January 1, Friday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Ms. Kati Adler
1. Japan began serving as a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council on Friday, the first
day of 2016.
2. Worshippers crowded shrines in central Tokyo on New Year’s Day to pray for good luck in 2016.
3. The U.S. embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, has warned people of potential security threats on
Lombok, one of the central islands, during New Year’s celebrations.
January 2, Saturday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Helen Lewis
1. A group monitoring the civil war in Syria says more than 55,000 people were killed in the hostilities last year. A quarter of the fatalities were civilians.
2. China has created three new military organizations as part of a major overhaul of its army-oriented command structure
3. More than 100,000 former residents of Fukushima Prefecture in northeastern Japan are still living away from their homes nearly 5 years after a nuclear accident forced them to flee.
January 3, Sunday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. NHK has learned senior diplomats from Japan, the United States, and South Korea will hold talks in Tokyo later this month.
2. Congestion on roads and railways has peaked in Japan as people return home at the end of the New Year holidays.
3. Vietnam has lodged a protest with China for conducting a test for a runway built on the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea.
January 4, Monday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara
1. Saudi Arabia ahs announced that it is cutting off diplomatic relations with Iran.
2. Police in Hong Kong have begun investigating the disappearance of a shareholder of a bookshop that has been critical of China’s Communist Party.
3. Islamic State militants have posted a video online showing what it claim is the killing of 5 men who spied for Britain.
January 5, Tuesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Tokyo stocks put a stop Tuesday morning following a dip due to worries over the Chinese economy and situations in the Middle East.
2. Saudi Arabia says it will halt trade with Iran as tensions rise following its execution of a Shia cleric.
3. Militants have attacked 2 Sunni mosques in the central Iraqi city of Hilla.
January 6, Wednesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. North Korea has confirmed it conducted a hydrogen bomb test on Wednesday morning.
2. Turkey says it is ready to do whatever is necessary to solve the problems between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
3. The U.S. president has announced executive actions to tighten gun control by sidestepping a reluctant Congress.
January 7, Thursday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Japan and the United Sates have agreed to lead discussions at the U.N. Security Council to impose tighter sanctions against North Korea.
2. The key Tokyo stock price index briefly dropped below the 18,000 mark after North Korea’s announcement that it has tested a hydrogen bomb.
3. U.S. and Vietnamese officials have expressed concern over test flights made by Chinese civilian aircraft to an artificial island in the disputed South China Sea.
January 8, Friday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. North Korea is likely to promote its latest nuclear test as one of the achievements of leader Kim Jong Un on his birthday on Friday.
2. South Korea resumed anti-Pyongyang broadcasts near the military demarcation line with North Korea at noon on Friday in retaliation for the country’s latest nuclear test.
3. The Japanese government will not seek its approval of a nuclear power pact with India at the current Diet session. It cites the need for careful bilateral coordination.
January 9, Saturday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Jeff Adolf and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s government plans to urge China to engage more actively in United Nations negotiations on new measures against North Korea.
2. The defense chiefs of Japan and the United States have agreed to continue close bilateral coordination following North Korea’s claim of a nuclear test.
3. The defense chiefs of Japan and Britain have also agreed to bolster bilateral cooperation.
January 10, Sunday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un says the country conducted its recent hydrogen bomb test as a self-defensive measure.
2. In Syria, an airstrike has reportedly killed at least 39 people on Saturday in a town held by rebel forces in northwestern part of the country.
3. Six Gulf nations have taken a united stance against Iran over its rift with Saudi Arabia.
January 11, Monday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. The Iranian foreign minister indicates Iran will act responsibly and constructively to solve the crisis in Syria.
2. An international NGO says a projectile has hit a hospital in Yemen, killing at least 4 people and injuring 10 others.
3. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he firmly protests against North Korea’s latest nuclear test, which he says is a serious threat to his country.
January 12, Tuesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Four nations have begun talks aimed at bringing about peace between the Afghan government and Taliban rebels.
2. More than 30 people have been killed in Iraq in three separate terrorist attacks.
3. An aid convoy carrying food has entered an isolated Syrian town besieged by government forces.
January 13, Wednesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Turkish media report the suicide bomber who carried out Tuesday’s attack in Istanbul may have been registered as a refugee from Syria.
2. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill extending sanctions on North Korea to punish the country for its 4th nuclear test.
3. The Japanese government has agreed to provide technical assistance to India for cleaner, coal-fired power generation.
January 14, Thursday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Criminal offenses in Japan have dropped for the 13th year in a row to the lowest level since the end of World War II.
2. Chinese authorities have disclosed the detention of a Swedish man advocating human rights in the country.
3. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that four people suspect of links to the Islamic State group were detained for helping a suicide bomber who killed 10 Germans and wounded 15 others in Istanbul.
January 15, Friday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Mariko Kojima and Mr. Maxwell Powers
1. Indonesian police suspect that supporters of the Islamic State group conducted Thursday’s attack in Jakarta that killed 2 innocent bystanders.
2. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent a condolence message to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, denouncing the deadly attack in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.
3. A bus carrying 41 skiers and crew has fallen off a mountain road in Nagano Prefecture in central Japan. Police say 14 people are dead.
