Daily English News: January
January 31, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. China’s Foreign Minister He Yafei has protested the U.S. decision to sell advanced weapons to Taiwan.
2. The Bank of Japan has indicated the need for emerging economies to review their easy money policy to avoid the negative effects of economic overheating.
January 31, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1.The Bank of Japan has indicated the need for emerging economies to review their easy money policy to avoid the negative effects of economic overheating.
2.India has announced that it will exempt the agricultural sector from its efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, while reporting to the U.N. on its goal based on the agreement at COP 15 in Copenhagen last December.
January 30, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan will send about 350 Self-Defense Force troops to quake-stricken Haiti as peacekeepers in response to the United Nations’ request.
2. The U.S. government has notified Congress of its intention to sell advanced weapons to Taiwan, while China has severely criticized the U.S. decision.
3. South Korean President Lee Myung Bak has expressed hope he can meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Il by the end of the year.
January 30, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan will send about 350 Self-Defense Force troops to quake-stricken Haiti as peacekeepers in response to the United Nations’ request.
2. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged China to join new international sanctions on Iran.
3. Japanese automaker Toyota will recall up to 1.8 million cars in Europe. With the pedal problem having already prompted recalls by Toyota in other parts of the world, the total number of cars recalled worldwide could reach 4.4 million.
January 29, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has delivered his policy speech before Parliament, focusing on employment and economic strategy.
2. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says international troops in Afghanistan will transfer security authority to local forces in stages starting later this year.
3. The European Union has announced that it will reduce greenhouse gases by 30 percent from 1990 levels by the year 2020.
January 29, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. In a policy speech at the Diet, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says he will focus on employment and economic strategy and will also resolve the issue of relocating a U.S. military base in Okinawa.
2. The U.S. State Department says it takes seriously the reported detention of U.S. citizen in North Korea and is working hard to get more information.
3. In London, delegates from 70 countries discuss strategies to end the war in Afghanistan and pledge international assistance to rebuild the war-torn nation.
4. Participants at the annual World Economic Forum meeting have agreed on the need to extend long-term assistance to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
January 28, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner
1. Japan’s Diet has enacted a second supplementary budget for the fiscal year.
2. North Korean soldiers have again fired artillery rounds in the Yellow Sea, off the Korean Peninsula’s western coast.
3. In his first State of the Union speech, U.S. President Barack Obama has promised to focus his efforts on creating jobs and reigning in the growing fiscal deficit.
January 28, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Japan’s Parliament is expected to soon enact a second supplementary budget with the backing of the three governing coalition parties and the opposition New Komeito Party.
2. In his first State of the Union speech, U.S. President Barack Obama has promised to focus his efforts on creating jobs and reigning in the growing fiscal deficit.
3. Representatives from more than 70 countries, including Japan and the United States, attend the one-day gathering in London to set up a fund to reintegrate Taliban fighters into Afghan society.
4. Sri Lankan voters have re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa, but turmoil is expected over the election outcome.
January 27, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. North Korea fired dozens of artillery rounds near a disputed sea border with South Korea on Wednesday and threatened more firings.
2. U.S. troops have rescued a man from under the rubble in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince 12 days after an aftershock of the devastating quake.
3. Global unemployment hit a new record last year at more than 200 million, because of the financial crisis.
January 27, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. As international aid continues to arrive in Haiti, one man is pulled from the rubble of a building 12 days after an earthquake devastated the Caribbean nation.
2. Providing support for the Haitian people will be on their minds of political and business leaders gathering to discuss global issues at the World Wconomic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
3. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama repeats his pledge to reach a conclusion by the end of May on the relocation of the U.S. Marine air station in Okinawa Prefecture.
4. Amid the financial crisisd, global unemployment hit a new record last year, especially among workers in the United States, the E.U. and Japan.
January 26, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has reiterated that the government will reach a conclusion on the relocation of a U.S. Marine air station in Okinawa by May after exploring all options.
