無題ドキュメント

August

August 31, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. Japan’s Democratic Party has called on two other opposition parties to discuss possibilities of a coalition government after its landslide victory in Sunday’s election.

2. Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso says he will resign as head of the main governing Liberal Democratic Party, following its crushing defeat in Sunday’s general election.

3. The Dalai Lama arrives in Taiwan to comfort survivors of a recent typhoon.

August 31, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japan’s largest opposition group, the Democratic Party, won a landslide victory in Sunday’s Lower House election, taking more than 300 seats in the 480-seat chamber.

2. The Democrats’ victory ends more than 50 years of almost unbroken rule by the Liberal Democratic Party, which will bring reactions to the landslide from around the world.

3. With Sunday’s victory, the Democratic Party leader, Yukio Hatoyama, says his party will look into possibilities of forming a coalition government with two other opposition parties.

4. The Dalai Lama arrives in Taiwan to comfort survivors of a recent typhoon.

August 30, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. Japanese voters are casting ballots on Sunday in the general election for the Lower House.

2. In East Timor, a ceremony was held on Sunday to mark the tenth anniversary of a new embarked referendum that eventually led to the birth of a nation in 2002.

August 30, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara

1. Japanese voters are casting ballots on Sunday in the general election for the Lower House.

2. Bombings killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 40 in Iraq on Saturday.

August 29, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Michelle Yamamoto

1. More than one thousand candidates are canvassing across Japan on Saturday, the final day of 12 days of campaigning for Sunday’s Lower House election, which will decide whether the governing coalition maintains power or the opposition takes over.

2. The worldwide number of deaths caused by the new strain of influenza has topped 2,000 this year, with more than 200,000 people having been infected with the H1N1 virus.

3. The United Arab Emirates has reportedly seized a ship carrying North Korean-made weapons bound for Iran in violation of U.N. sanctions.

August 29, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Michelle Yamamoto

2. The worldwide number of deaths caused by the new strain of influenza has topped 2,000 this year, with more than 200,000 people having been infected with the H1N1 virus.

3. The United Arab Emirates has reportedly seized a ship carrying North Korean-made weapons bound for Iran in violation of U.N. sanctions.

August 28, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1. The chairperson of an annual U.N. disarmament conference in Japan says the three-day talks helped the participants build mutual confidence toward nuclear disarmament.

2. Japan’s jobless rate hit a record high of 5.7 percent in July, surpassing the previous record last in April 2003.

3. The number of people infected with the H1N1 influenza last week in Japan is estimated at 150,000, showing the virus is spreading rapidly.

August 28, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. As Japan’s jobless rate hit a record high of 5.7 percent in July, the government says it will try to help those who lost jobs find new employment.

2. With the number of patients of a new flu reaching an epidemic proportion in Japan, the Health Ministry is asking clinics and hospitals across the country to admit as many patients as possible.

3. The Chinese government criticizes Taiwan’s opposition parties for inviting the Dalai Lama to see devastation brought about by a recent typhoon.

4. Next March Toyota Motor will end production at assembly plants in California, that is a joint venture with General Motors.

August 27, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner

1. A 33-year-old man in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, has died after contracting the new influenza, becoming the first Japanese in his thirties to die from a flu.

2. In Brazil, the death toll from the disease has topped 500, the highest figure worldwide and special funds are set aside to combat the spread.

3. Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jean says his government has approved the visit by the Dalai Lama next week to combat survivors of the deadly tropical storm earlier this month.

August 27, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. An elderly woman who tested positive for the H1N1 strain of influenza died on Tuesday in Nagoya City, likely becoming the fourth such fatality in Japan.

2. In Brazil, the death toll from the disease has topped 500, the highest figure worldwide, and special funds are set aside to combat the spread.

3. Russia’s military chief says the latest surface to air missile defense unit has been deployed in the Far East region to counter threats from North Korea.

4. Japan’s foreign minister and the new U.S. ambassador to Japan have agreed to work together on global issues, such as climate change, the energy crisis and North Korea.

August 26, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. A three-day U.N. conference on disarmament has opened in Niigata City, with about 90 government officials and experts from 21 countries participating.

2. Japan’s health ministry says new influenza infections forced dozens of schools across Japan to close or cancel classes last week.

3. Japan’s trade surplus in July rose 4.6 times from a year earlier.

August 26, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japan’s health ministry says new influenza infections forced dozens of schools across Japan to close or cancel classes last week.

2. As vote-counting continues following last week’s presidential election, a bomb attack in southern Afghanistan kills at least 30 people and injuries more than 60 others.

