May 31, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have agreed on the need for the U.N. Security Council to swiftly adopt a new resolution condemning North Korea’s nuclear test.
2. The deadline passed on Saturday for General Motors’ bondholders to register their support for a sweetened debt-reduction deal.
May 31, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have agreed on the need for the U.N. Security Council to swiftly adopt a new resolution condemning North Korea’s nuclear test.
2. The deadline passed on Saturday for General Motors’ bondholders to register their support for a sweetened debt-reduction deal.
May 30, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan and the United States have agreed to step up cooperation in dealing with what they call “North Korea’s further provocation.”
2. U.S. media report that North Korea may be preparing to fire long-range missiles.
3. Shares in struggling U.S. auto giant General Motors fell below one dollar on Friday for the first time in 76 years.
May 30, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warns that the United States will not stand idly by under the North’s nuclear threat, stressing the need for strict sanctions against the country.
2. U.S. media report that North Korea may be preparing to fire long-range missiles.
3. Shares in struggling U.S. auto giant General Motors fell below one dollar on Friday for the first time in 76 years.
May 29, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japan’s Diet has enacted the largest ever supplementary budget bill for the current fiscal year.
2. The ratio of job offers and job seekers in Japan matched the lowest level on record in April.
3. Japan and the United States are proposing a new U.N. Security Council resolution with conditional sanctions in response to North Korea’s latest nuclear test.
May 29, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The U.N. Security Council considers a proposal to exempt North Korea from new sanctions if it returns to the six-party talks on its nuclear program and joins the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty.
2. The WHO is urging developed nations to help countries in the southern hemisphere tackle the new H1N1 influenza as winter approaches.
3. The next summit of the Group of 20 countries will be held in September in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in the U.S.
4. Carnage is left on the streets of the Pakistani and Iranian cities in the wake of suicide bombings.
May 28, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso says the U.N. Security Council should respond to North Korea’s nuclear test by quickly adopting a resolution with new sanctions.
2. Japan’s two P3C patrol planes have left their base on an anti-piracy mission in waters off Somalia.
3. Automobile production in Japan fell more than 45 percent in April from a year earlier.
May 28, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Japan and South Korea are discussing possible new sanctions on North Korea after it second nuclear test on Monday.
2. The South Korean military says it will react firmly to any provocation after North Korea warned that it cannot guarantee the safety of U.S. and South Korean vessels in the Yellow Sea on the inter-Korean border.
3. U.S. media reports say General Motors is now highly likely to file an application for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
1. A private research firm says GM is indebted to 102 Japanese companies, mostly car
manufacturing related firms.
May 27, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. North Korea has warned that it cannot guarantee the safety of U.S. and South Korean vessels sailing along the inter-Korean border in the Yellow Sea.
2. The global death toll from the new strain of influenza has topped 100.
3. U.S. President Barack Obama has called on Myanmar’s military government to immediately release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
May 27, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The U.N. Security Council is drawing up a draft resolution on North Korea that will include additional sanctions in response to the country’s nuclear test.
2. Japan’s government and the largest opposition party are considering imposing additional sanctions on North Korea.
3. In Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi is now in a trial for allegedly allowing a U.S. citizen to stay at her home without government permission. If found guilty, she could face up to five years in prison.
4. Japan confirmed eight more cases of the new H1N1 influenza on Wednesday, raising the country’s total to 361.
May 26, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. North Korea fired two more short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, a day after it carried out an underground nuclear test and launched three missiles.
2. Foreign ministers from 43 countries in Asia and Europe have issued a statement condemning North Korea’s nuclear test.
3. In Hiroshima, the city’s Peace Memorial Museum has reset a clock known as the “Peace Watch” to protest the latest nuclear test announced by North Korea.
May 26, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. U.N. Security Council members have agreed to quickly coordinate their views on new sanctions to be included in a fresh resolution against North Korea for its testing of a nuclear device.
2. The South Korean government says the North’s underground nuclear test may have been as powerful as the atomic bomb of the United States dropped on Nagasaki in 1945.
3. Energy ministers from the Group of Eight nations and major emerging economies have agreed to step up investment in green energy technologies.
4. Japan has launched a 38 million dollar project to stockpile anti-flu drugs in Singapore in the event of a major outbreak of the new influenza in Asia.
May 25, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. North Korea says it successfully conducted another underground nuclear test.
2. Japan has asked the U.N. Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea’s nuclear test.
3. Mongolia’s opposition Democratic Party has declared victory in the country’s presidential elections before the official vote count was completed.
