 years.
3. Toyota is to consider cutting assembly lines in Japan and North Korea in an effort to improve profitability.
February 6, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will make a four-nation tour of Asia this month, on her first overseas trip as the top U.S. diplomat.
2. Toyota Motor Corporation says it expects a group net loss of about 3.9 billion dollars for the business year through March 31st due to the global sales slump and stronger yen.
February 6, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will make a four-nation tour of Asia this month.
2. In Iraq, the coalition led by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is leading in local elections held on Saturday.
3. Germany and five international organizations have called for a new framework to monitor global financial institutions.
February 5, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The new U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, is to make his first visit to South Asia next week.
2. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany have agreed to seek a diplomatic approach to Iran’s nuclear development.
February 5, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan.
2. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany have agreed to seek a diplomatic approach to Iran’s nuclear development.
3. The United Nations will soon set up a commission to investigate the killing of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, more than a year after her death.
February 4, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to visit Japan from February 16.
2. Russian authorities are expected to release soon the crew of a Japanese fishing boat.
February 4, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The United Nations is asking the international community to help provide 604 million dollars worth of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in 2009.
2. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to visit Japan from February 16th, her first trip abroad since assuming office.
February 3, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to South Korean President Lee Myung Bak by phone on Monday and they agreed to work closely together on the North Korean issue.
2. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao have agreed to cooperate in the lead-up to a financial summit to be held in London in April.
February 3, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. South Korean government sources say North Korea could be preparing to launch a long-range ballistic missile from a new base on the country’s west coast.
2. India has signed a pact allowing U.N. inspections of its civilian nuclear plants.
3. British police have arrested a protester who threw a shoe at Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao as he delivered a speech at Cambridge University.
February 2, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to visit Japan on the first leg of her trip to Asian nations in the middle of this month.
2. The Japan Sumo Association has dismissed a sumo wrestler who was arrested last week on suspicion of possessing marijuana.
February 2, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. A minor eruption at Mount Asama, central Japan, has sent volcanic ash over a wide area.
2. The World Economic Forum wrapped up its annual meeting in Davos on Sunday after five days of debate.
3. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is considering visiting Asian nations this month on her first overseas trip since taking the job.
February 1, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms.Madoka Kanai
1. In Madagascar, anti-government protesters have turned violent, causing dozens of casualties.
2. In Kenya, at least 111 people died when oil from a tanker truck that turned on its side burst into flames.
3. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso has pledged more than 17 billion dollars in aid to help Asian countries boost economic growth and domestic demand amid the global financial crisis.
February 1, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Ministers at a World Trade Organization meeting have criticized the provision in a U.S. economic stimulus bill, by saying it encourages protectionism.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso has pledged more than 17 billion dollars in aid to help Asian countries boost economic growth and domestic demand amid the global financial crisis.
3. In Madagascar, anti-government protesters have turned violent, causing dozens of casualties.