May 1, Wednesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. An advisory panel to UNESCO has recommended Japan’s Mount Fuji for registration as a Word Heritage site on condition that the nearby seashore is not included.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says Japan and Russia should speed up talks to resolve the territorial dispute over the four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.
3. The trade ministers of Japan and Colombia have agreed to accelerate negotiations on a bilateral economic partnership agreement, hoping to reach broad accord within this year.
May 2, Thursday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi have agreed to launch a security dialogue between Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
2. Japan’s ambassador to the United States has issued a counterargument to a Washington Post article, criticizing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s view of history.
3. The International Olympic Committee says it will not punish Tokyo for its governor’s improper remark on rival city Istanbul for the 2020 Summer Games.
May 3, Friday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has arrived in Turkey, the fourth and final stop of this week-long tour.
2. A delegation of South Korean lawmakers will visit Japan next Tuesday to protest visits by the country’s Cabinet ministers to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
3. The United States has called on North Korea to grant amnesty and the immediate release of a jailed American citizen of Korean descent.
May 4, Saturday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan have agreed to conclude a nuclear cooperation pact designed to allow Japanese companies to export atomic power-related technology.
2. South Korea has withdrawn the last of its nationals that remained at a jointly-managed industrial complex in North Korea.
3. The U.N. mission in Iraq says April was the deadliest month in five years for the country, leaving more than 700 people dead as sectarian tensions rise.
May 5, Sunday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Massive explosions have shaken the Syrian capital city, Damascus. The country’s state media condemned Israel for the attacks causing the explosions.
2. Chinese scientists say the new strain of the bird flu virus may have evolved from at least four origins.
3. People in Malaysia are voting in a general election that could result in the first change of government since the country’s independence.
May 6, Monday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. Japan’s main ruling party has come up main points of proposed changes to the nation’s defense guidelines.
2. South Korean President Park Geun-hye has arrived in the United States on her first overseas trip since assuming office in February.
3. Japan’s education ministry plans to double its study abroad scholarships for the 2014 academic year.
May 7, Tuesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Tokyo stocks have recovered to the 14,000 level for the first time in four years and 11 months.
2. Japanese and U.S. sources say North Korea have removed two mobile missile launchers from its coast line.
3. Two prefectures affected by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami are expected to complete their removal of disaster debris on schedule by next March.
May 8, Wednesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys
1. U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye have agreed to take a firm, united stance against North Korea’s provocations.
2. The Bank of China has reportedly halted transactions with North Korea’s state-run foreign exchange bank and closed its accountant.
3. The United States and Russia have agreed to work towards holding international talks involving both President Bashar al-Assad’s government and his opponents.
May 9, Thursday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Mr. Patrick Devolpi
1. South Korean President Geun-hye has indirectly criticized Japan’s attitude regarding history.
2. The Chinese Communist Party’s newspaper has questioned Japan’s sovereignty over its southernmost prefecture, Okinawa.
3. The Japanese government plans to begin work on developing the world’s fastest supercomputer.
May 10, Friday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. The U.S. dollar rose to the 110 yen level for the first time in about four years in Tokyo on Friday.
2. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s administration has welcomed efforts by the United States and Russia to hold an international conference on Syria.
May 11, Saturday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven industrialized countries have discussed ways to find a balance between supporting their economies and achieving fiscal consolidation.
2. Pakistanis began voting on Saturday to elect lawmakers to the lower house of parliament amid a wave of terrorism by Islamic extremists.
May 12, Sunday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Finance ministers and central bank chiefs of the Group of Seven industrialized nations have pledged again to refrain from competitive devaluation.
2. Economy and security will be the focus of Japan’s efforts to support development in African countries and strengthen ties with them.
3. Two car bombs have exploded in the Turkish town of Reyhanli near the Syrian border, killing at least 40 people.
May 13, Monday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal
1. South Korean Foreign Minister Yung Byung-se has indicated that President Park Geun-hye will visit China rather than Japan.
2. The dollar surged above 102 yen on the Tokyo Foreign Exchange on Monday morning.
3. Turkish authorities say they have detained nine Turkish citizens in connection with two car bombings near the country’s border with Syria.
May 14, Tuesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Japan’s finance minister says the government will discuss measures to support industries suffering from the recent yen depreciation.
2. The U.S. president and the British prime minister say they will strengthen moderate opposition groups in Syria.
3. Nawaz Sharif, who is poised to come back as Pakistan’s prime minister, says the U.S. drone strikes in the country are a challenge to national sovereignty.
May 15, Wednesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. A powerful cyclone is threatening Myanmar and Bangladesh.
2. More than 40 countries are now conducting a large scale joint military exercise in a key oil shipping route of the Persian Gulf.
3. South Korea has requested working-level talks with North Korea for the return of raw materials and finished products from the joint industrial complex at Kaesong in the North.
May 16, Thursday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Japan’s economy grew for a second straight quarter between January and March.
2. North Korea’s state-run media says an advisor to Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has met a close aide to the nation’s leader Kim Jong Un.
3. Officials in Taiwan say they will impose fresh sanctions on the Philippines for failing to faithfully deal with the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman.
May 17, Friday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. NHK has learned the outline of Japan’s aid plan to be unveiled at an upcoming international conference on Africa.