May 25, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. North Korea says it successfully conducted another underground nuclear test.
2. The Japanese government has set up a special task force at the crisis management center in the prime minister’s official residence.
3. Most schools in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, western Japan, have reopened after classes were suspended to halt the spread of the H1N1 flu.
May 24, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The South Korean government plans to hold a national funeral for former president Roh Moo Hyun, who died in an apparent suicide.
2. In Japan, 22 more people were confirmed to be infected with the new strain of influenza over the weekend, bringing the total to 339.
May 24, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. The South Korean government plans to hold a national funeral for former president Roh Moo Hyun, who died in an apparent suicide.
2. In Japan, 22 more people were confirmed to be infected with the new strain of influenza over the weekend, bringing the total to 339.
May 23, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Former South Korean president Roh Moo Hyun has died while climbing a hill on Saturday. His aide has hinted that Roh might have committed suicide by jumping off a rock.
2. Japan has pledged 50 billion yen, or about 530 million dollars, in government aid, to South Pacific nations over the next three years.
May 23, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms.Madoka Kanai
1. Former South Korean president Roh Moo Hyun has died while climbing a hill on Saturday. His aide has hinted that Roh might have committed suicide by jumping off a rock.
2. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has pledged 50 billion yen, or about 530 million dollars, in government aid to South Pacific countries and territories over the next three years.
3. U.S. President Barack Obama says that when the United States strays its values, he endangers its national security and lives of U.S. troops.
May 22, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japan’s government will take a more flexible approach to the outbreak of the new influenza to minimize its impact on public life and the national economy.
2. Japan and South Korea will launch a council of experts on infectious diseases to work on preventing the spread of the new strain of flu.
3. Japan’s central bank has upgraded its assessment of the country’s economy for the first time in two years and ten months.
May 22, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Japan’s government will take a more flexible approach to the outbreak of the new influenza to minimize its impact on public life and the national economy.
2. As the new influenza continues to spread around the world, the total number of infected people is now over 11,000 and the death toll is 90.
3. The leaders of 17 nations and territories in the Pacific are gathering for two days of talks in Hokkaido for the Pacific Island Forum.
4. The Keio University team has produced brain cells using artificially-induced stem cells from a sufferer of Parkison’s disease.
May 21, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner
1. The number of confirmed cases of the new influenza in Japan has now reached 283, including 14 newly-reported cases in western Japan.
2. A new Japanese law came into effect on Thursday in which ordinary citizens will serve as lay judges in criminal court trials.
3. The FBI has arrested four men in New York in a suspected plot to bomb a synagogue and to shoot at military planes.
May 21, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The number of confirmed cases of the new influenza in Japan is nearing the 300 mark as new flu patients have so far been identified in five prefectures.
2. The number of people around the world inflected with the new strain of influenza has exceeded 11,000, bringing to 86 the number of deaths from the virus.
3. Negotiators from the United States and Russia have wrapped up two-day talks in Moscow, agreeing to promote nuclear disarmament talks before a key summit in July.
4. Iranian authorities say the country has successfully test-fired a ballistic missile, apparently capable of hitting Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf region.
May 20, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Japan’s gross domestic product marks its worst contraction since the end of World War II, shrinking by more than 15 percent.
2. More than 10,000 people around the world have been confirmed to have the new influenza, with Taiwan reporting its first case.
3. At least 98 people are confirmed dead in an Indonesian military plane crash in East Java province.
May 20, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Japan’s gross domestic product marks its worst contraction since the end of World War II, shrinking by more than 15 percent.
2. As more than 10,000 people worldwide have been confirmed to have the new influenza, WHO is calling on drug companies in developed countries to make a new flu vaccine available to poor nations.
3. The U.N. –sponsored conference on disarmament has opened in Geneva amid expectations of progress after a stalemate that has lasted more than 10 years.
4. Japan’s prime minister will pledge an expansion of official development assistance to Pacific island nations to help them tackle environmental issues.
May 19, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The number of confirmed cases of the new flu in Japan has now reached 178.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso has told President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka that he welcomed the end of the civil war in that country and hopes national reconciliation will proceed.
3. Leaders of the world’s major cities have gathered in Seoul, South Korea, for a three-day summit on climate change.
May 19, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. At the wHO’s Annual General Meeting, several major nations have called for flexibility in deciding whether to raise the alert level to a full pandemic phase 6.
