Tomoyasu Website

April 30, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner

1. The World Health Organization has further raised the pandemic-alert level for swine flu.

2. U.S. media reporting that Chrysler’s negotiations with its lenders to cut down on its debt have broken down. The automaker will likely file for bankruptcy.

3. Japan’s industrial output rose 1.6 percent in March from the previous month, marking the first upturn in six months.

April 30, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. The World Health Organization has further raised the pandemic-alert level for swine flu to phase 5.

2. 240 swine flu cases have been confirmed in 11 countries, with the greatest number of cases in Mexico.

3. Top diplomats of Japan and the United States say their countries should work together to respond to the global spread of the new influenza virus.

4. The United States condemned North Korea’s warning to carry out nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

April 29, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has arrived in Beijing for a two-day visit to hold talks with Chinese leaders.

2. The United States has confirmed more cases of swine flue and the virus has now spread to seven nations.

3. Exactly 100 days have passed since U.S. President Barack Obama took office.

April 29, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. The World Health Organization is warning that the swine flu virus may eventually lead to a global pandemic and is calling on countries to be on the alert.

2. U.S. President Barack Obama has asked Congress to approve 1.5 billion dollars in emergency funds to fight the swine flu outbreak.

3. The Chinese government has strengthened quarantine controls at air and sea ports and using infrared equipment to check the temperatures of arriving passengers.

4. Japanese automakers, Toyota Motor and Honda say their losses are expected to rise in the current business year that ends next month.

April 28, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura

1. Nearly 2,000 people are suspected of having contracted swine flu in Mexico, resulting in 149 deaths. Swine flu infection has now been found in five countries including the United States and Britain.

2. The foreign ministers of China and Russia have reportedly agreed to work together to press North Korea to remain in the six-party nuclear talks.

3. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told an international forum that the U.S. is ready to lead the battle against global warming, in a show of departure from the stance of the former Bush administration.

April 28, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. The World Health Organization raises the pandemic-alert level as the number of confirmed swine flu cases is increasing in several countries.

2. Taking no chances, Japanese quarantine officials are checking the health of all passengers arriving on flights from Mexico, Canada and the United States before they disembark.

3. The foreign ministers of China and Russia have reportedly agreed to work together to press North Korea to remain in the six-party nuclear talks.

4. Japan’s foreign minister has announced the government’s plan to host an international conference early next year to promote global nuclear disarmament.

April 27, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. The number of suspected deaths from swine flu in Mexico has increased to 103.

2. Japan will create a 200-million dollar fund to help developing countries deal with the global financial crisis.

3. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura has urged North Korea to return to the six-party talks on the North’s nuclear development.

April 27, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada

1. In Mexico, the number of deaths from the swine flu virus has risen to 103, while the cases of suspected infection have risen to 1,324.

2. Prime Minister Taro Aso has instructed his Cabinet ministers to step up measures to prevent the virus from entering Japan.

3. The World Bank plans to provide emergency loans of more than 200-million dollars to Mexico to help the country cope with the outbreak.

4. Japan will provide Iraq with a new-interest loan to help improve water supply and power generation facilities in Anbar and other western provinces.

April 26, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. The Mexican government said more than 1,300 people are suspected of swine flu infection, and that 81 people may have died of the disease.

2. An International Monetary Fund committee has agreed to increase the resources available for the world body to help countries facing financial problems.

April 26, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara

1. The Mexican government said more than 1,300 people are suspected of swine flu infection, and that 81 people may have died of the disease.

2. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stressed that the United States will continue to offer support to stabilize Iraq.

April 25, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. A strain of swine flu is suspected to have killed 68 people in Mexico and has also appeared in the United States.

2. North Korea says it has started reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods, while the U.N. Security Council has designated three North Korean firms as targets for an asset freeze over its recent rocket launch.

3. Finance chiefs of the Group of Seven nations says economic activity should begin to recover later this year before into an economic recovery for the first time since the start of the global financial crisis.

April 25, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. A strain of swine flu is suspected to have killed 68 people in Mexico and has also appeared in the United States.

April 24, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1. Finance ministers and central bank governors from the G-7 countries will soon meet in Washington to debate whether they can demonstrate further concerted action to revive the world economy.

2. Japan and the U.S. have agreed to closely coordinate their efforts to get the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program restarted.

April 24, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japan and the U.S. have agreed to closely coordinate their efforts to get the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program restarted.

