December

December 1, Thursday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

  1. 1. The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution to impose fresh sanctions on North Korea in response to its fifth nuclear test in September.

  2. 2. OPEC members have agreed to cut production in an attempt to lift crude oil prices.  This will be the first output reduction in 8 years.

  3. 3. UNESCO has decided to add 33 Japanese traditional festivals featuring parades and floats to its list of intangible cultural heritages.

December 2, Friday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Sarah McDonald and Ms. Mariko Kojima

  1. 1. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Friday.

  2. 2. Thailand’s crown prince has succeeded his much-revered late father as the country’s new king.

  3. 3. The Japanese government has decided to toughen its unilateral sanctions against North Korea, following the adoption of a new resolution by the U.N. Security Council on the North’s nuclear and missile development.

December 3, Saturday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu

  1. 1. Three opposition parties in South Korea have submitted a motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye.

  2. 2. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Russian President Vladimir Putin have confirmed that the 2 countries will work to make a bilateral summit a success.

  3. 3. The U.S. government has announced its new unilateral sanctions on North Korea in response to its 5th nuclear test in September.

December 4, Sunday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

  1. 1. Foreign ministers of Japan and Russia have discussed bilateral cooperation and peace treaty negotiations as part of final preparations for the two nations’ summit later this month.

  2. 2. Hundreds and thousands of people in South Korea rallied in Seoul for the 6th straight Saturday to demand Park’s immediate resignation.

  3. 3. The health ministers of Japan, China and South Korea have agreed to strengthen coordination and information sharing to deal with the threat of in

December 5, Monday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara

  1. 1. Italy’s prime minister has announced he will resign after suffering a major loss in a referendum over his plan to reform the constitution.

  2. 2. An international conference has agreed that countries will tighten security in Afghanistan’s neighboring nations to prevent terrorists from setting up sanctuary there.

  3. 3. U.S. tech giant Apple has disclosed it is working on automated vehicles.

December 6, Tuesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu

  1. 1. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes his planned visit to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii will contribute to the future of the Japan-U.S. alliance.

  2. 2. There is growing speculation in South Korea that President Park Geun-hye will announce her intention to accept the ruling party’s request that she will resign next April.

  3. 3. The U.N. Security Council has failed to adopt a resolution calling for a week-long ceasefire in Syria after vetoes from Russia and China.

December 7, Wednesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

  1. 1. South Korean opposition parties are still trying to pass an impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye after she expressed her intention to resign in April.

  2. 2. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says Japanese telecom giant Softbank Group has agreed to invest 50 billion dollars and create 50,000 jobs in the United States over the next 4 years.

  3. 3. Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto has received his third Grammy nomination.

December 8, Thursday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms.. Hiroko Kitadai

  1. 1. A memorial service has been held at Pearl Harbor to remember the victims of the Japanese attack there 75 years ago.

  2. 2. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate an old friend of China’s President Xi Jinping as ambassador to the country.

  3. 3. Board members of the International Olympic Committee have approved the venue proposals for five sports newly added to the 2020 Tokyo Games.

December 9, Friday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Mariko Kojima

  1. 1. South Korean lawmakers are expected to vote on an impeachment motion against Park Geun-hye later on Friday over an influence-peddling scandal.

  2. 2. Japan’s ruling parties have approved a series of major tax reforms in a bid to drive growth.

  3. 3. A reactor at a nuclear plant in southwestern Japan has achieved a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

December 10, Saturday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu

  1. 1. South Korea’s Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn has taken over the duties of President Park Geun-hye following her suspension on Friday. But opposition parties are critical of the acting president, who they call a person appointed by Park.

  2. 2. The Japanese government has announced that all Japan-registered ships that have made port calls in North Korea will be banned from entering Japanese ports.

  3. 3. A report by the World Anti-doping Agency says more than 1,000 Russian athletes were involved in or benefited from a state-sponsored doping programs between 2011 and 2014.

