March
March 31, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura
1. The U.N. Security Council is increasingly divided over how to respond to a possible missile launch by North Korea early next month.
2. Pakistani security forces have regained control of a police academy in Lahore after an armed group killed 20 police officers and wounded about 70 others.
3. Prime Minister Taro Aso has announced additional stimulus measures for the new fiscal year starting on Wednesday that may include fresh issuance of government bonds.
March 31, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The Upper House of Japan’s Parliament unanimously supports the resolution strongly urging North Korea to refrain from a rocket launch.
2. U.S. President Barack Obama is demanding drastic demands to struggling auto makers General Motors and Chrysler.
3. Japan’s foreign minister is expected to appeal to the world for generous financial assistance to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
4. The economic slowdown is breaking habits of Japan’s workers.
March 30, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. A U.S. think tank says the recent satellite image shows a missile mounted on a launch pad in North Korea.
2. An armed group has attacked a police training facility in eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, killing at least 15 people.
3. Struggling U.S. automaker General Motors says its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Wagoner has resigned at the request of the White House.
March 30, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Prime Minister Taro Aso and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have agreed that if North Korea fires a long-range ballistic missile on the pretext of a satellite launch, they will ask the U.N. Security Council to take up the issue.
2. Japan’s foreign minister has left for the Netherlands to attend an international meeting on Afghanistan.
3. Sudan’s president defies an International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest and attends a summit of the Arab League in Qatar.
4. The U.S. pledges it will make every effort to deal with global warming at a working meeting on Sunday in Bonn, Germany.
March 29, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force personnel have left for northern Japan to deploy advanced interceptor missiles that can shoot down a North Korean ballistic missile if it is on course to fall on Japanese territory.
2. Major private research firms in Japan predict that the Tankan index for the manufacturing sector may hit a record low amid the worsening world economy.
March 29, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force personnel have left for northern Japan to deploy advanced interceptor missiles that can shoot down a North Korean ballistic missile if it is on course to fall on Japanese territory.
2. Major private research firms in Japan predict that the Tankan index for the manufacturing sector may hit a record low amid the worsening world economy.
March 28, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s three Aegis destroyers have deployed to intercept any part of a North Korean rocket that may fall on Japanese territory and gather information on its wake.
2. U.S. President Barack Obama has outlined a new strategy that shifts the focus of the war from Iraq to Afghanistan.
3. Japan will spend more than 20 billion dollars over the next two years on a package designed to boost international trade.
March 28, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan, the United States and South Korea have agreed that they will refer North Korea’s missile launch to the U.N. Security Council if it actually happens.
2. U.S. President Barack Obama has outlined a new strategy that shifts the focus of the war on terror from Iraq to Afghanistan.
3. In Pakistan, an explosion at a mosque on Friday killed at least 50 people and injured more than 100 others.
March 27, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. The Japanese government has ordered the Self-Defense Forces to intercept any part of the North Korean rocket if it appears to be headed into Japanese territory.
2. The Japanese government is considering announcing the expansion of its special development assistance to Asian economies at the upcoming Group of 20 summit in London.
March 27, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawa
1. The Japanese government has ordered the Self-Defense Forces to intercept any part of the North Korean rocket if it appears to be headed into Japanese territory.
2. Pirates have hijacked two European-owned tankers off the coast of Somalia.
3. The U.S. government has unveiled a comprehensive financial system reform plan, in an effort to prevent a repeat of the financial crisis.
March 26, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that if North Korea goes ahead with the launch of what it believes to be a long-range ballistic missile, the United States intends to raise the issue in the United Nations as a violation of a Security Council resolution.
2. The U.N. nuclear watchdog is due to elect a successor on Thursday to the current General Mohamed ElBaradei.
3. Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, now staying at the International Space Station, has talked with young people in Fukuoka city, southwestern Japan.
March 26, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that if North Korea goes ahead with the launch of what it believes to be a long-range ballistic missile, the United States intends to raise the issue in the United Nations as a violation of a Security Council resolution.
2. Japan’s governing camp has compiled a Diet resolution against North Korea’s planned rocket launch.
3. Toyota Motor has unveiled a new model of its popular hybrid car, Prius, in Japan ahead of its global launch in May.
March 25, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japanese cabinet ministers are mulling over possible responses to North Korea’s missile launch.