2. The United Nations says it will send a humanitarian team to Sri Lanka, where many civilians are trapped in a war zone, as fighting continues between government and separatist forces.

3. Japan’s environment minister says industrialized countries must set ambitious targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions if they want developing countries to join a new framework on global warming.

4. Struggling U.S. automaker General Motors is temporarily shutting down 13 assembly plants in the United States and Mexico to reduce inventory.

April 23, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner

1. The Lower House of the Japanese Diet passed on Thursday a government-sponsored anti-piracy bill by a majority vote of the ruling coalition.

2. The Unite Nations Security Council is calling on Tamil Tigers separatists to lay down their arms so that civilians can be evacuated from the war zone in northern Sri Lanka.

3. Japan’s government says it expects the country’s economy will post its sharpest-ever plunge this fiscal year, marking the second straight year of decline.

April 23, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japan’s government says it expects the country’s economy to post its sharpest-ever plunge this fiscal year, marking the second straight year of decline.

2. The United Nations Security Council is calling on Tamil Tigers separatists to lay down their arms so that civilians can be evacuated from the war zone in northern Sri Lanka.

3. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says her government wants to resume the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear development despite the North’s boycott.

4. China is holding its first international fleet review as part of the celebrations for the Chinese Navy’s 60^th anniversary. The Chinese government did not invite the Japanese military vessels for fear of public outrage.

April 22, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. Japan’s trade balance for fiscal 2008 slipped into the red for the first time in 28 years.

2. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that U.S. , European and Japanese institutions will incur combined losses of more than four trillion dollars from nonperforming loans.

3. A U.N. committee is compiling a list of North Korean firms that will be covered by sanctions.

April 22, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japan’s trade balance for fiscal 2008 is in the red for the first time in 28 years, following the plunge in auto sales to the United States and electronic parts to Asia.

2. The International Monetary Fund is forecasting that U.S., European and Japanese financial institutions will see combined losses of more than four trillion dollars from nonperforming loans.

3. A U.N. committee is compiling a list of North Korean firms that will be subjected to sanctions in line with the U.N. Security Council’s condemning North Korea’s recent rocket launch.

4. A U.S. newspaper says computer spies have hacked into a U.S. Defense Department project for a new fighter jet.

April 21, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has stressed the need to limit nuclear warheads as well as missiles and other delivery systems in a new agreement with the U.S.

2. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denounced Israel at a U.N. meeting prompting European diplomats to walk out in a protest.

3. The Japanese government is preparing to host a meeting in Kobe this July of ministers from Japan, China and South Korea on protection measures in the event of a disaster.

April 21, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japan will cooperate with the Group of Seven nations ‘ effort to rebuild the global economy by seeking to boost the domestic economy with its largest-ever economic-stimulation package.

2. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is denouncing Israel at a U.N. meeting in Geneva, which prompts European diplomats to walk out in a protest.

3. Russia’s president has stressed the need to limit nuclear warheads, missiles and other delivery systems in a new agreement with the United States.

4. The British government says it may need a loan from the European Investment Bank to fund the 2012 London Olympic Games.

April 20, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura says Japan should mediate between the United States and Iran over an Iranian-American journalist sentenced to imprisonment for espionage.

2. Officials of the International Olympic Committee have left Tokyo after touring the city to assess its bid to host the 2016 Summer Games.

April 20, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Leaders of 34 North and South American countries meeting in Trinidad and Tobago are pledging to jointly tackle poverty and other regional issues.

2. The European Central Bank may cut its key interest rate to a record low of one percent for an economy that has already been hard hit by the global financial crisis.

3. The former director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency is warning that North Korea has improved its multi-stage missile technology that could pose a threat to the U.S. mainland.

4. Vietnam’s Communist Party leader Nong Duc Manh is in Tokyo on a four-day official visit.

April 19, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. Japan’s governing and opposition parties are divided over a bill to allow the Self-Defense Forces to engage in anti-piracy missions abroad.

2. South Korea has decided to accept a proposal for talks on a joint industrial complex in the border town of Kaesong in North Korea.

3. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso will visit Europe in early May to meet with European leaders.

April 19, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara

1. Leaders of Latin American nations attending a regional summit have urged U.S. President Barack Obama to do more to bring about change.

2. North Korea has warned South Korea not to join a U.S.-led initiative against the spread of weapons of mass destruction, calling such an act a declaration of war.