December 11, Sunday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

  1. 1. Two blasts nearer a soccer stadium in central Istanbul, Turkey, have killed at least 29 people and wounded more than 160 others.

  2. 2. Japanese biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi has accepted the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of how body cells break down and recycle themselves—a process known as autophagy.

  3. 3. The Chinese government announced it is suspending coal imports from North Korea for the rest of the year in line with the latest U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang.

December 12, Monday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Yuka Matsuoto

  1. 1. Japan is calling on Russia to have talks between senior foreign ministry officials to explore territorial agreements ahead of a summit later this week.

  2. 2. Japan’s Defense Ministry has refuted China’s claim that Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets endangered Chinese aircraft and crew.

  3. 3. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says his country is not necessarily bound by the “one-China” policy.

December 13, Tuesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

  1. 1. Japan’s highest court is likely to side with the central government in a lawsuit over the relocation of a U.S. base in Okinawa Prefecture.

  2. 2. China’s Foreign Ministry says it has serious concerns over doubts expressed by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump about the “one-China” policy.

  3. 3. The European Union has agreed to lift the 20-year-old political and economic restrictions on Cuba.

December 14, Wednesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Helen Lewis

  1. 1. The U.S. military has told Japan’s Defense Ministry that the Osprey aircraft that made an emergency water landing in the southern prefecture of Okinawa had encountered trouble while airborne.

  2. 2. Japan’s Defense Minister Tomomi Inada says she has asked the top official of the U.S. military in Japan to suspend the operation of the Osprey until its safety is confirmed.

  3. 3. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to discuss proposed joint economic activities on 4 Russia-controlled islands claimed by Japan.

December 15, Thursday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

  1. 1. Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in Japan on Thursday for summit talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

  2. 2. The U.S. Federal Reserve has raised interest rates by a quarter point.

  3. 3. The governor of the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa is to lodge a protest with the central government, following an accident involving a U.S. Marine Osprey transport aircraft

December 16, Friday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Sarah McDonald and Ms. Mriko Kojima

  1. 1. The Japanese and Russian leaders have agreed to seek a special system to conduct a joint economic activity on Russia-controlled islands claimed by Japan.

  2. 2. A Russian presidential spokesperson says the issue of sovereignty over the islands was not raised during Thursday’s summit meeting.

  3. 3. The dollar briefly hit the highest level against the yen in about 10 months in New York.

December 17, Saturday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu

  1. 1. Difficult negotiations are expected between Japan and Russia over proposed joint economic activity on 4 disputed islands, as both sides are sticking to their basic principles on the territorial issue.

  2. 2. The United States has demanded China return an underwater survey drone which it says was seized by a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea.

  3. 3. The Syrian government has suspended evacuations of rebel fighters and civilians from the city of Aleppo.

December 18, Sunday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

  1. 1. China’s Defense Ministry has said it will return a U.S. navy underwater drone it seized in the South China Sea.

  2. 2. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has stressed that his government will request the U.S. military to pull out of his country.

  3. 3. The International Committee of the Red Cross has asked the warring parties in Syria to promptly resume the evacuation of civilians from the northern city of Aleppo.

December 19, Monday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara

  1. 1. The Japanese government has decided to scrap a prototype fast-breeder reactor in Fukui Prefecture.

  2. 2. The U.S. military plans to resume flights of controversial aircraft in southern Japan, following a crash landing.

  3. 3. Evacuations have resumed the people trapped in the war-torn city of Aleppo in northern Syria.

    December 20, Tuesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu

  1. 1. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has suggested a deadly truck crash at a Christmas market in Berlin was a terrorist attack.

  2. 2. Officials suspect retaliation against Russia was the motive behind Monday’s assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey.

  3. 3. The U.N. Security Council has voted to deploy monitors to the Syrian city of Aleppo to help ensure a safe evacuation.

    December 21, Wednesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

  1. 1. Russia’s deputy prime minister has indicated that the country will suspect for the time being a project designated area that Russia calls the Kuril Islands as a special economic zone. The area includes four islands claimed by Japan.