2. The Japanese government says it will monitor Pyongyang’s moves following talks between Japanese Cabinet Advisor, Isao Iijima, and North Korea’s top officials.
3. A high-ranking EU official says Iran and 6 world powers will not be able to resume talks on the Middle East country’s nuclear program until early July.
May 18, Saturday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his support for holding an international conference as soon as possible that includes representatives of Syria’s government and rebel forces.
2. A high-profile Chinese human rights activist now in the United States appears set to visit Taiwan next month.
3. The U.S. Energy Department has for the first time approved exports of liquefied natural gas to Japan.
May 19, Sunday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Senior North Korean officials have reportedly said they will consult with leader Kim Jong Un about issues including past abductions of Japanese citizens to the North.
2. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida says Japan will continue to work closely with the United States and South Korea in seeking a comprehensive solution to the abduction issue as well as North Korea’s missile and nuclear issues.
3. The Japanese government will officially drop its international pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020. It is planning to set a new target before a U.N. climate change conference later this year.
May 20, Monday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he will maintain his country’s sanctions against North Korea.
2. The South Korean Defense Ministry has confirmed that North Korea fired another short-range missile toward the Sea of Japan on Sunday afternoon.
3. The leader of the opposition Your Party has decided not to cooperate with the Japan Restoration Party in the upcoming Upper House election.
May 21, Tuesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. Japan’s prime minister has stressed Japan must play the leading role in resolving the abductions of Japanese nationals to North Korea.
2. The U.S. military is to carry out a long-range missile test.
3. The U.S. president has held talks in Washington with Myanmar’s president, the first leader from the country to visit the U.S. capital in 47 years.
May 22, Wednesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Helen Lewis
1. Search and rescue efforts are continuing in a town in the U.S. state of Oklahoma on Tuesday, a day after a giant tornado ripped through the area.
2. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says his country will promote measures to ease India’s widening trade deficit with his country.
3. North Korea says it has sent a close aide of leader Kim Jong Un to China as a special envoy.
May 23, Thursday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Patrick Devolpi and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. A North Korean special envoy has met with a senior Chinese Communist Party official in Beijing.
2. A high-profile Chinese human rights activist says the world must do more to pressure Beijing to improve its human rights record.
3. A German politician, who is visiting Japan, says scrapping nuclear reactors and turning to renewable energy would be an economically sound choice.
May 24, Friday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Maxwell Powers and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Japan’s chief cabinet secretary has indicated that Japan will closely monitor North Korea, following its senior official’s expression of willingness to hold a dialogue with relevant nations.
2. The U.N. nuclear watchdog says there are still too many uncertainties surrounding plans to decommission the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
3. The Japanese government has decided to extend the area of activity of Self-Defense Forces engaged in peacekeeping operations in South Sudan.
May 25, Saturday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is visiting Myanmar as the first Japanese leader to visit the country in 36 years.
2. The Japanese government plans to discuss with the United States and South Korea responses to North Korea’s reported willingness to resume the 6-party talks on its nuclear program.
3. In Iran, campaigning in the presidential election started on Friday, with hard-line conservative candidates speaking at rallies.
May 26, Sunday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has met Myanmar’s President Thein Sein. Abe is to express Japan’s commitment to help Myanmar’s efforts for economic development and democratization.
2. According to a follow-up report on a radiation exposure accident last week, researchers at the Japanese laboratory went on with their work even after an alarm went off to report an equipment malfunction.
3. African leaders have commemorated 50 years since the founding of a continent-wide organization, and agreed to further promote political and economic integration.
May 27, Monday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The Tokyo Stock Exchange opened on Monday with shares lowered across the board,
with the key Nikkei index temporarily plunging more than 500 points.
2. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh begins a three-day visit to Japan on Monday.
3. The Japanese film “Like father, Like Son” has been given a special commendation from the jury at the Cannes International Film Festival.
May 28, Tuesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Four Japanese nuclear plant operators say they will apply to restart reactors once the government introduces new safety guidelines in July.
2. Japan’s science minister will soon launch a taskforce to study sweeping reforms for the trouble-hit Japan Atomic Energy Agency.
3. China’s president says he’s hoping for a fruitful summit with U.S. President Barack Obama next month.
May 29, Wednesday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal
1. A Japanese government panel, the Industrial Competitive Council, has presented the outline of a new economic growth strategy to spur private-sector investment.
2. A draft report by a U.N. panel says it does not expect it will be possible to attribute any manifest health effect in residents around the Fukushima Daiichi power plant for radiation exposure from the 2011 nuclear accident.
3. An international group monitoring animal diseases has officially recognized Japan as having negligible risk of the mad cow disease.
May 30, Thursday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The leaders of Japan and India say they will speed up negotiations for the early signing of a civil nuclear pact.
2. Wrestling has been shortlisted as an event that may retain its Olympic status for the 2020 Summer Games.
3. The U.N. Security Council has voted to send about 1,000 more peacekeepers to the Abiye region, which is claimed by Sudan and South Sudan.
May 31, Friday, 2013 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is holding individual meetings with the leaders of African countries on Friday.
2. The U.S. Department of State warns the world is facing a more decentralized and geographically dispersed terrorist threat.
3. Officials from Russia, the United States and the United Nations will meet next week to discuss ways to bring warring parties together for a conference on Syria.