2. U.S. President Barack Obama says the U.S. economy is beginning to show signs of progress thanks to his administration’s comprehensive strategy.
March 25, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japanese cabinet ministers are mulling over possible responses to North Korea’s missile launch.
2. A secretary of the leader of Japan’s largest opposition Democratic Party has admitted that he falsified reports to conceal illegal corporate donations.
March 24, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Tokyo prosecutors on Tuesday indicted a secretary of largest opposition party leader Ichiro Ozawa on charges of violating the political funds control law.
2. The U.S. Treasury Department has announced a long-awaited plan to clean up the balance sheets of the nation’s banks.
3. A Japanese government survey has found that one in three women say they have experienced domestic violence by their husbands or partners.
March 24, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. The U.S. Treasury Department has announced a long-awaited plan to clean up the balance sheets of the nation’s banks.
2. Japan’s Narita Airport has reopened its main runway. The runway had been closed since a FedEx cargo plane crashed on Monday morning.
March 23, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. A FedEx cargo plane crashed and burst into flames during a landing attempt at Narita Airport on Wednesday morning. The pilot and the copilot have both been confirmed dead.
2. A cargo ship operated by a Japanese shipping company came under fire from suspected pirates in waters off the coast of Somalia on Sunday.
March 23, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. A FedEx cargo plane crashed and burst into flames during a landing attempt at Narita Airport on Wednesday morning. The pilot and the copilot have both been confirmed dead.
2. Tension is continuing in the Tibetan Autonomous Region in inland China where nearly 100 monks and others have been detained.
March 22, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Prime Minister Taro Aso says Japan and the United States need to strengthen their alliance, citing North Korea’s nuclear development and ballistic missiles and other problems in the Asia-Pacific region.
2. Japan’s foreign minister has pledged to provide Africa with two billion dollars in development aid over a two-year period.
March 22, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s foreign minister has pledged to provide Africa with two billion dollars in development aid over a two-year period.
2. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has stressed that Japan will work with the United States to respond to North Korea’s apparent move to launch a long-range ballistic missile.
March 21, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office says the federal budget deficit for the current fiscal year is likely to top 1.8 trillion dollars, marking the highest projected deficit on record.
2. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says his country has shown world powers that they can’t block its nuclear progress.
3. Dinosaur fossils recently found in China may shed new light on how dinosaurs evolved into birds.
March 21, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office says the federal budget deficit for the current fiscal year is likely to top 1.8 trillion dollars, marking the highest projected deficit on record.
2. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says his country has shown world powers that they can’t block its nuclear progress.
3. Dinosaur fossils recently found in China may shed new light on how dinosaurs evolved into birds.
March 20, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its economic projections for 2009, with global economic growth turning negative.
2. The commander of U.S. forces in South Korea says North Korea has deployed a new mid-range ballistic missile capable of reaching Okinawa, Guam or Alaska.
March 20, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its economic projections for 2009, with global economic growth turning negative.
2. The U.S. government says it is trying to establish more details about the two female U.S. journalists detained on Tuesday by North Korean authorities.
March 19, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Prime Minister Taro Aso says Japan may impose additional sanctions on North Korea on its own if the North goes ahead with a missile launch.
2. NHK has learned that an American journalist was detained earlier this week by North Korean guards near the North border with China.
3. Prime Minister Taro Aso is considering announcing new measures at an upcoming financial summit to help revive Asian economies.
March 19, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Prime Minister Taro Aso says Japan may impose additional sanctions on North Korea on its own if the North goes ahead with a missile launch.
2. Chinese Premier Wen Jianbao has said he expects North Korea to actively promote progress in the six-party talks on its nuclear programs.
3. Prime Minister Taro Aso is considering announcing new measures at an upcoming financial summit to help revive Asian economies.
March 18, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Major electronics and auto companies have rejected labor unions’ requests for an increase in their basic pay in the annual spring wage negotiations.
2. Japan’s central bank says it will increase its purchase of government bonds from financial institutions to inject more money into the market.
March 18, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Astronaut Koichi Wakata has begun his three-month term at the International Space Station, the first Japanese astronaut on a long-term mission there.
2. Major electronics and auto companies have rejected labor unions’ requests for an increase in their basic pay in the annual spring wage negotiations.
March 17, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. North Korean Prime Minister Kim Yong Il began a visit to China on Tuesday for talks with Chinese leaders.