2. The number of cases confirmed as the new strain of flu in Japan rose to 173 as of Thursday morning, including a one-year-old baby as well as people in their 50s and 60s.
3. U.S. President Barack Obama has failed to get a commitment on the two-state solution in the Middle East from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
4. Aid supplies from the Japanese government have arrived in Sri Lanka to support civilians displaced in the country’s just-ended civil war.
May 18, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Japan has 130 confirmed infections of the new type of influenza after 34 additional cases were confirmed in Kobe and Osaka on Monday.
2. More local governments in western Japan have decided to close schools following the spread of the new flu.
3. The chair of the U.N. climate change conference, or COP 15, has expressed hope that Japan will seek an ambitious mid-term target for cuts and greenhouse gas emissions.
May 18, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Japan has 130 confirmed infections of the new type of influenza after 34 additional cases were confirmed in Kobe and Osaka on Monday.
2. Japan’s health ministry is calling on all junior and senior high schools in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures to cancel lessons for about a week from Monday.
3. In Japanese politics, the new president of the largest opposition Democratic Party has appointed his predecessor as the deputy president in charge of elections.
4. Sri Lankan forces say they have successfully rescued civilians as human shields by the Tiger Tamil rebels.
May 17, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. In western Japan, more cases of new influenza infection among people who have not traveled overseas recently were confirmed on Sunday.
2. Over 8,600 people have now been infected with the new influenza in 38 countries and one territory excluding Japan.
May 17, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. In western Japan, more cases of the new influenza infection among people who have not traveled overseas recently were confirmed on Sunday.
2. Around the world, over 8,600 people have now been infected with the new influenza in 38 countries and one territory excluding Japan.
May 16, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s health ministry says a 17-year-old high school student in Kobe, western Japan, has tested positive for the new strain of influenza. This is the first confirmed case of new flu in Japan outside quarantine checks at ports of entry.
2. Japan’s largest opposition group, the Democratic Party, has chosen Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama, as its new leader, to succeed Ichiro Ozawa, who resigned over a political funding scandal involving his secretary.
May 16, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s health ministry says a 17-year-old high school student in Kobe, western Japan, has tested positive for the new strain of influenza. This was the first confirmed case of the new flu in Japan outside quarantine checks at ports of entry.
2. In the leadership election of Japan’s largest opposition Democratic Party, two senior members registered their candidacies on Saturday. Following vote-counting, the new leader to replace the current party head Ichiro Ozawa will be announced later in the day.
May 15, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japan’s Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada has ordered the dispatch of two P-3C patrol aircraft to bolster an anti-piracy mission off Somalia.
2. The number of people infected worldwide with the new flu has reached more than 7,000.
3. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is calling on Myanmar’s military government to immediately release the country’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
May 15, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Japan’s governing party is considering whether to restrict the practice of its lawmakers inheriting their electoral districts from close family members.
2. The American secretary of state is calling on Myanmar’s military government to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s leading opposition figure.
3. The foreign ministers of Japan and Canada have agreed to work together to prevent the spread of the new H1N1 flu. Japan has four flu patients who were found infected after returning from a school trip to Canada.
4. Japan’s government plans to draw up specific measures to help triple geothermal power generation.
May 14, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuko Matsumoto
1. Two senior members of Japan’s largest opposition group, the Democratic Party, have formally announced their candidacies in the election to pick the new party president.
2. Over 6,000 people worldwide have now been infected with the new flu and 65 have died.
3. Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi may have been charged in connection with an American man who snuck into her residence and stayed there.
May 14, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. In the leadership race of Japan’s Democratic Party, two candidates have made it known that they are running for the post of party president.
2. Japan’s ambassador to Iraq has made his first visit to Fallujah, the site of a fierce battle between U.S. forces and militants during the early stages of the Iraq War.
3. Pope Benedict the 16th has visited Bethlehem in the Palestinian autonomous region, where he reiterated support for an independent Palestinian state.
4. The U.N. Security Council is expressing grave concern over mounting civilian casualties in Sri Lanka, as government forces step up their attacks on minority Tamil insurgents in the country’s northeast.
May 13, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The prime ministers of Japan and Russia agreed to accelerate talks aimed at finding a solution to the issue of four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan.
2. Japan and Russia signed a number of pacts ranging from nuclear technological cooperation to customs and illegal drug enforcement.
3. Six major Japanese automakers will cut global production by 10 percent as they expect sales to deteriorate further in North America.
4. The number of people worldwide infected with the new H1N1 influenza is fast closing in on the 6,000 mark, with more than 60 deaths reported.