January 16, Saturday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Mr. Jeff Adolf
1. People in Taiwan are voting for their next president. Attention is focused on whether the election will result in the first change in government in 8 years.
2. An armed group has been holding up at an upscale hotel in the West African nation of Burkina Faso. Reports say at least 20 people were killed in the attack.
January 17, Sunday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Iran and 6 world powers say economic sanctions on the country will be lifted as the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Tehran met its obligations under last year’s deal concerning its nuclear program.
2. Opposition candidate Tsai Ing-wen has won Taiwan’s presidential election.
3. Japan and the United States have congratulated Taiwan’s opposition candidate Tsai Ing-wen on winning the presidential election.
January 18, Monday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara
1. Turkish prosecutors have decided to hold 10 Syrian members of the Islamic State group in custody in connection with last week’s deadly bombing in Istanbul.
2. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has welcomed the lifting of economic sanctions on his country, saying he now expects its economy to grow.
3. Snow is disrupting traffic in and around Tokyo on Monday.
January 19, Tuesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. China’s economy grew 6.8 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, with growth for the full year coming in at 6.9 percent.
2. China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has begun business in earnest, following a series of meetings relating to its launch.
3. A rocket hit the grounds of a school in southeastern Turkey, killing one female staff member and wounding 3 students.
January 20, Wednesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Iran’s supreme leader has welcomed the lifting of international sanctions on his country.
2. A senior U.N. officials has called for support from Japan to increase corporate investment from the country in African nations.
3. Police in Bali are stepping up security after a threat was made to carry out bomb attacks on the Indonesian resort island.
January 21, Thursday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Investors place sell orders for a wide range of shares in the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday as crude oil futures continue to plummet.
2. The market capitalization of all the companies listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange has sunk to a four-month low, dipping below the 5-trillion-yen mark.
3. Armed men stormed a university in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday morning. Military officials say 20 people, including students, were killed.
January 22, Friday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Mariko Kojima
1. The Japanese government has lifted sanctions against Iran that had been imposed in line with U.N. resolutions.
2. Tokyo share prices climbed more than 570 points at one time on Friday morning.
3. The foreign ministers of a 57-member Muslim organization have met to discuss tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but failed to bridge the rip between the 2 countries.
January 23, Saturday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to arrange an unofficial visit to Russia by Abe before a possible visit to Japan by Putin.
2. The Fukushima governor spoke at a meeting of World Economic Forum, pledging to rebuild his prefecture that was seriously hit by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident.
January 24, Sunday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Political and economic leaders from across the world have ended their discussions at the annual World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos.
2. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met and vowed to advance economic cooperation between their countries.
3. In South Sudan, the opposing powers have missed the deadline to form a unity government.
January 25, Monday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. The incumbent mayor of Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, has won a second term in Sunday’s election.
2. Land and air transportation in many parts of Japan remain severely affected by a cold snap that has gripped the country over the past few days.
3. A human rights group says more than 160 civilians, including children, have been killed in air strikes in Syria by Syrian government and Russian forces.
January 26, Tuesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. The leader of Myanmar’s National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi has met with a military chief to discuss forming a new government.
2. U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura says he expects Syrian peace talks to start on Friday, four days behind the original schedule.
3. Suspected suicide bomb attacks in Cameroon have reportedly killed at least 25 people.
January 27, Wednesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Members of the U.N. on Disarmament have condemned North Korea’s latest nuclear test as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
2. Fighting is escalating in Syria ahead of proposed peace talks later this week between government and opposition groups.
3. The Chinese Communist Party says the head of the National Bureau of Statistics is under investigation for an alleged serious violation of discipline.
January 28, Thursday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have attended a state banquet in Manila in the honor hosted by Philippine President Benigno Aquino.
2. Japan is set to extend its Self-Defense Force mission for U.N. peace-keeping operations in South Sudan for 8 months through October.
3. European Union regulators have fined two major Japanese companies about 150 million dollars for participating in a cartel and coordinating prices for auto parts.
January 29, Friday, 2016 (2:00 p..m.) Read by Ms. Mariko Kojima and Mr. Maxwell Powers
1. The Bank of Japan has decided to apply a negative interest rate in an effort to boost the economy and hit its inflation target.
2. The resignation of Economic Revitalization Minister Akira Amari is likely to affect how Prime Minister Shinzo Abe manages his government.
3. The opening of U.N.-backed peace talks in Syria may be delayed due to demands from an opposition block supported by Saudi Arabia.
January 30, Saturday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. The operator of a nuclear power plant along the Japan Sea coast says the reactor that was started on Friday has reached criticality. A self-sustaining reaction should allow it to start generating power.
2. The Syrian peace talks mediated by the United Nations have started in Geneva. A main opposition group that has placed conditions on their attendance said they will also join the talks soon.
3. Four survivors have been rescued from a collapsed mine in China after spending 36 days trapped underground.
January 31, Sunday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Delegates for Syria’s main opposition block have arrived in Geneva, Switzerland, but whether they will join the peace talks is still not clear.
2. The Turkish government says a Russian military plane has made another violation of its airspace.
3. In soccer, Japan had a come-from-behind victory against South Korea in the final of the men’s Under-23 Asian Championship.