2. The Lower House of Japan’s Diet has adopted a resolution backing the campaign to invite the 2016 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
3. Leading Japanese electronics maker Toshiba is set to suspend regular annual pay increases, amid a sharp decline in business.
March 17, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Astronauts on board U.S. space shuttle, Discovery, have checked the spacecraft’s possible damage, following Sunday’s launch.
2. U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered the treasury secretary to take all legal measures to block American International Group’s payment of 165 million dollars in bonuses.
3. An international forum on global water issues has opened in Istanbul, Turkey.
March 16, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. The U.S. space shuttle, Discovery, had a smooth lift-off on Sunday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida after months of delays.
2. The government of Pakistan has agreed to an opposition demand to reinstate the dismissed former supreme court chief judge. The move is expected to offset possible turmoil.
March 15, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Financial chiefs of the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging economies have pledged to take whatever action is necessary until global growth is restored.
2. A recent opinion poll in Iraq shows that 85 percent of the Iraqi people think the security situation has improved in the country.
March 15, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Financial chiefs of the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging economies have pledged to take whatever action is necessary until global growth is restored.
2. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for concrete action at the next month’s Group of 20 financial summit. She wants tougher regulations and supervision of financial markets.
March 14, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors are meeting in London. Attention is focused on whether the countries can coordinate economic stimulus measures.
2. A two-destroyer task force of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force has left for an anti-piracy mission in waters off Somalia.
3. A fire in a shopping mall in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka has killed seven people and injured more than 50.
March 14, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors are meeting in London. Attention is focused on whether the countries can coordinate economic stimulus measures.
2. Two Japanese destroyers have left for an anti-piracy mission in waters off Somalia.
3. A fire in a shopping mall in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka has killed seven people and injured more than 50.
March 13, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone says Japan will ask the U.N. Security Council to discuss considering any North Korean satellite launch as the violation of a Council resolution.
2. Japan’s Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered the Maritime Self-Defense Force on Friday to send destroyers to the waters off Somalia.
3. A tiny piece of space debris forced the crew of the International Space Station to briefly take shelter in an escape ship.
March 13, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The Japanese government will submit to the Diet on Friday a bill that will allow the Self-Defense Force to engage in anti-piracy missions abroad.
2. The Japanese government plans to request a U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss sanctions if North Korea proceeds with a launch of what it insists is a satellite.
March 12, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. North Korea has reportedly informed international organizations that it plans to launch a communication satellite between April 4 and 8.
2. On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the key TOPIX index of all first-section issues briefly fell below 700 points on Thursday afternoon, marking a new post-bubble intra-day low.
March 12, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. The foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in making progress over the issue of abductions by North Korea.
2. Britain’s treasury chief has outlined a set of priorities to be discussed at the up-coming Group of 20 finance minister talks in Britain.
March 11, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The family of a Japanese woman abducted to North Korea more than 30 years ago has met a former North Korean agent who knew her.
2. Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone says Japan will send more peace keepers to Africa.
March 11, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Family members of a Japanese woman abducted to North Korea more than 30 years ago have met a former North Korean agent who had known her.
2. U.S. President Barack Obama has expressed his country’s willingness to work with the United Nations to tackle a wide range of issues.
March 10, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the key Nikkei index plunged to another 26-year closing low on Tuesday.
2. Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has vowed to continue campaigning for greater Tibetan autonomy.
3. Family members of a Japanese woman abducted to North Korea over 30 years ago have arrived in Pusan, South Korea, to meet a former North Korean agent.
March 10, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. New York stock prices tumbled on Monday on deepening uncertainty over the future of U.S. financial institutions, with the key Dow Jones index hitting its lowest point in nearly 12 years.
2. Japan International Cooperation Agency President Sadako Ogata revealed an Afghan assistance plan in a meeting with Richard Holbrooke at the U.S. State Department on Monday.
3. Chinese President Hu Jintao has called on Tibetan delegates to the National People’s Congress to work to prevent Tibet from becoming independent.
March 9, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Tokyo prosecutors investigating illegal political donations from a construction firm are soon expected to start questioning aides to Trade Minister Toshihiko Nikai.
2. Tokyo share prices dropped sharply on Monday with the key index ending at its lowest level in over 26 years.
March 9, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Share prices in Tokyo tumbled on Monday morning, with the TOPIX index of all first-section issues hitting its lowest point since 1983.