May 12, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura
1. Japan’s largest opposition political group, the Democratic Party, has officially approved the resignation of its leader Ichiro Ozawa.
2. Former Japanese prime minister Yoshio Mori agreed with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that the two nations should keep up their efforts to solve the territorial dispute based on the 2001 joint announcement.
3. China’s Sichuan Province has marked the first anniversary of a massive earthquake that left 87,000 people dead or missing.
May 12, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Japan’s largest opposition party will soon choose a new leader after its current chief announces that he is stepping down to restore party unity.
2. Japan’s prime minister will seek to discuss the sovereignty of four disputed groups of islands off Hokkaido at a summit meeting with Russian prime minister.
3. Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend a memorial service in Sichuan Province on Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of the earthquake that left about 87,000 people dead or missing.
4. The U.S. is replacing the top commander of the American NATO forces in Afghanistan.
May 11, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Ichiro Ozawa, leader of Japan’s largest opposition group, the Democratic Party, has expressed his intention to resign as party leader.
2. The Chinese government has confirmed the first case of the new flu in mainland China.
3. Tokyo stock prices have marked the highest close for the year for three straight trading days.
May 11, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The number of people infected with the new influenza worldwide is fast approaching 5,000, but more than half of the cases are occurring in the United States.
2. In the wake of the new influenza outbreak, Japan’s local governments are stepping up their plans for stockpiling anti-flu drugs.
3. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrives in Japan for a three-day visit. He and Prime Minister Taro Aso will talk about territorial and economic issues.
4. Iraq’s prime minister says his government will control security in urban areas even after U.S. troops withdraw by the end of June.
May 10, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The National Institute of Infectious Diseases has begun to analyze the virus samples taken from Japan’s new influenza patients in order to find out the route of infection and the degree of virus toxicity.
2. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he intends to play a role in developing what he called a “comprehensive relationship” with Japan.
May 10, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1. Japan’s Health Ministry says another high school student has been infected with the new strain of flu virus— the fourth confirmed case in the country.
2. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he intends to play a role in developing what he called a “comprehensive relationship” with Japan.
May 9, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s health authorities say two high school students and one teacher who traveled to Canada are infected with the new strain of influenza, the first confirmed case in the country.
2. The number of people infected with the new strain of influenza worldwide has risen to 3,456. Forty-eight people have died of the disease in Mexico, the United States and Canada.
May 9, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s health authorities say two high school students and one teacher who traveled to Canada are infected with the new strain of influenza, the first confirmed case in the country.
2. The number of people infected with the new strain of influenza worldwide has risen to 3,454. Forty-eight people have died of the disease in Mexico, the United States and Canada.
May 8, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The World Health Organization is warning that it is on the alert for further infections of the new influenza in the Southern Hemisphere.
2. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have agreed that the two countries should accelerate talks for a new nuclear disarmament treaty.
3. On the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday, the key index posted this year’s highest for the second day in a row.
May 8, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. A six-year-old Japanese boy living in the United States is confirmed as having contracted the new H1N1 influenza virus.
2. Amid fears that the new influenza is spreading in Europe, the World Health Organization is discussing raising its influenza pandemic alert to the highest level.
3. U.S. President Barack Obama has proposed 17 billion dollars in budget cuts for the fiscal 2010 that begins October 1.
4. A U.S. special envoy on North Korea has reiterated the United States will resolve the current stalemate through dialogue.
May 7, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner
1. South Korea says it has confirmed a third case of the H1N1 influenza in the country.
2. U.S. and Chinese leaders have declared that their countries will work closely together to break the deadlock over North Korea’s nuclear development.
3. On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, share prices surged to a six-month high.
May 7, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. As the number of new influenza infections increases, the World Health Organization says it is closely monitoring the new influenza outbreak in Europe to decide whether to raise its alert level to Phase 6.
2. In Mexico, life appears to be returning to normal with businesses reopening after the government lifted its nationwide flu restrictions.
3. The presidents of the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to increase cooperation to stabilize the two South Asian nations.
4. U.S. and Chinese leaders have confirmed that their countries will continue to work closely together to break the deadlock over North Korea’s nuclear development.
May 6, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. More than 1,650 people in 22 countries have been confirmed to have the H1N1 flu, with Mexico reporting more than 70 new cases.
2. The mayors of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, scenes of the atomic bomb attacks in 1945, have appealed for worldwide nuclear disarmament at the United Nations in New York.