2. U.S. media reports say President Barack Obama’s administration is set to approve sales of advanced weapons to Taiwan.
3. More than a dozen countries and international organizations have pledged long-term assistance for quake-stricken Haiti and the holding of a donors’ conference in March.
January 26, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Delegates from more than a dozen countries and international organizations pledged long-term assistance for quake-stricken Haiti at an aid conference in Montreal, Canada.
2. Japan’s two junior coalition parties objected to remarks by the government’s spokesman that a recent mayoral election of Okinawa will have no impact on the relocation of a U.S. military base.
3. The Dalai Lama is sending five envoys to China for discussions on resuming stalled talks on the status of Tibet.
4. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called on Taliban insurgents to lay down their arms and join efforts to reconstruct the war-torn country.
January 25, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. The candidate opposed to the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to Nago City has won the city’s mayoral election.
2. Japan is set to promise 70 million dollars in aid to help quake-hit Haiti in its reconstruction efforts.
3. South Korea has informed North Korea of a proposal to hold talks next month on resuming a joint tourism project at Mount Kumgang in the North.
January 25, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The candidate opposed to the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to Nago City has won the city’s mayoral election.
2. Food distribution operations have begun in a poor area of the quake-ravaged Haitian capital, where previously, food aid had not reached the area due to widespread looting and poor security.
3. The Reuters news agency reports that an Ethiopian Airlines plane carrying 85 passengers has crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Beirut, Lebanon.
4. Delegates from developing countries called for the rapid distribution of assistance money that developed nations pledged last month in Copenhagen to help reduce the effects of global climate change.
January 24, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s Democratic Party Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa says the money used in a land deal that is under investigation came from his personal assets. Ozawa has also denied allegations that he was involved in falsifying political fund reports.
2. Voting is underway in Okinawa on Sunday to choose the new mayor of Nago City. The city was agreed by Japan’s former government and the U.S. government as a relocation site for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station in the same prefecture.
January 24, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Japan’s Democratic Party Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa says money used in a land deal that is under investigation came from his personal assets. Ozawa has also denied allegations that he was involved in falsifying political fund reports.
2. Voting is underway in Okinawa on Sunday to choose the new mayor of Nago City. The city was agreed by Japan’s former government and the U.S. government as a relocation site for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station in the same prefecture.
January 23, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Tokyo prosecutors are interviewing a central figure in Japan’s main ruling party about the source of money used for suspected financial wrongdoing in connection with a land deal by his close aides.
2. The United Nations has begun investigating suspected cases of child trafficking in Haiti, in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake.
3. Israel has paid 10.5 million dollars to the United Nations for damages and injuries caused during the Israeli attack on Gaza a year ago.
January 23, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Tokyo prosecutors are set to interview a central figure in Japan’s main ruling party on Saturday about the source of money used for suspected financial wrongdoing in connection with a land deal by his close aides.
2. Ten days after devastating earthquakes hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti, an 84-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man have been pulled alive from rubble.
3. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for an expansion of the U.N. Security Council to better deal with global challenges. He says several countries, including Japan, should be added to its permanent members.
January 22, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is calling on the international community to continue supporting efforts to rebuild quake-ravaged Haiti over the mid and long term.
2. U.S. President Barack Obama is proposing stricter regulations on his nation’s financial sector in what is seen as the most drastic attempt to overhaul the U.S. financial system since the Great Depression.
3. U.S. President Barack Obama has told the mayor of Hiroshima that he hopes to visit the atom-bombed city.
January 22, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. U.S. President Barack Obama’s proposals for stricter regulations on his nation’s banks sent share prices at the Tokyo Stock Exchange plunging over 2.7 percent on Friday morning.
2. The U.S. president has told the mayor of the Japanese city of Hiroshima that he hopes to visit the city, which his nation attacked with an atomic bomb in 1945.
3. The U.N. secretary general is calling on the international community to continue supporting efforts to rebuild the quake-ravaged Haiti.
4. A high-ranking U.S. diplomat has set aide the controversy over the relocation of a U.S. base in Okinawa, and heaped praise on Japan for its recent contribution to the international community.