3. Iran has reportedly sentenced an American journalist to eight years in prison for spying, in defiance of U.S. calls for her release.

April 18, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. China and Russia have begun urging North Korea to exercise restraint over nuclear activities as there is growing concern that North Korea might now restart its nuclear facility.

2. South Korea says it has received a documented proposal from North Korea that officials of both sides meet at a joint industrial park in Kaesong, North Korea, on Tuesday.

3. Thirty-four leaders of the Organization of American States have begun discussions at a summit in Trinidad and Tobago, with the opening speech focused on the Cuban issue.

April 18, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. China and Russia have begun urging North Korea to exercise restraint over nuclear activities as there’s growing concern that the country might now resume operation of its nuclear facility.

2. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has expressed willingness to hold a direct dialogue with the United States to improve relations.

3. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says NATO’s decision to hold military exercise in Georgia is “dangerous” and that Russia will “take one decision or another” in response.

April 17, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1. Japan’s prime minister has pledged a billion dollars in aid for Pakistan, saying the nation’s stability is essential for stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan.

2. Prime Minister Taro Aso met Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Tokyo and called on Iran to talk with major world powers to resolve a dispute over its nuclear program

3. The Japanese government has decided to implement additional sanctions against North Korea beginning on May 12.

April 17, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japan’s prime minister has pledged a billion dollars in aid for Pakistan, saying the nation’s stability is essential for stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan.

2. Prime Minister Taro Aso met Iran’s foreign minister in Tokyo and called on Iran to talk with major world powers to resolve a dispute over its nuclear program

3. A U.S. special envoy to the Middle East has pressed the Israeli government to accept a two-state solution in which a Palestinian state would coexist peacefully along with the Jewish state.

4. Russia’s foreign minister has expressed dissatisfaction with NATO’s plan to hold a military drill in Georgia next month.

April 16, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner

1. Inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency have left North Korea after being ordered to stop monitoring activities at a nuclear facility.

2. China’s economic growth slowed t o6.1 percent in the first quarter of this year from a year earlier.

3. Voting began on Thursday in the first stage of India’s month-long general election.

April 16, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. The U.N. Security Council committee will designate North Korean entities linked to nuclear and missile programs as targets of asset freezing.

2. U.N. inspectors expelled from North Korea have arrived in Beijing, China.

3. India’s 714 million eligible voters are now heading to the polls to elect the new prime minister and members of parliament in an election lasting for four weeks.

4. Japan’s defense minister will order his nation’s Maritime Self-Defense Force to send patrol planes to waters off Somalia to boost anti-piracy efforts.

April 15, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. Japanese government officials say they will coordinate efforts to demand that North Korea exercise self-restraint by using diplomatic opportunities.

2. The International Atomic Energy Agency says North Korea has demanded that IAEA nuclear inspectors should stop their monitoring activity and leave the country as soon as possible.

3. Japan’s lawmakers have begun deliberations on a bill that allows the Self-Defense Forces to protect foreign-registered merchant ships from pirate attacks.

April 15, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japanese government officials say they will coordinate efforts to demand that North Korea exercise self-restraint by using diplomatic opportunities.

2. In Bangkok, anti-government demonstrators demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva have called off their protests over the concern of their safety.

3. Two more cargo ships have been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, despite multinational anti-piracy missions that aim to stop the growing number of attacks in the region.

4. Japanese researchers are warning that global warming could cost Japan an equivalent of tens of billions of dollars each year by the end of the 21st century.

April 14, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura

1. North Korea says it will boycott six-party talks on its nuclear program and resume its nuclear development in response to a U.N. statement condemning its recent rocket launch.

2. In Thailand, anti-government demonstrators have left their encampment around Government House in Bangkok after their protests were called off.

April 14, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. The tense standoff has ended in the Thai capital after nearly 3,000 protesters clashed with troops near Government House in Bangkok.

2. The U.N. Security Council has adopted a non-binding presidential statement condemning North Korea’s recent rocket launch.

3. An NHK poll shows that support for Prime Minister Taro Aso’s Cabinet has risen to 30 percent, a rise of 12 percentage points from last month.

4. In yet another sign of economic troubles, private-sector job offers for Japanese university students graduating next spring are about to decline for the first time in seven years.

April 13, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. The Thai army clashed with anti-government protesters in the capital city of Bangkok Monday morning injuring dozens of people.

2. The U.N. Security Council is expected to adopt a non-binding presidential statement condemning North Korea’s recent rocket launch on Monday.