  2. 2. Turkish authorities have detained about 10 people in connection with Monday’s assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara.

  3. 3. Evacuation of the Syrian city of Aleppo could be completed on Wednesday.

    December 22, Thursday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

  1. 1. A senior White House official says the U.S. veterans will be invited to join President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during their visit to Pearl Harbor next week.

  2. 2. The Japan Coast Guard has earmarked a record budget for fiscal 2017, mainly to step up security around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

  3. 3. More than half of a U.N. military training area in Okinawa Prefecture has been returned to Japanese control.

December 23, Friday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Mariko Kojima

  1. 1. Thousands of people in Japan’s southern prefecture of Okinawa have rallied to protest last week’s ditching of a U.S. Osprey transport aircraft in shallow water.

  2. 2. Japan’s Emperor Akihito has turned 83.

  3. 3. Syrian government forces say they’ve retaken complete control of Aleppo.

    December 24, Saturday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu

  1. 1. The U.N. Security Council has rejected a resolution to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan.

  2. 2. The families of former U.S. prisoners of war are expected to join Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama when they visit Pearl Harbor next week.

  3. 3. The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution on a treaty that would ban nuclear weapons.

    December 25, Sunday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

  1. 1. Israel is retaliating against the United Nations for the Security Council’s adoption of a resolution demanding an end to the country’s settlement construction.

  2. 2. Japan’s Defense Ministry says its Self-Defense Forces have confirmed for the first time a Chinese aircraft carrier traveling on the high seas.

  3. 3. Tunisian authorities says they have arrested 3 suspects in connection with a deadly Christmas market attack in Germany.

    December 26, Monday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

  1. 1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing for his visit to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii to pay respects to the victims of Japan’s attack on the naval base 75 years ago.

  2. 2. The Japanese government plans to set up a new system to provide information to foreign evacuees when earthquakes and other emergencies occur.

  3. 3. A group of international non-governmental organizations has expressed grave concern over the U.N. Security Council’s rejection of an arms embargo resolution for South Sudan.

December 27, Tuesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu

  1. 1. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has visited the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, to pay tribute to U.S. war dead.

  2. 2. Japanese electronics giant Toshiba is expected to post a huge loss from its nuclear power operations in the United States.

  3. 3. India has test-fired a long-range ballistic missile in an apparent response to China’s growing influence in South Asia.

    December 28, Wednesday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Ms. Emma Howard

  1. 1. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to uphold the vow of the Japanese people that the horrors of war must never be repeated.

  2. 2. U.S. President Barack Obama has stressed that the U.S.-Japan alliance has promoted progress in the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world.

  3. 3. A private fund in Japan has begun providing financial support for young people diagnosed with thyroid cancer after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident.

    December 29, Thursday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

  1. 1. NHK has learned that the U.S. military has informed Japan’s government that it wants to resume mid-air fuel training in early January.

  2. 2. A strong earthquake hit Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Wednesday night.  There was no threat of tsunami.

  3. 3. The Wall Street Journal has reported that  troubled Japanese auto-parts maker Takata is likely to reach a settlement of up to one billion dollars over the way it handled a fault of its airbags.

December 30, Friday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Mariko Kojima and Ms. Sarah McDonald

  1. 1. The White House has announced sanctions against Russian entities in response to cyber activity in the United States and harassment of U.S. personnel.

  2. 2. The Syrian government and opposition groups have agreed to a nationwide ceasefire.

  3. 3. A former top aide to South Korean President Park Geun-hye has denied colluding with the leader.

    December 31, Saturday, 2016 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu

  1. 1. South Korean special prosecutors have arrested a former health and welfare minister as part of an investigation into an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye.

  2. 2. Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow will not retaliate for the U.S. sanctions over alleged cyber-attacks on the United States.

  3. 3. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made a farewell speech.  He asked U.N. envoys and staff to continue working for those he calls the “voiceless people”.