March 1, Friday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Maxwell Powers and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. A team of researchers at Kyoto University say they have succeeded in improving symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in mice using iPS cells.
2. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he will do all he can to resolve a longstanding territorial dispute with Russia, using a 2001 statement as a base for discussions.
3. Japan has urged the Afghan government to take serious measures to get rid of corruption among its officials.
March 2, Saturday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. U.S. President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders failed to reach an agreement to avert automatic budget cuts totaling 85 billion dollars set to begin at the end of the day on Friday.
2. Japan’s national debt is expected to reach a historical high at the end of fiscal 2013, surpassing 1,100 trillion yen, or about 11.9 trillion dollars.
3. In Bangladesh, at least 41 people have reportedly been killed in clashes between police and supporters of an opposition party leader who was sentenced to death.
March 3, Sunday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Soldiers from Chad believe they have killed the Islamist militant commander who masterminded the attack on an Algerian natural gas plant in January.
2. In Bangladesh, demonstrators protested the death sentence of an opposition Islamist party leader for the 3rd straight day. Four people were killed in clashes with police.
3. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will remain as the country’s legitimate leader until the next election in 2014.
March 4, Monday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The International Olympic Committee has begun an inspection in Tokyo to examine the city’s bid to host the 2020 Summer Games.
2. The man nominated to lead the Bank of Japan says he will do all he can to quickly achieve a 2-percent inflation target.
3. In Kenya, people cast ballots in the first presidential election in six years.
March 5, Tuesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. Members of Tokyo’s Olympic bid committee have emphasized their financial strength in their pitch to host the 2020 Summer Games.
2. Chinese representatives from across the country gathered on Tuesday for the annual National People’s Congress in Beijing.
3. China’s defense budget will rise by 10.7 percent this year to about 120 billion dollars.
March 6, Wednesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died on Tuesday following a long battle with cancer.
2. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has surpassed its previous record high, set about five and a half years ago.
3. The Malaysian military has launched airstrikes against Islamic militants occupying a village on the coast of Borneo.
March 7, Thursday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei average topped 12,000 on Thursday for the first time in nearly 4 and a half years.
2. A group of Syrian rebels have detained 21 U.N. peace keepers from the Philippines in the Golan Heights.
3. An NHK survey has found that nearly 2 years after the disaster on March 11th, 2011, a majority of people in northeastern Japan are not satisfied with the rate of reconstruction.
March 8, Friday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The U.N. Security Council has approved new sanctions on North Korea as punishment for its third nuclear test.
2. North Korea has unilaterally declared that it will nullify all non-aggression agreements with South Korea.
3. Newly revised figures show that Japan’s economy grew during the October-December period of 2012.
March 9, Saturday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. China’s Foreign Ministry has emphasized the country’s readiness to honor U.N. sanctions resolutions against North Korea.
2. North Korea has repeatedly denounced the new U.N. sanctions resolution on North Korea, calling it a product of the U.S. hostile policy toward the country.
3. The United Nations says it has agreed with anti-government forces in Syria on the release of 21 peacekeepers.
March 10, Sunday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirkazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Syrian opposition forces have freed 21 U.N. peacekeepers after abducting them in the Golan Heights and holding them hostage for four days.
2. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has suggested that Japan’s Constitution be revised in the future so that the country can participate in any U.N. security activities.
3. China says it will incorporate maritime law enforcement forces in several ministries into a new oceanic administrative body.
March 11, Monday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japan is observing the second year anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan on March 11th, 2011.
2. Protestors rallied in southern Belgium on Sunday outside the Tihange nuclear power plant, where inspectors found cracks in a nuclear reactor.
3. North Korea says that the armistice that ended the Korean War is no longer in effect.
March 12, Tuesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. Japanese researchers have successfully extracted natural gas from frozen methane hydrate deep under the sea.
2. The United States is imposing sanctions on North Korea’s primary foreign exchange bank, citing the bank’s support for the development of weapons of mass destruction.
3. Events to mark the second anniversary of the March 11 disaster were held around the world on Monday.
March 13, Wednesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Japanese workers are getting much of what they ask for in this year’s wage negotiations.
2. The director of U.S. National Intelligence says North Korea’s “belligerent rhetoric” could be an indicator that the country will take provocative action against the South.
3. Japan’s chief cabinet secretary says it would be totally unacceptable for China to conduct a survey of the Senkaku Islands.
March 14, Thursday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Patrick Devolpi
1. China’s National People’s Congress has elected Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping as the country’s new president.
2. The papal conclave at the Vatican has elected Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Argentina as the 266th pope.
3. Tunisia’s national assembly has approved a new cabinet in a bid to end nationwide violence.
March 15, Friday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Maxwell Powers
1. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to announce on Friday Japan’s participation in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
2. Representatives from across China have elected Li Keqiang as the country’s next premier.
3. Japan and the European Union have submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations, calling for a special committee to investigate North Korea’s human-rights violations.
March 16, Saturday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The Japanese government plans to speed up bilateral consultations with participants in on-going Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.