January 21, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner
1. The mayor of atom-bombed Hiroshima City implores attendees at a U.S. conference of mayors to join him in the quest to raise public support for a nuclear-free world.
2. A medical team of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces is on its way to Haiti to help the survivors of last week’s devastating earthquake.
3. China’s economy continues its impressive expansion by marking a year-on-year growth of 10.7 percent between October and December last year.
January 21, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The mayor of the atom-bombed Hiroshima City implores attendees at a U.S. conference of mayors to join him in the quest to raise public support for a nuclear-free world.
2. The U.N.’s Children’s Fund increases the amount of aid to Haitian children who lost their parents or were separated from their families in last week’s catastrophic quake.
3. The U.N. and other international aid groups criticize Israel’s continued blockade of the Gaza Strip, saying that it is a serious risk for the health of 1.4 million people.
4. South Korea’s national human rights commission says an estimated 200,000 political prisoners are being detained in North Korea.
January 20, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. One week after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, President Rene Preval says the government has so far confirmed 70,000 deaths and that the toll will likely rise further.
2. U.S. President Barack Obama has called for renewing his nation’s alliance with Japan for the 21st century.
January 20, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. A week after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, relief supplies have yet to reach many stricken areas, and it’s still not known how many people have died.
2. As Japan Airlines enters bankruptcy court protection, it is trying not to incur further losses as it seeks the support of major creditor banks.
3. Tokyo prosecutors are preparing to question Democratic Party Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa in detail about a land purchased by his political fund management group.
4. U.S. President Barack Obama calls for renewing his nation’s alliance with Japan for the 21st century, saying the partnership has brought an unprecedented prosperity and peace to both countries.
January 19, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura
1. The Tokyo District Court has accepted Japan Airlines’ request for protection against creditors under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law.
2. The United Nations will send 3,500 more peace keepers to quake-hit Haiti to help with humanitarian assistance amid the worsening security.
3. Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of the current Japan-U.S. security treaty. The Japanese government will issue statements to emphasize the importance of the alliance.
January 19, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. A lawyer for the ruling Democratic Party’s secretary general says he is likely willing to be interviewed by prosecutors in connection with political funding irregularities.
2. Japan Airlines is expected to file for court protection from creditors on Tuesday as it will receive support for its rebuilding from the state-backed business recovery corporation.
3. The United Nations will send 3,500 more peace keepers to quake-hit Haiti to help with humanitarian assistance amid the worsening security situation.
4. Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of the current Japan-U.S. security treaty. The Japanese government emphasizes the importance of the alliance.
January 18, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Japan’s Diet has opened for a regular session with the ruling and opposition blocks set to hold heated debate over budget bills and political funding scandals.
2. Taliabn insurgents launched attacks in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Monday morning.
3. The situation in Haiti remains tense as people struggle to find food and water, five days after the magnitude 7 earthquake.
January 18, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Rescue teams from around the world continue their search for earthquake survivors in Haiti six days after a massive earthquake struck the Caribbean nation.
2. A 25-member Japanese medical relief team has arrived in the Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, to begin treating the injured with medicine and surgical equipment brought from Japan.
3. As Japan’s Parliament convenes for its regular Diet session on Monday, fierce debate is expected in the coming days due to on-going political funding scandals.
4. Indonesia’s foreign minister says the advantages of a free-trade agreement with China far outweigh the disadvantages.
January 17, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Memorial services were held for the victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake on its 15th anniversary on Sunday.
2. A Japanese fact-finding team is assessing the quake damage in Haiti, to determine what kind of humanitarian assistance is most urgently needed.
January 17, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. Memorial services are being held in and around Kobe on Sunday to mark the 15th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
2. A Japanese fact-finding team is assessing the quake damage in Haiti, to determine what kind of humanitarian assistance is most urgently needed.
January 16, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. In Haiti, concerns are mounting over the chances of survival for people trapped under rubble in Tuesday’s devastating earthquake.