2. Tokyo prosecutors are said to be taking a closer look at relations between Democratic Party leader Ichiro Ogawa’s chief secretary and Nishimatsu Construction Company.
March 8, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1.U.S. President Barack Obama has expressed his intention to consider working with
a moderate faction of Afghanistan’s anti-government Taliban to stabilize the situation in that country.
2. Iran has indicated that it will positively consider a U.S. invitation for an international
conference on Afghanistan scheduled for later this month.
March 8, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The United States has sent two senior officials to Syria after four years of animosity.
2. Iran has indicated that it will positively consider a U.S. invitation for an international conference on Afghanistan scheduled for later this month.
March 7, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The United States and Russia have agreed to conclude a new nuclear arms treaty by the end of this year.
2. Japan’s Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone and the new U.S. envoy for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, have agreed to work together to demand that North Korea refrain from launching a missile.
3. Japan’s Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone and the new U.S. envoy for North Korea Stephen Bosworth have agreed to work together to demand that North Korea refrain from launching a missile.
March 7, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone and the new U.S. envoy for North Korea Stephen Bosworth have agreed to work together to demand that North Korea refrain from launching a missile.
2. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have agreed to improve relations between the two countries.
3. On the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones industrial average dipped below 6,500 on Friday, hitting a 12-year low.
March 6, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. Shares tumbled on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday, with the broader index hitting its lowest level in 25 years.
2. The government of Sudan has announced the expulsion of 10 aid agencies from the country’s Darfur region.
3. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has proposed holding a high-level international conference on Afghanistan.
March 6, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. Tokyo share prices fell sharply on Friday morning after the Dow Jones dipped to a 12-year low in New York the previous day.
2. NATO has agreed to normalize ties with Russia, suspended after Russia’s military conflict with Georgia last August.
3. The government of Sudan has announced the expulsion of 10 aid agencies from the country’s Darfur region.
March 5, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. China’s Premier Wen Jiabao has laid out a plan to achieve economic growth of around eight percent.
2. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for crimes and crimes against humanity.
March 5, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. China’s Premier Wen Jiabao has laid out a plan to achieve economic growth of around eight percent.
2. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has promised to back statehood for the Palestinian people at a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
March 4, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The leader of Japan’s largest opposition Democratic Party, Ichiro Ozawa, said on Wednesday that he will not step down from his post.
2. Japan’s Diet has passed a set of bills to implement the government’s controversial cash handout program.
March 4, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The leader of Japan’s largest opposition Democratic Party, Ichiro Ozawa, said on Wednesday that he will not step down from his post.
2. Japanese electric appliance maker Hitachi has proposed work sharing and pay cuts for its 40,000 employees.
March 3, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Share prices fell across the board on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Tuesday, with the key stock index closing at its lowest level in just 25 years.
2. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on Tuesday.
3. The chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency has expressed his hope for the new U.S. administration’s willingness to hold direct talks with Iran to resolve the stalled Iranian nuclear development issue.
March 3, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Tokyo stocks continue to slide on Tuesday with TOPIX index of all first-section issues marking a new post-bubble low.
2. Japan’s foreign minister has expressed hope that the family of a Japanese female abductee could soon meet a former North Korean spy who knew her well in the North.
3. The new U.S. envoy for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, has departed for Asia to visit other countries in the six-party talks on North Korean nuclear program.
March 2, 2009(6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Prime Minister Taro Aso says any missile launch by North Korea will violate the U.N. Security Council resolution and agrees to sanction.
2. Share prices fell sharply in Tokyo on Monday with key indices falling to a near record low for the year.
March 2, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Southeast Asian leaders have agreed to aim to create a unified body like the European Union by 2015 and speed up regional integration.
2. Representatives from 12 Japanese companies have held talks with top Iraqi officials about investing in the country.
March 1, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers have agreed to jointly monitor North Korean activity.
2. Chinese and U.S. defense officials have agreed to resume talks and cooperate on global issues, such as anti-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia.
March 1, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers have agreed to jointly monitor North Korean activity.
2. Chinese and U.S. defense officials have agreed to resume talks and cooperate on global issues, such as anti-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia.
3. South Korean President Lee Myung Bak has urged North Korea to exercise restraint on missile threats and abandon its nuclear program.