3. China’s president visits the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for the first time since July’s riots, emphasizing that maintaining security is the region’s most important task.

4. North Korea sends a special invitation to a U.S. special envoy to visit Pyongyang for direct talks on the North’s denuclearization.

August 25, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. Prime Minister Taro Aso called on his cabinet members to do utmost in fighting to the end for the upcoming Lower House election on Sunday.

2. Prime Minister Taro Aso and new U.S. Ambassador John Roos have agreed to strengthen bilateral ties in tackling legal issues.

3. U.S. President Barack Obama plans to reappoint Ben Bernanke to a second term as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman.

August 25, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japanese health authorities say the H1N1 strain is now prevalent nationwide as 97 percent of flu patients in the country have the new virus.

2. The Japanese government has decided to extend its participation in the U.N. peace-keeping mission in Nepal for another six months.

3. The governments of Japan and China have agreed to cooperate to stop trademark infringements of Japanese products.

4. U.S. President Barack Obama has approved the creation of a new team of interrogators to question key terrorism suspects.

August 24, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. As the H1N1 influenza spreads across Japan, the government is making plans to import vaccines.

2. Yemen says its armed forces have killed more than one hundred Muslim Shia militants in an operation to recapture a territory in northern mountains.

3. Japanese auto makers are hiring again at their overseas factories amid increased demands for cars in Asia and Europe.

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

1. As the H1N1 influenza spreads across Japan, the government is making plans to use reserved funds to import vaccines.

2. Japan’s health ministry will distribute preventive advice on the new flu to people who could seriously become ill if infected.

3. Several thousands of residents of Athens’ suburb have been evacuated from their homes as large wild fires head toward the Greek capital.

4. Japanese auto makers are hiring again at their overseas factories amid increased demands for cars in Asia and Europe.

August 23, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Michelle Yamamoto

1. A North Korean delegation has conveyed leader Kim Jung Il’s message hoping for development of cooperation with South Korea in its meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung Bak.

2. Debate among Japanese political parties is heating up on the economy and child allowances, with the August 30th Lower House election just one week away.

August 23, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara

1. A North Korean delegation has conveyed leader Kim Jung Il’s message hoping for development of cooperation with South Korea in its meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung Bak.

2. Debate among Japanese political parties is heating up on the economy and child allowances, with the August 30th Lower House election just one week away.

August 22, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Michelle Yamamoto

1. The North Korean delegation visiting South Korea to express condolences for the late former president Kim Dae Jung has requested a meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung Bak.

2. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has suggested that the global economy is bottoming out, and stressed the need for further financial reforms.

3. Japan’s health ministry warns the H1N1 influenza is spreading nationwide.

August 22, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Michelle Yamamoto

1. A senior member of the North Korean delegation now in Seoul to pay respect to the late former South Korean president Kim Dae Jung has met the nation’s unification minister.

2. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has suggested that the global economy is bottoming out, and stressed the need for further financial reforms.

3. Japan’s health ministry warns the H1N1 influenza is spreading nationwide.

August 21, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1. Japanese health experts have declared the H1N1 influenza is spreading nationwide.

2. A North Korean delegation has arrived in South Korea to pay their respect to the late President Kim Dae Jung.

3. Vote counting is underway in Afghanistan’s presidential election.

August 21, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Vote counting is underway in Afghanistan’s presidential election, one that has been contested by about 30 candidates, including the incumbent President.

2. A six-member delegation of high-level North Korean officials will soon arrive in Seoul, South Korea, to pay their respect to the late President Kim Dae Jung.

3. China’s defense ministry launches its first official bilingual website as part of efforts to increase its international image.

4. With the deaths of three people and at least 6,000 others diagnosed as have been infected with the H1N1 flu, Japan’s health ministry will check how local governments across the country are preparing for a possible major outbreak.

August 20, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1. Amid tight security, Afghans are casting ballots in the second direct presidential election since the U.S. overthrew a Taliban-led government eight years ago.

2. A cameraman for the Japanese commercial broadcaster, Tokyo Broadcasting System, has been detained by security forces in Afghanistan.

3. North Korea plans to send to the funeral of the late former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung a delegation consisting of people who are close to leader Kim Jung Il.

August 20, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Amid tight security, Afghans are casting ballots in the second direct presidential election since the U.S. overthrew a Taliban-led government eight years ago.

2. In Iraq, at least 95 people have been killed and more than 560 wounded in the worst series of attacks in Baghdad since U.S. troops withdrew from urban areas in late June.