2. Tokyo prosecutors have arrested three close aides to a central figure in Japan’s main ruling party for suspected financial wrongdoing in connection with a land deal.
3. Two Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force ships have begun pulling out of the Indian Ocean, ending an eight-year-long refueling mission for U.S-led coalition vessels.
January 16, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Madoka Kanai
1. In Haiti, concerns are mounting over the chances of survival for people trapped under rubble in Tuesday’s devastating earthquake.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has called for stepped-up assistance for earthquake-hit Haiti at a forum of foreign ministers from East Asian and Latin American countries.
3. Tokyo prosecutors have arrested the chief secretary to Democratic Party Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa in connection with a controversial land purchase.
January 15, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Rescue teams from around the world are continuing their operations in Haiti to recover the many people who remain trapped under rubble following Tuesday’s powerful earthquake.
2. Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa has issued an order to end the Maritime Self-Defense Force mission that has been providing fuel to U.S. and other vessels in the Indian Ocean.
3. An Iraqi court has sentenced 11 people to death for carrying out bomb attacks that killed around 100 in Baghdad last August.
January 15, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Rescue teams from around the world are getting their operations in Haiti in full swing to recover those who remain trapped under rubble following Tuesday’s powerful earthquake.
2. Japan’s government will provide Haiti with relief supplies, personnel and grants of up to five million dollars, while civilian medical aid groups are set for Port-au-Prince to assist quake victims.
3. An Iraqi court has sentenced 11 people to death for carrying out bomb attacks that killed around 100 in Baghdad last August.
4. Internet search engine company Google is believed to have defied the Chinese government by ending its voluntary censorship with search results.
January 14, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner
1. Nations around the world are preparing relief efforts as the extent of damage from Tuesday’s massive earthquake in Haiti gradually comes to light.
2. Japan will offer quake-hit Haiti in an emergency grant-in-aid of up to 5-million dollars.
3. Major creditor banks of Japan Airlines are expected to formally approve a plan this week to help the struggling carrier recover under court-led legal proceedings.
January 14, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Nations around the world are preparing relief efforts as the extent of damage from Tuesday’s massive earthquake in Haiti gradually comes to light.
2. Japan’s government is working on specific aid plans for assisting recovering Haiti and will provide maximum financial and other forms of assistance.
3. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has confirmed that at least 16 U.N. peacekeepers were killed in the magnitude-7 earthquake that rocked Haiti’s capital on Tuesday.
4. Major creditor banks of the financially ailing Japan Airlines are expected to formally approve a plan this week to help the struggling carrier recover from bankruptcy.
January 13, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Negotiators from Japan and the U.S. agree to begin consultation to further deepen their alliance on the 50th anniversary of the bilateral security treaty.
2. On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, shares of Japan Airlines plunged to their lower limit for the 2nd straight day amid speculation that the ailing carrier may be delisted.
3. A massive earthquake in the Caribbean nation of Haiti has left many people dead and injured.
January 13, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. A massive earthquake strikes the Caribbean nation of Haiti, leaving many people dead and injured in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
2. Negotiators from Japan and the U.S. agree to begin consultation to further deepen their alliance on the 50th anniversary of the bilateral security treaty.
3. Senior officials from the five permanent member nations of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany are to meet this weekend to discuss additional sanctions against Iran.
4. On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, shares of Japan Airlines plunged for the second straight day amid speculation that the ailing carrier may be delisted.
January 12, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Leading members of the U.s. Congress have written to Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, urging him to implement the existing plan to realign U.S. bases in Okinawa.
2. The United States has again ruled out the lifting of sanctions on North Korea as a reward for the country’s return to the six-party talks on its nuclear program.
3. The United Nations has officially launched the International Year of Biodiversity in a bid to protect endangered wildlife and eco-systems.
January 12, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. A junior partner of Japan’s coalition government proposes having the U.S. government provide more information on its stance regarding the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.
2. The United States has again ruled out the lifting of sanctions on North Korea as a reward for the country’s return to the six-party talks on its nuclear program.