3. The United States military is investigating a claim by Afghan police that more than 20 civilians were killed in a U.S. air raid in the country on Monday.
May 6, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. As the number of people infected with the H1N1 flu virus rises, the World Health Organization is considering upgrading its alert for the new strain to the highest level, Phase 6.
2. The United Nations has criticized Israel for failing to protect civilians during its December-January military attacks on U.N. facilities in Gaza.
3. The U.S. special envoy on North Korea will travel to Japan and three other countries in an effort to bring the North back to the stalled six-party nuclear talks .
4. Japan’s prime minister is calling for a stronger Japanese-European partnership in an effort to overcome global issues including the economic crises and climate change.
its earlier forecast.
May 5, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. The number of confirmed human cases of the new type of influenza has exceeded 1,400 worldwide, as more than 130 new infections have been reported in Mexico and the United States.
2. Prime Minister Taro Aso on a 4-day trip to Europe has met with European Commission President Jose Manuel Borroso and he’s next scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
3. The European Union say the euro-zone economies will contract four percent in 2009, substantially downgrading its earlier forecast.
May 5, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. With 130 new influenza infections reported in Mexico and the United States, the number of confirmed human cases of the new type has exceeded 1,400 worldwide.
2. America’s staff military officer says his country will help Pakistan prevent its nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of insurgents by any means necessary.
3. A South Korean Navy team has thwarted an attempted attack by pirates on a North Korean cargo ship off the coast of Somalia.
4. Nepal’s prime minister resigned suddenly after a power struggle with the president.
May 4, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The number of people worldwide infected with the new type of influenza has exceeded 1,000, but Mexico’s health minister says the flu epidemic is in a declining phase.
2. The Japanese and Czech prime ministers meet in Prague to discuss a wide range of issues, including North Korea, the global financial crisis and the new influenza outbreak.
May 4, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The number of people worldwide infected with the new type of influenza has exceeded 1,000, but Mexico’s health minister says the flu epidemic is in a declining phase.
2. The finance ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are worried that the new H1N1 influenza may have a severe impact on Asian economies.
3. The Japanese and Czech prime ministers meet in Prague to discuss a wide range of issues, including North Korea, the global financial crisis and the new influenza outbreak.
4. Japan’s Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone met with Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Sunday to say Japan appreciates Egypt’s mediation efforts for peace in the Middle East.
May 3, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The number of people infected with the new type of influenza has exceeded 806 in 17 countries and Hong Kong, with three more people confirmed dead in Mexico.
2. Japan’s finance minister has said his country will step up financial aid for Asian nations if they fall short of funds amid the global financial crisis and the spread of the new type of flu.
May 3, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara
1.The number of people infected with the new type of influenza has exceeded 770 in 17 countries and Hong Kong, with three more people confirmed dead in Mexico.
2. Japan’s Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone has called on Iran to stop its uranium enrichment and hold talks with the United States on its nuclear development program.
May 2, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. The number of confirmed cases of infection of the new strain of influenza has risen to 639 in 15 countries and a region with 16 deaths having been confirmed in Mexico and one death in the United States.
2. The World Health Organization says seasonal influenza vaccines are probably not effective against the new strain of flu and that bringing a new vaccine to market may take four to six months.
May 2, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1.The number of confirmed cases of infection of the new strain of influenza has risen to
639 in 15 countries and a region with 16 deaths having been confirmed in Mexico and one death in the United States.
2. The World Health Organization says seasonal influenza vaccines are probably not effective against the new strain of flu and that bringing a new vaccine to market may take four to six months.
May 1, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. A Japanese government’s task force has confirmed that it will take additional measures to prevent a possible outbreak of the new influenza.
2. Genetic tests have confirmed that Japan’s first suspected flu patient is not infected with a new strain of virus.
3. U.S. automaker Chrysler has filed for bankruptcy protection, and will seek reorganization with financial support from the U.S. and Canadian governments.
May 1, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Japan’s first of suspected case of the H1N1 flu has been confirmed. The patient is a 17-year-old male high school student living in Yokohama City near Tokyo.
2. The number of infected people worldwide has reached 456, with Mexico recording the largest number of people confirmed to have the virus at 260.
3. The U.S. State Department’s report on global terrorism has dropped reference to North Korea, following last year’s removal of the North from its list of states sponsoring terrorism.
4. U.S. auto maker Chrysler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Japan’s auto industry is expressing hope that the troubled U.S. car maker will soon be back on its own feet.