3. The South Korean government has decided a state funeral will be held on Sunday for the late former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung.

4. China overtakes the United States to become the largest importer of Japanese products in the first half of this year.

August 19, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. A woman in Nagoya, central Japan, has died of the new influenza, bringing to three the number of confirmed deaths from the disease in the country.

2. Japanese nationals living overseas are now casting their ballots in the Lower House election scheduled for August 30 in Japan.

3. North Korea is ready to send a delegation to the funeral of former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, who died on Tuesday.

August 19, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. During an NHK debate, Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso and the leader of the largest opposition Democratic Party Yukio Hatoyama both say they aim to win a majority in the up-coming Lower House election.

2. Japanese election monitors have arrived in the Afghan capital ahead of Thursday’s presidential election as a series of bomb attacks in Kabul and other locations threaten security.

3. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il praises the late former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung for his contribution to promoting inter-Korean exchange.

4. Japan’s health ministry plans to strengthen measures against the H1N1 influenza, following the deaths of three patients from the disease.

August 18, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura

1. Official campaigning has begun for Japan’s Lower House election on August 30. The vote will decide whether the governing coalition maintains power or the opposition camp takes over.

2. Former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung has died at a hospital in Seoul. He was 85.

3. The South Korean government will propose talks with North Korea, in hopes of arranging a September reunion of families separated by the Korean War.

August 18, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuriko Yamada and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Twelve days of official campaigning for Japan’s Lower House election got underway on this Tuesday, ahead of election day on August 30.

2. The Japanese people will decide the governing coalition maintains power or the opposition camp takes over.

3. Campaigning for this week’s presidential election in Afghanistan officially ended on Monday, but there is a growing concern that the terrorist attacks could disrupt the election.

4. Japan will send a million dollars for the relief supply to Taiwan to help it recover from the direct hit by typhoon Morakot earlier this month.

August 17, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. Japan’s economy returns to positive GDP growth in the April to June period, expanding at an annual rate of 3.7 percent.

2. The Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Nikkei average of 225 selected issues fell more than 320 points on Monday, following a plunge in New York last weekend.

3. North Korea will reopen two mountain resorts to tourism and will allow reunions for families separated since the Korean War.

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

1. Japan’s economy returns to positive GDP growth in the April to June period, expanding at an annual rate of 3.7 percent.

2. North Korea will reopen two mountain resorts to tourism and will allow reunions for families separated since the Korean War.

3. Afghanistan’s defense minister is calling on Taliban insurgents to agree to a ceasefire on Thursday this week, the day of the nation’s presidential election.

4. Japan’s minister of economy, trade and industry will launch a study group to come up with ways to help Japanese companies penetrate the international water market.

August 16, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. A U.S. Senator has met with the head of Myanmar’s military government, General Than Shwe, and pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

2. Japan’s governing coalition calls for a growth strategy to create a larger economic pie while the opposition parties urge economic growth led by domestic demand.

3. Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jean has apologized for the authorities’ failure to respond more quickly to the typhoon.

August 16, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yoko Ogasawara

1. A U.S. Senator has met with the head of Myanmar’s military government, General Than Shwe, and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

2. Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jean has apologized for the authorities’ failure to respond more quickly to the typhoon that killed at least 123 people.

3. The Afghan military and police are stepping up security in and around the capital Kabul, following a massive bombing.

August 15, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. Japan and South Korea have reported their countries’ deaths from the new influenza.

2. Japan on Saturday observed the 64th anniversary of the end of World War II on August 15, 1945.

3. In Taiwan, death toll from Typhoon Morakot could reach more than 500.

August 15, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. Japan on Saturday observed the 64th anniversary of the end of World War II on August 15, 1945.

2. In Taiwan, death toll from Typhoon Morakot could reach more than 500.

August 14, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuko Matsumoto

1. The U.N. Security Council has released a media statement expressing serious concerns over Myanmar’s sentencing of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

2. A U.S. State Department special envoy will visit Asia next week in a bid to raise the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions against North Korea.

3. India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have signed a free trade agreement that calls for the lifting of tariffs on many items by 2016.

August 14, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. The U.N. Security Council releases a media statement expressing serious concerns over Myanmar’s continued detention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

2. The U.S. State Department says it is dispatching a special envoy to Asia next week in a bid to raise the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions against North Korea.

3. The Afghan government says poor security is hampering the setting up of polling stations in some areas ahead of the country’s presidential election on August 20.

4. India and ASEAN countries signed a free trade agreement that calls for the lifting of tariffs on many industrial and agricultural products by 2016.

