August 1, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Ministers from the 12 countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade pact have failed to reach a broad agreement.
2. The U.S. State Department has not confirmed whether a U.S. intelligence agency has spied on Japan’s government and Japanese companies as claimed by WikiLeaks.
3. The World Health Organization says an Ebola vaccine developed by the Canadian government appears to be highly effective.
August 2, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. A wing flap that some suspect may be from the missing Malaysian Airlines flight has reached a French military facility for intensive analysis.
2. A new Afghan Taliban leader has called for unity under his authority.
3. The head of the Organizing Committee for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Yoshiro Mori, has apologized to members of the International Olympic Committee for the decision to change the plan for a new national stadium.
August 3, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara
1. 70 years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a poll shows almost 70 percent of Japanese respondents do not know the exact dates of the bombings.
2. The president of Iran has called for the public not to expect quick dividends resulting from a landmark nuclear deal with world powers.
3. Malaysian authorities say they have confirmed that part of a wing found on an island in the Indian Ocean belonged to a Boeing 777.
August 4, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have opened their meeting in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.
2. The head of Japan’s largest opposition party says South Korean President Park Geun-hye is eager to improve bilateral relations with Japan.
3. Japan’s Foreign Ministry has issued its highest travel warning for some parts of Western Sahara in northern Africa, and urged Japanese tourists to leave the area.
August 5, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi have discussed China’s land reclamation work of reefs on the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
2. Japan and North Korea are arranging a meeting between their foreign ministers on the sidelines of regional meetings in Malaysia.
3. An NHK survey has found that nearly 40 percent of atomic bomb survivors say they have fewer or no chances to talk about their experiences than before.
August 6, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. People in Hiroshima, western Japan, are marking the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city.
2. Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry have discussed China’s increased maritime activities in the South China Sea.
3. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak have said the part of the wing found on an island in the Indian Sea has been confirmed to have come from the Malaysian Airlines plane that went missing last March.
August 7, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Mariko Kojima
1. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will release a statement next week on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
2. Japan’s government is set to continue pressing North Korea to report the outcome of its investigation into the fate of Japanese abductees in the country.
3.Negotiators from countries taking part in talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal are unlikely to hold another ministerial meeting in August.
August 8, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution to establish an investigative body to identify those responsible for chemical attacks in Syria.
2. A series of terrorist attacks have killed or wounded hundreds of people in Afghanistan. The violence is raising concern that Taliban insurgents may be stepping up their activities.
3. Powerful typhoon Soudelor is moving west over central Taiwan after making landfall on the island. Four people have been killed and another is missing.
August 9, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Thousands of people prayed for atomic bomb victims near ground zero in Nagasaki on Sunday, the 70th anniversary of the city’s bombing.
2. A delegation of about 20 Japanese companies is visiting Iran in the expectation that a nuclear deal with world powers will open up major business opportunities.
3. Armed troops have ended a hostage siege at a hotel in the West African nation of Mali. At least 10 people are believed to have died, including U.N. peacekeepers and Malian soldiers.
August 10, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. Japan’s government is suspending all landfill work for the planned relocation of a U.S. military base within Okinawa Prefecture for one month starting on Monday.
2.Government officials in Iran have expressed encouragement for Japan’s support in energy development in the Middle Eastern country.
3. Heavy monsoon rains and a cyclone have caused floods and landslides across Myanmar since late June.
August 11, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Japan has brought a nuclear reactor online for the first time in nearly two years.
2. Japanese government officials may reschedule the foreign minister’s trip to Russia.
3. The architect to design a new national stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics says she wants to keep working on a project based on a new budget.
August 12, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. A nuclear reactor has been restarted in Japan for the first time in nearly two years.
2. Relatives of the victims of Japan’s worst ever air disaster are making their annual visit to the mountain crash site north of Tokyo.
3. Japan’s top government spokesman and the governor of Okinawa Prefecture have held talks aimed at resolving a standoff over the planned relocation of a U.S. military base within the prefecture.
August 13, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Massive explosions took place at a warehouse storing hazardous goods on the outskirts of China’s port city of Tianjin on Wednesday night.
2. The Okinawa Prefectural government has asked the Defense Ministry to push for an explanation from the U.S. military about why an American military helicopter crashed.
3. China’s central bank has slashed the Yuan’s rate for trading against the dollar for the third straight day, sending the currency plummeting to a four-year low.
August 14, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Mariko Kojima and Mr. Maxwell Powers
1. Firefighters are still combating the fire that followed massive explosions late on Wednesday in the Chinese port city of Tianjin.
2. The operator of the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan, has started generating electricity at the plant’s No.1 reactor.
3. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is poised to continue a war anniversary tradition undertaken y some of his predecessors.
August 15, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Jeff Adolf and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he is seeking to improve ties with China and South Korea based on his statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
2. South Korean President Park Geun-hye has suggested that she will keep a close watch on Japanese future moves following Prime Minister Abe’s statement.
3. People in Japan are observing the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on Saturday.
August 16, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Authorities in China say the number of people who have died as a result of massive explosions in the port city of Tianjing has passed 100.
2. Britain has held events to mark the 70th anniversary of its victory over Japan after the end of World War II.
3. Iran has provided the International Atomic Energy Agency with an explanation concerning its past and present nuclear program.