2. South Korean government sources have revealed that North Korea test-fired short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan.
3. A United Nations investigation team says U.S. drone strikes targeting terrorists in Pakistan have killed more than 400 civilians and the attacks violate Pakistan’s sovereignty.
March 17, Sunday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. China’s new President Xi Jinping has expressed his resolve to firmly protect national sovereignty, stressing the need to strengthen the military.
2. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said Japan needs to play a larger role to increase its deterrence under the Japan-U.S. security alliance.
3. Japan has won broad approval from African countries for a document. It aims to adopt a major aid conference in June.
March 18, Monday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal
1. A Japanese architect has won the world’s top award in architecture.
2. Private investment and trade will be the focus of Japan’s support to meet the various needs of African countries.
3. A private British organization has released a new report on casualties ahead of Wednesday’s 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
March 19, Tuesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Tokyo Electric Power Company says the cooling of spent nuclear fuel pools remains disrupted on Tuesday at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
2. Experts from six world powers have briefed Iran on their compromised proposal to end the standoff over the country’s nuclear development.
3. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has expressed high expectations for concluding an economic partnership agreement between the E.U. and Japan.
March 20, Wednesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The parliament of Cyprus has voted down a controversial bill to seize a portion of individuals’ bank deposits to bail out the nation’s financial sector.
2. Wednesday marks the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War.
3. Tokyo Electric Power Company has restored four cooling systems for spent-fuel pools at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
March 21, Thursday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Patrick Devolpi and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Tokyo Electric Power Company says a small animal may have caused a power failure at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
2. French nuclear energy firm Areva says it is preparing to ship recycled plutonium fuel to Japan.
3. The South Korean government says the malicious code that paralyzed computer networks at broadcasters and banks came from an Internet Protocol address in China.
March 22, Friday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr.Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Israel and the Muslim world to overcome their differences and reconcile.
2. The United Nations’ human rights body has unanimously agreed to set up a special commission to inquire into human rights violations in North Korea.
3. Japan is to extend over 210 million dollars in grant aid to Myanmar, to improve infrastructure and the lives of ethnic minorities.
March 23, Saturday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Keith McPharen and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have indicated their intention not to make concessions to Japan and its ally, the United States, regarding territorial issues.
2. Lawmakers in Cyprus have approved key legislation in their race to secure a financial lifeline from the European Union.
3. Three prefectures in northeastern Japan that were hardest hit by the March 2011 disaster have disposed of just over half the debris generated by the earthquake and tsunami.
March 24, Sunday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Chinese President Xi Jinping has confirmed that China and Russia share concerns about the United States’ planned missile defense systems.
2. The U.S. and South Korean militaries have agreed on a joint operational plan which shows that they are ready to respond to any provocative actions by North Korea.
3. Political leaders in Cyprus are set to propose a revised bill to parliament that would impose a levy on large bank deposits.
March 25, Monday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Eurozone finance ministers and Cyprus government leaders have reached an agreement on a bailout.
2. China and Tanzania have agreed to establish and develop a comprehensive, cooperative partnership.
3. The German government is reconsidering the only candidate site in the country for building a permanent high-level nuclear waste storage facility.
March 26, Tuesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. Officials from Japan, China and South Korea have begun talks on a trilateral free trade agreement.
2. Japan and the European Union have agreed to try to conclude an economic partnership agreement as soon as possible.
3. Japan’s Foreign Ministry says the country should use its overseas aid program to help freedom and democracy take root in the Middle East and Asia.
March 27, Wednesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. North Korea has warned that its artillery units are at the highest level of combat readiness, and are targeting U.S. bases.
2. The Arab League has authorized its members to provide military support to Syrian opposition forces.
3. The Chinese navy has held a ceremony to swear to defend the country’s sovereignty in the South China Sea.
March 28, Thursday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Keith McPharen
1. Japan’s annual foreign policy report calls for safeguarding national interests by strengthening the country’s alliance with the United States.
2. U.N. member countries are holding last-minute negotiations on a new treaty aimed at regulating the global trade in conventional weapons.
3. A nursery school in Fukushima City reports a sharp increase in the number of children with flatfeet.
March 29, Friday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Maxwell Powers and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. A majority of U.N. members plan to send a draft treaty to the General Assembly to regulate cross-border trade of conventional arms.
2. Italy’s center-left coalition leader Pier Luigi Bersani has failed to form a government.
3. No major crowd problems have occurred since banks in Cyprus reopened on Thursday for the first time in nearly two weeks.
March 30, Saturday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mark Robinson and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has left for Mongolia for talks with that country’s leaders on issues, including regional security and economic cooperation.
2. The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will begin testing a new device to decontaminate radioactive wastewater massing at the facility.
March 31, Sunday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. The prime ministers of Japan and Mongolia have agreed the two countries will work together on natural resources development.
2. Account holders at the largest bank in Cyprus could lose up to 60 percent of their savings as part of a bailout plan agreed to with eurozone members.
3. Kenya’s Supreme Court has upheld the presidential election victory of Deputy prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta. The decision dismissed allegations by his raval that the election had been rigged.