August 13, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Michelle Yamamoto

1. Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi plans to appeal district verdict that returns he to house arrest.

2. A World Trade Organization panel has found China in breach of WTO rules over its distribution of foreign audiovisual products.

3. Tropical storm Etau has left 18 people dead and eight missing in western Japan.

August 13, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi plans to appeal the district verdict that returns her to house arrest.

2.The U.S. central bank expresses optimism about the U.S. economy, saying it is showing signs of leveling out, but maintains the near-zero interest rate.

3. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin makes a surprise visit to the Georgian breakaway territory of Abkhaziya to emphasize Russia’s recognition of its independence.

4. The leaders of Japan’s Liberal Democratic and the Democratic Parties face off in a debate before official campaigning begins next Tuesday for parliamentary elections.

August 12, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. Tropical storm Etau has left at least 17 people dead and 10 missing in western Japan.

2. The decision by Myanmar’s military government to keep opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest has drawn a public outcry.

3. Brazil has overtaken Mexico as the country with the third largest death toll from the new influenza.

August 12, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. There has been a public outcry, following the decision by Myanmar’s military government to keep opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.

2. The U.S. government is freezing the assets of another North Korean bank and is banning it from doing business with a U.S. financial institution.

3. Brazil has overtaken Mexico as the country with the third largest death toll from the new H1N1 influenza, a figure which doubled from a week ago.

4. For the second consecutive month, China’s industrial production in July records a double-digit growth from the same month last year, while exports continue to shrink.

August 11, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. A Myanmar court has found the country’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest.

2. Japan’s central bank has decided to keep its key interest rate at 0.1 percent.

3. A strong earthquake struck Shizuoka Prefecture west of Tokyo early Tuesday morning, jolting wide parts of Japan’s main island.

August 11, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. A strong earthquake struck Shizuoka Prefecture west of Tokyo early Tuesday morning, jolting wide parts of Japan’s main island of Honshu.

2. Officials say many people were injured in this powerful quake and fell over hit by falling objects in Shizuoka Prefecture.

3. Tropical storm Morakot has left 23 dead in floods and mudslides in Taiwan, where more than 100 people are feared missing.

4. Japan’s national debt at the end of June was a record high, over 860 trillion yen, the equivalent of 69,000 dollars per citizen.

August 10, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. An anti-nuclear international conference held in Nagasaki City, southwestern Japan, has discussed ways to abolish nuclear weapons.

2. Stock prices rose sharply in Tokyo on Monday, on reinforced prospects for economic recovery.

3. The head of South Korean conglomerate Hyundai Group is now in North Korea to discuss the release of the group’s worker who has been detained in the country.

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

1. The Basque separatist group ETA gives an advance warning before bomb attacks on the Spanish resort island of Mallorca.

2. Chinese authorities prevent an Afghan airplane from landing at Urumqi airport because of a possibility that there is a bomb on the plane.

3. The president of Madagascar’s government and the country’s former president have agreed to hold a presidential election within 15 months.

4. Japanese atomic bomb survivors and U.S. World War II veterans have pledged to work together for a nuclear weapon-free world in Washington.

August 9, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. Nagasaki observes the 64th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on Sunday.

2. Indonesian police suspect that an Islamic extremist group may have been planning to assassinate President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

August 9, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. Nagasaki observes the 64th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on Sunday.

2. Indonesian police suspect that an Islamic extremist group may have been planning to assassinate President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

August 8, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. Indonesian police have killed at least three Islamic militants and arrested five others in two separate raids, possibly including a leader who had been wanted for his suspected involvement in a series of terror attacks in Indonesia in recent years.

2. In Iraq, at least thirty-two people have been killed and nearly 120 injured in bombings, apparently targeting Shia Muslims.

3. Russia says it will no longer accept Japanese aid for the four Russian-held islands over which Japan claims sovereignty.

August 8, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. Russia says it will no longer accept Japanese aid for the four Russian-held islands over which Japan claims sovereignty.

2. In Iraq, at least thirty-two people have been killed and nearly 120 injured in bombings, apparently targeting Shia Muslims.

3. The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved President Barack Obama(s nomination of John Roos as ambassador to Japan.

August 7, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1. U.N. General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto offered a prayer at a cenotaph for A-bomb victims in the city’s Peace Memorial Park on Friday.

2. The World Health Organization says the first vaccine to combat H1N1 flu will be ready for use in some countries next month.

3. Japan Airlines announced on Friday that it will cut unprofitable flights from this fall as part of its restructuring efforts.