3. Chinese vice president says he urges Japan’s prime minister will visit China this year to reaffirm the importance of bilateral exchanges.
4. The International Monetary Fund will send delegates to Greece to determine what kind of support could help alleviate the country’s financial situation.
January 11, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Japan’s government and the main ruling Democratic Party have agreed to submit bills aimed at shifting power from bureaucrats to lawmakers.
2. The U.S. special envoy on North Korea’s human rights says the country’s appalling human rights situation needs to improve before it can normalize relations with the United States.
3. South Korea is proposing to build a new business and academic center after scrapping a plan to transfer some government functions from the capital Seoul.
January 11, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Government and ruling Democratic Party leaders submit bills to the Ordinary Session of the Diet that begins next week that aims to reduce the government’s reliance on bureaucrats.
2. A plan by the governments of Japan and Indonesia to develop Indonesia’s infrastructure could be a boon for Japanese businesses.
3. An Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip has killed three Palestinian militants, who the Israeli military claims were preparing to launch rockets.
4. Heavy rain since the start of the year has triggered floods in Albania, which has forced more than 5,000 people to flee their homes.
January 10, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Naoto Kan has said the key part of the pledges made by the governing coalition has been achieved in the fiscal 2010 budget plan.
2. Afghan President Hamid Karzai submitted a new list of Cabinet nominees to Parliament on Saturday, replacing more than a dozen candidates that the body rejected.
January 10, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Naoto Kan has said the key part of the pledges made by the governing coalition has been achieved in the fiscal 2010 budget plan.
2. Afghan President Hamid Karzai submitted a new list of Cabinet nominees to Parliament on Saturday, replacing more than a dozen candidates that the body rejected.
January 9, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Michelle Yamamoto
1. Tokyo police will send investigators to Hong Kong, where two Chinese men have been detained for possession of watches believed to have been stolen from a jewelry store in Tokyo. The total value of the watches stolen was more than three million dollars.
2. The anti-whaling Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has lodged a piracy charge against Japanese whalers in the Netherlands, after Wednesday’s collision between its high-speed boat and a Japanese whaling ship.
3. Final arrangements are being made for having struggling Japan Airlines file for court protection from creditors under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law.
January 9, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Michelle Yamamoto
1. Final arrangements are being made for having struggling Japan Airlines file for court protection from creditors under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law.
2. The U.S. Labor Department says 4,160,000 people lost their jobs in 2009, the most for any year since the department began compiling data.
3. International Atomic Energy Agency chief expressed hope that the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program will resume so his agency can monitor the country’s facilities.
January 8, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japan’s Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has said he will meet U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Hawaii next Tuesday.
2. Japan’s Diet will reconvene for its regular session on January 18th, with debate on two key budget bills expected.
3. Toyota Motor’s Prius in 2009 became the first hybrid vehicle ever to top the annual car sales ranking.
January 8, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. The foreign ministers of Japan and the United States will meet next Tuesday in Hawaii to discuss the relocation of a U.S. military base in Okinawa.
2. A U.S. official says the Obama administration wants to resume the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program as early as possible.
3. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have established the world’s largest free trade area, encompassing 1.9 billion people.
4. A series of election-related murders in the Philippines has prompted the government there to ban people from carrying guns in the run-up to general elections in May.
January 7, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Miwa Gardner
1. Japan will ask for the understanding of the United States regarding its May deadline for a decision on the relocation of a U.S. military base in Okinawa.
2. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has presented a letter of appointment to Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan to serve as Japan’s new finance minister.
3. Japanese renowned orchestral conductor, Seiji Ozawa, has now been diagnosed with cancer and is canceling all performances in the next six months.
January 7, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Negotiators from Japan and the United States arrange for talks to be held in Hawaii early next week between Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
2. Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan will replace the ailing Hirohisa Fujii as finance minister.
3. The Japanese government calls on officials of Australia and New Zealand to strictly regulate the activities of the anti-whaling Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
4. Iraq’s president commemorates Army Day by vowing to strengthen security ahead of a national election in March.
January 6, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Japanese business leaders say that dealing with environmental issues that affect emerging countries will be essential factors in reviving Japan’s economy.