3. Japan’s annual catch of whales for scientific research purposes was about 25% less than projected for fiscal 2008.

April 13, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. The state of emergency continues in Bangkok, Thailand, after the army clashed with anti-government protesters on Monday morning, injuring thousands of people.

2. In the former Soviet republic of Moldova, the president tries to calm the opposition by calling for a recount of votes in the recent parliament election.

3. The U.S. Navy ends a high sea hostage standoff by rescuing a U.S.-flagged cargo ship from Somali pirates.

4. Worsening earning performances forced major Japanese companies to reduce the number of new recruits next year.

April 12, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. The U.N. Security Council is expected to adopt a non-binding presidential statement condemning North Korea’s recent rocket launch at its next meeting on Monday.

2. The Thai government has declared a state of emergency in Bangkok and the surrounding areas to prevent the further spread of anti-government protests.

April 12, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara

1. The U.N. Security Council is expected to adopt a non-binding presidential statement condemning North Korea’s recent rocket launch at its next meeting on Monday.

2. In Thailand, anti-government forces vow to continue demonstrations to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. This comes after their protest activities forced the government to cancel a series of summit meetings between Asian leaders.

April 11, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. Thailand has cancelled a summit of Asian leaders after anti-government protesters broke into the venue in the coastal resort of Pattaya.

2. The U.N. Security Council is working on a presidential statement that would criticize North Korea’s missile launch.

April 11, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. Thai anti-government protesters are surrounding the venue of the Asian summit, disrupting some of the scheduled talks.

2. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso will soon hold talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Thailand, with North Korea’s missile launch being the main topic.

3. Japan’s Defense officials say last Sunday’s North Korea’s missile launch appears to have failed after the second stage separated from the rocket.

April 10, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1. The Japanese government has hammered out a new stimulus package worth about 568 billion dollars in an attempt to boost the country’s flagging economy.

2. The Japanese government has decided to extend its current sanctions against North Korea for another year.

3. Leaders and foreign ministers of Asian countries have begun a series of meetings in Pattaya, Thailand.

April 10, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Diplomatic sources say that the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Japan are close to reaching a compromise on a response to North Korea’s latest rocket launch.

2. Leaders of 16 Asian countries are to discuss measures this weekend to recover from the global financial crisis and exchange views on North Korea’s recent rocket launch.

3. The United States and Australia have denounced North Korea’s rocket launch as a clear violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution.

4. The INTERPOL has launched an Internet database aimed at exposing more child pornography-related crimes by sharing information internationally. * INTERPOL = The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO)

April 9, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner

1. A Japanese government spokesman says Japan remains unchanged in seeking a U.N. resolution against North Korea.

2. Vote counting is underway for Thursday’s general elections in Indonesia.

3. Tokyo stocks rose sharply on Thursday on expectations of the Japanese government’s plan to implement a massive economic stimulus package.

April 9, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japan continues appealing for a new U.N. Security Council resolution condemning North Korea’s recent rocket launch, despite continued reservations by China and Russia.

2. North Korea’s national assembly has re-elected Kim Jong Il to the top post of chairman of the National Defense Commission.

3. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany hold a high-ranking meeting in London on Iran’s nuclear development.

4. The number of Japanese facilities willing to accept Indonesian caregivers and nurses has dropped to one-third from a year earlier, due partly to the economic downturn.

April 8, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. Negotiations are continuing in the U.N. Security Council on how to respond to North Korea’s rocket launch.

2. U.S. President Barack Obama has visited Iraq for the first time since taking office in January and has urged the Iraqi government to stabilize the political situation.

3. The Japanese government is compiling a series of emergency employment and job securing measures worth about 17 billion dollars.

April 8, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Negotiations continue in the U.N. Security Council on how to respond to North Korea’s rocket launch last Sunday.

2. U.S. President Barack Obama has made a surprise visit to Iraq and told American troops that they give Iraq the opportunity to stand on its own as an independent country.

3. In central Italy, about 13,000 people are homeless after Monday’s powerful earthquake, while more than 220 people have been killed.

April 7, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. Japan and South Korea have confirmed that they will continue urging China and Russia to agree on issuing a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning North Korea’s latest rocket launch.

2. In central Italy, rescue efforts continued through the night to find survivors of a powerful earthquake that killed at least 170 people.

3. Pirates off Somalia seized two more ships on Monday, despite increasing international efforts to deter their activities.