August 17, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara and Ms. Emma Howard
1. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has visited the site of Wednesday’s massive explosions in Tianjing.
2. People living near a volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture in southwestern Japan, are on alert as seismic activity increases.
3. The Japanese economy shrank in the April-to-June period, for the first time in 3 quarters, on the back of sluggish consumer spending and a drop in exports.
August 18, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Police are looking for clues at the site of a deadly explosion in central Bangkok in Thailand.
2. Scandal-tainted Japanese electronics maker Toshiba is expected to draw more than half its new board members from outside the company.
3. Egypt has introduced a new law to combat terrorism and restrict media reports, which contradict the government’s official accounts.
August 19, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. A shrine in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, has been reopened to the public two days after being hit by a deadly bomb attack.
2. Japan’s Defense Ministry is set to request a record-high budget for the next fiscal year.
3. Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Crimea in an effort to justify his country’s annexation of the peninsula.
August 20, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Police in Thailand say a large number of ball bearings were found at the site of a deadly explosion in Bangkok.
2. South Korean President Park Geun-hye will visit China next month to attend a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of what China calls its victory over Japan in World War II.
3. Japan’s space agency says the cargo ship Konotori 5 is flying without any problems.
August 21, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. North Korea’s state-run media says the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has ordered frontline troops to be fully prepared for battle.
2. Uncertainty over the global economy sends Japan’s key Nikkei stock index down more than 400 points.
3. Police in Thailand says the man alleged to have committed Monday’s deadly blast in central Bangkok went to the bombing site by taxi.
August 22, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Mr. Jeff Adolf
1. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev arrived on Etorofu Island on Saturday morning. Etorofu is one of 4 Russian held islands claimed by Japan. The move is likely to have a negative impact on bilateral relations.
2. North Korea has threatened to take military action against the South unless Seoul halts anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts by late afternoon on Saturday.
3. A White House official says a close aide of the leader of the Islamic State militant group has been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq.
August 23, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms Keiko Kitagawa
1. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has protested to Russia over Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to one of the 4 north Pacific islands controlled by Russia but claimed by Japan.
2. Top officials from North and South Korea have resumed talks to ease the tension between the 2 countries. The 2 sides exchanged artillery fire on Thursday.
3. An apparent suicide car bombing has hit U.S.-led international forces in Afghanistan, killing 12 people.
August 24, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Emma Howard
1. Senior officials of North and South Korea have yet to reach agreement in talks and that even tensions between the countries.
2. Diplomatic sources say Japan’s prime minister won’t attend an event in China to mark the 70th anniversary of what China calls victory over Japan.
3. Former U.S. defense secretary William Perry has said President Barack Obama and other world leaders should visit Hiroshima, western Japan.
August 25, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. North and South Korea have agreed on steps to ease tensions between them.
2. A Japanese cargo ship has docked at the International Space Station to bring fresh supplies to the astronauts on board.
3. The operator of the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, says they found seawater used to cool steam has leaked from the pipes.
August 26, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama have agreed to continue closely coordinating policies over North Korea and global stock plunges.
2. New York stocks ended down on Tuesday, after falling sharply in the final minutes of trading.
3. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has indicated that it is possible to verify an Iranian military facility suspected of developing nuclear weapons.
August 27, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has congratulated Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui for successfully capturing a Japanese cargo ship with a robotic arm on the International Space Station.
2. Japanese Fire Department officials have been asked to cooperate with the U.S. military in investigating the fire at an army depot in Sagamihara City in Tokyo.
3. A U.S. lawmaker says he expects Japan will strengthen its defense capability and promote cooperation with the U.S. for stabilizing the Asia-Pacific region through the new national security bill.
August 28, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Maxwell Powers and Ms. Mariko Kojima
1. The Japanese government has decided on a new plan for a national stadium to be used in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
2. Stock markets in Europe have rebounded sharply as the Shanghai market closed up on Thursday.
3. Thai police have obtained an arrest warrant and are searching for a man in connection with an explosion on the Chao Phraya River earlier this month.
August 29, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Jeff Adolf and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s government ministries are expected to demand more than 100 trillion yen, or nearly 840 billion dollars, the largest ever for the 2016 fiscal budget.
2. Japan’s Environment Ministry has found abnormalities in the forestry near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
3. Two boats carrying about 500 refugees from Africa and the Middle East have sunk off the coast of Libya. More than 100 people have been confirmed dead.
August 30, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Police in Thailand say they suspect more than 10 people had a role in the recent bomb attacks in the capital Bangkok.
2. The Japanese government and the prefectural government of Okinawa remain apart over relocating a U.S. military base within the prefecture.
3. Officials from North and South Korea have agreed to hold working-level talks on September 7th to discuss details of resuming reunions of families separated by the Korean War.
August 31, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara and Ms. Emma Howard
1. The output of Japan’s only online nuclear reactor has been raised to full capacity.
2. Thai police say a man now under arrest in connection with the bombing of central Bangkok in mid-August denies involvement in the attack.
3. A rights group monitoring the Syrian conflict says Islamic State fighters have damaged another Roman-era temple in the country’s ancient city of Palmyra.