2. New car sales in the U.S. marked the lowest level in 27 years in 2009 due to the sluggish economy, with China crowned the new car sales king.
3. China’s U.N. ambassador reiterates his nation’s resistance to imposing sanctions on Iran simply because of Western nations’ opposition to its nuclear program.
4. U.S. President Barack Obama says he will drastically reform his nation’s terrorism monitoring system amid rising criticism in the wake of the attempted bombing of a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day.
January 5, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Kaori Nimura
1. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has instructed Cabinet ministers to work for early passage of two budget bills at the upcoming Diet session that opens later this month.
2. The Japanese government has decided to allow a North Korean soccer team to enter the country for the East Asia women’s championships in Tokyo next month.
3. U.S. media reports say the suicide bomber who killed eight people inside a CIA base in Afghanistan last week was a double agent and al-Qaeda supporter.
January 5, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has instructed Cabinet ministers to work for early passage of two budget bills at the upcoming Diet session that opens later this month.
2. The foreign ministers from Japan and Turkey have agreed that the nations will cooperate closely to help stabilize Afghanistan.
3. A suicide bomber who killed eight Americans, including CIA agents, at a U.S. base in Eastern Afghanistan, last week, was confirmed to be a CIA double agent.
4. Egypt’s president asks his Palestinian counterpart to resume Middle East peace talks with Israel at an early date.
January 4, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says his government is determined to quickly pass the fiscal 2009 supplementary budget and the next fiscal year’s budget.
2. The U.S. government has asked domestic and foreign air carriers to step up security checks for all passengers on U.S.-bound flights traveling from or through countries listed as sponsors of terrorism and specified others.
3. Iraq’s chief election commissioner has promised full-fledged security measures to protect polling stations across the country ahead of an election scheduled in March.
January 4, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Robert Jefferson
1. Japan’s prime minister says his government is determined to quickly pass the fiscal 2009 supplementary budget and the next fiscal year’s budget.
2. Iraq’s chief election commissioner promises full-fledged security measures to protect polling stations ahead of an election that is scheduled for early March.
3. The U.S. and Britain close their embassies in Yemen where security has been tightened in response to heightened activities by terrorist groups.
4. Japan’s vice foreign minister leaves for the United States for talks with U.S. officials on the issue of an air station in Okinawa.
January 3, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Joseph Quini
1. Countries involved in the U.N. Climate Change Conference aim to adopt a new protocol this year to tackle global warming after the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012.
2. The population of Tokyo will exceed 13 million in 2010.
January 3, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Joseph Quini
1. Countries involved in the U.N. Climate Change Conference aim to adopt a new
protocol this year to tackle global warming after the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012.
2. The population of Tokyo will exceed 13 million in 2010.
January 2, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Joseph Quini
1. A car bombing at a volleyball ground in northwestern Pakistan has killed 88 people and wounded many others.
2. One of the toughest tasks facing Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama this year is to decide on a site for the relocation of a U.S. Marine’s air station in Okinawa.
3. A forecast by a private research institute shows that Japan’s economic growth will remain slow in 2010 amid an expected prolonged recession.
January 2, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Joseph Quini
1. In northwestern Pakistan, a car bombing at a volleyball ground has killed 88 people and wounded many others.
2. In the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, heavy rain has triggered flooding and mudslides, leaving more than 40 people dead.
3. A forecast by a private research institute shows that Japan’s economic growth will remain slow in 2010 amid an expected prolonged recession.
January 1, 2010 (6:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The year of 2010 marks the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of two Japanese cities.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says he is determined to put the country’s economy on the recovery track in 2010.
January 1, 2010 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Shrines and temples across Japan are crowded with worshippers praying for good luck in the coming year.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says he is determined to put the country’s economy on the recovery track in 2010.
3. The New York Stock Exchange has ended trading for 2009, with the key index gaining nearly 19 percent over the past year.