April 7, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Japan discussed possible responses to North Korea’s rocket launch.

2. U.S. President Barack Obama speaks before the Turkish parliament, calling for a broader dialogue with the Muslim world.

3. The United States wants to establish global rules for orderly resource development in the Arctic Ocean.

4. Rescue efforts continue in central Italy after a major earthquake claims the lives of at least 150 people, while leaving tens of thousands homeless.

April 6, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. An emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council has ended without reaching agreement on how to respond to Sunday’s rocket launch by North Korea.

2. U.S. President Barack Obama has said he will make every effort to abolish the world’s nuclear weapons.

3. A key index of current economic conditions in Japan declined in February for a seventh consecutive month.

April 6, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. An emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council ends without agreement on a response to Sunday’s rocket launch by North Korea.

2. North Korea’s state-run news agency says leader Kim Jong Il observed Sunday’s rocket launch.

3. U.S. President Barack Obama has said he will make every effort to abolish the world’s nuclear weapons.

4. A powerful pre-dawn earthquake struck central Italy about 95 kilometers northeast of the capital city Rome.

April 5, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. Japan’s government announced that North Korea launched a space projectile before noon on Sunday, which passed over Japan to the Pacific Ocean.

2. The government says it will promptly work out a conclusion on whether Japan will take new sanctions against North Korea in the wake of its rocket launch.

April 5, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara

1. The Japanese government has announced that North Korea apparently launched a rocket at around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

2. Japan’s U.N. ambassador has asked the U.N. Security Council for an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea’s launch.

April 4, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. North Korea’s rocket launch has yet to happen, despite its announcement earlier on Saturday that it will send up a satellite soon. The 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. launch window on the first day given for a possible launch has closed.

2. The Japanese government continues to remain on full alert as a rocket launch by North Korea may take place on Wednesday at the latest.

3. The U.S. Defense Department has announced a plan to send 4,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

April 4, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. North Korea has announced it will soon launch a communication satellite Kwangmyongsong 2.

2. The U.N. Security Council is weighing its response to North Korea’s possible launch of a long-range ballistic missile under the pretext of a satellite launch.

3. The U.S. Defense Department has announced a plan to send 4,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

April 3, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1. The leaders of the world’s major and emerging economies ended the G-20 financial summit in London on Thursday, declaring their resolve to put the global economy back on track.

2. The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting if North Korea goes ahead with its plan and launches a long-range missile.

3. Japan and Djibouti have confirmed that they will strengthen their bilateral cooperation on anti-piracy efforts off Somalia.

April 3, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. The leaders of the world’s major and emerging economies lead the G-20 financial summit in London, urging 500 trillion dollars for stimulus measures by the end of next year.

2. The key index on the New York Stock Exchange topped 8,000 at one point in Thursday’s trading as investors respond positively to the stimulus package.

3. The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting if North Korea goes ahead with its plan and launches a long-range missile.

4. A 13-year-old Israeli boy is stabbed to death in a Jewish settlement in on the West Bank by a man believed to be a Palestinian.

April 2, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner

1. The financial summit of more than 20 major and emerging economies began in London on Thursday.

2. U.S. network CNN reported that North Korea has begun fueling what the country claims is a satellite-carrying rocket.

3. Israel’s new foreign minister says the country is not bound by any agreement to start negotiations on creating a Palestinian state.

April 2, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Leaders from more than 20 countries are in London to discuss how to get the global economy back on track.

2. An American cable network says North Korea could launch a rocket as early as this weekend.

3. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso is willing to support world leaders for a plan to take the North Korean missile issue to the U.N. Security Council.

4. Japan has conveyed its concern to Sudan over its expulsion of international nongovernmental organizations.

April 1, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. A Bank of Japan survey shows that business sentiment among large Japanese manufacturers has plunged to its lowest level since record-taking began in 1974.

2. Prime Minister Taro Aso has arrived in London for the financial summit.

3. Japan’s foreign minister and the U.S. secretary of state have agreed that the international community should send a clear message to North Korea if it goes ahead with the launch of a long-range ballistic missile.

April 1, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japan’s foreign minister and the U.S. secretary of state will jointly call on North Korea to refrain from launching a missile.

2. The U.S. plans to run for a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council, reversing a decision made by the former Bush administration.

3. Israel’s Knesset has confirmed the appointment of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister.

4. A ceremony in Basra on Tuesday marked the departure of the British combat troops in Iraq.