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

1. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton has begun briefing White House National Security Council members on his humanitarian trip to North Korea.

2. A top adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama has unveiled a new approach to combating terrorism. One may call it a dual strategy of military efforts and social development of countries serving as terrorist havens.

3. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is promising more military and

financial aid for Somalia’s transitional president who is fighting Islamic insurgents.

4.The World Health Organization says the first vaccines to combat H1N1 flu will be ready for use in some countries as early as next month.

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

1. About 50,000 people have converged on Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park to mark the 64th anniversary of the atomic bombing by the United States’ military in the closing days of World War II.

2. Two American journalists released from North Korea have returned home and have reunited with their families.

3. In Japan’s first trial under the new lay judge system, the Tokyo District Court has sentenced a man charged with murder to 15 years in prison.

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

1. About 50,000 people have converged on Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park to mark the 64th anniversary of the atomic bombing by the United States’ military in the closing days of World War II.

2. People in New York City have gathered at a Buddhist temple to remember their government’s 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

3. Two American journalists released from North Korea have returned home and have reunited with their families.

4. Afghan President Hamil Karzai is calling on the Taliban to participate in the nation’s upcoming presidential election.

August 5, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. The plane carrying former U.S. President Bill Clinton and two journalists freed by North Korea has left a U.S. military base in northern Japan for Los Angeles.

2. Chinese authorities are maintaining tight control of the regional capital of Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, one month since a major riot erupted in the region.

August 5, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has issued the special pardon for two American journalists after meeting former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

2. Japan’s chief cabinet secretary hopes progress in U.S.-North Korean bilateral talks will help resolve the abductions of Japanese nationals and promote normalization of Japan’s ties with North Korea.

3. A survey finds that 61 percent of Americans support their government’s 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but shows there is less support among young people.

4. South Korean police stormed an auto plant outside Seoul, occupied by hundreds of laid-off workers.

August 4, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura

1. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday to negotiate the release of two female American journalists.

2. Inter-tribal violence in southern Sudan has left more than 160 people dead, mostly women and children.

3. The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is reportedly demanding a major reinforcement of American forces in the war-torn nation to improve the security situation there.

August 4, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has arrived in North Korea to negotiate the release of two female American journalists.

2. On the second day of a court trial under the new judicial system in Japan, six lay judges will hear testimonies of a defendant and murder victim’s relatives.

3. A government panel has submitted to Prime Minister Taro Aso its report proposing that Japan ease its restrictions on arms exports to allow it to join international weapons research programs.

4. French researchers say a woman in Cameroon has been infective with a new type of AIDS virus acquired from gorillas.

August 3, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki

1. Japan’s first trial under the new lay judge system has opened in Tokyo.]

2. The major of Hiroshima says he will appeal for the abolition of nuclear arms as the minimum responsibility to the next generation.

3. Sales of new vehicles in Japan fell 4.2 percent in July from a year earlier.

August 3, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson

1. Japan’s first trial under the new lay judge system is underway, with citizens taking part in court proceedings along with professional judges.

2. Iraq’s prime minister has met the leader of the Kurdistan Regional Government for the first time in two years in an effort to solve the dispute over land and oil rights.

3. Israeli police have recommended that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman be indicted on bribery and money laundering charges.

4. Electronic parts suppliers here in Japan are calling back workers due to a surge in demand in China and at home.

August 2, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. The Japanese government will launch a study panel to improve living standards of people with low incomes in developing countries while expanding business opportunities for Japanese firms.

2. Japan’s labor and welfare ministry says the number of unemployment benefits recipients topped one million for the first time in six years and eight months, due to the deteriorating job market.

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

1. The Japanese government will launch a study panel to improve living standards of people with low incomes in developing countries while expanding business opportunities for Japanese firms.

2. Japan’s labor and welfare ministry says the number of unemployment benefits recipients topped one million for the first time in six years and eight months, due to the deteriorating job market.

August 1, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

1. The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour has successfully landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday morning, carrying Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who spent four and a half months on the International Space Station.

2. More than 1,000 Afghan civilians were killed in terrorist attacks and military operations in the first half of this year, making it the most deadly six months since the Taliban fell eight years ago.

3. The World Food Program has made an international appeal for donations, saying it may have to reduce aid programs due to a shortage of funds.

August 1, 2009 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai

2. The U.S. economy shrank by an annualized one percent on the previous quarter in the April-June period, but a big improvement on the first quarter.

3. Bomb attacks near Shia mosques in Baghdad have killed 29 people and wounded more than 130.

August 1, 2009 (6:00 p.m.)