March

 

March 1, Saturday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      U.N. Security Council members are divided over how to respond to the escalating tension in Ukraine.

2.      Investigators in Switzerland have begun looking into possible money laundering practices by ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and his son.

3.      Anti-government protesters in Thailand’s capital Bangkok appear set to leave major intersections they have been occupying for weeks.

March 2, Sunday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      Russia and Ukraine have stated their positions on the second day of the U.N. Security Council meeting that was called to discuss the crisis in Ukraine.

2.      China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reports that Xinjiang Uighur separatists carried out the attack at the train station in Yunnan Province, southwestern China.

3.      A Japanese delegation has left for China to hold Red Cross talks with North Korea.

March 3, Monday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Dawn Matus and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      The leaders of the world’s industrialized nations have condemned Russia for what they call a clear violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.

2.      Japanese and North Korean Red Cross officials are meeting in China.  The talks focus on returning the remains of Japanese who died on the Korean Peninsula around the end of World War II.

3.      Chinese authorities have instructed police to make “all-out efforts” in their investigation of a random attack at a railway station.

March 4, Tuesday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Mick Corliss

1.      Military tension is mounting on the Crimean Peninsula amid reports that Russian troops have issued an ultimatum for Ukraine’s forces in Crimea to surrender or face an attack.

2.      Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida says Monday’s informal contact between Japanese and North Korean officials was somewhat meaningful.

3.      The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has so far been implementing as planned its nuclear deal with world powers.

March 5, Wednesday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Russian President Vladimir Putin says he reserves the right to use force in Ukraine while U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is stressing a diplomatic solution.

2.      North Korea fired several rockets into the Sea of Japan on Tuesday.

3.      China has announced an economic growth target of around 7.5 percent for 2014, the same as last year’s.

March 6, Thursday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal

1.      The United States and Russia remain divided on how to solve the crisis in Ukraine.

2.      Japan’s foreign minister has urged his Iranian counterpart to make further efforts to reach a final agreement with 6 world powers on Iran’s nuclear development.

3.      A senior U.S. State Department official has called on China to address international concerns about its defense budget for this year.

March 7, Friday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Mr. David Crystal

1.      Crimea’s parliament voted unanimously on Thursday in favor of becoming part of Russia.

2.      The European Union has unveiled 3-step sanctions against Russia over the crisis in Ukraine.

3.      The U.S. ambassador to South Korea has urged the Japanese government to address the so-called comfort women issue, referring to it as “sexual slavery.”

March 8, Saturday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      Pro-Russia residents in Crimea are moving fast on a March 16th referendum on whether the region should leave Ukraine and join Russia.

2.      The Winter Paralympic Games have opened in the Russian city of Sochi.  Athletes from a record 45 countries and territories marched in the opening ceremony.

3.      A Malaysian passenger aircraft traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing has lost contact.

March 9, Sunday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      Russia appears to be reinforcing its troops in Crimea, southern Ukraine.

2.      U.S. President Barack Obama has made phone calls to European leaders to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

3.      The search continues for a missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet on Sunday, one day after it disappeared over the South China Sea.

March 10, Monday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1.      Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed his resolve to accelerate the reconstruction of areas affected by the March 11th disaster.

2.      A survey by NHK finds nearly 80 percent of Japanese are in favor of scrapping some or all of the country’s nuclear power plants.

3.      The Autonomous Crimean Republic plans to hold a referendum in one week to decide on unification with Russia.

March 11, Tuesday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu

1.      People in Japan are observing the 3rd anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country’s northeast on March 11th, 2011.

2.      The United States and Russia remain at odds over the crisis in Ukraine just days before Sunday’s referendum in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea on unification with Russia.

3.      Malaysian authorities are intensifying the search for the Malaysia Airlines jet that went missing three days ago.

March 12, Wednesday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera has ordered the dispatch of Self-Defense Forces aircraft to assist in the search for a missing commercial airliner.

2.      Crimea’s regional parliament ahs voted in favor of declaring independence from Ukraine if a majority of residents choose to join Russia in the referendum scheduled for Sunday.

3.      Anti-nuclear protesters held rallies in the United States on Tuesday, three years after the accident at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

March 13, Thursday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Patrick Devolpi and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1.      Japan’s vice foreign minister has returned from South Korea after meeting with the country’s first vice foreign minister.

2.      Personnel from the Japan Coast Guard have set out on a plane to join the international search for the missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet.

3.      U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States and its allies would be forced to impose additional sanctions on Russia if it shows signs of moving to annex Crimea.

March 14, Friday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. David Crystal

1.      Ukraine’s interim Prime Minister Arsenity Yatsenyuk appealed to the U.N. Security Council that Russia ‘s actions violate the U.N. Charter.

2.      Fighting between rival groups in eastern Ukraine has killed 2 people and injured more than 50.

3.      A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook western Japan shortly after 2 A.M., local time on Friday.

March 15, Saturday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      The United States and European countries are planning to submit a resolution at the U.N. Security Council that would declare Sunday’s referendum in the southern Ukraine region of Crimea on its joining Russia illegal.

2.      South Korean officials have responded positively to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ‘s remarks that his administration doesn’t plan to revise a statement on the so-called comfort women.

March 16, Sunday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      People in Crimea are expected to vote on Sunday to determine whether the southern Ukrainian region should break away and join Russia, despite condemnation from Ukraine’s interim government and Western nations.

2.      Malaysia’s prime minister says someone on board the missing Malaysia Airlines jet flew it off course for several hours after deliberately disabling its communication system.

3.      The parents of a Japanese woman who was abducted by North Korea more than 3 decades ago for the first time met their granddaughter last week.

March 17, Monday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Dawn Matus and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Crimea is planning to move forward with plans to join Russia after voters appear to back separation from Ukraine.

2.      Syria’s state-run television said that government forces have recaptured a strategic rebel stronghold near the Lebanese border.

3.      Serbia’s ruling center-right party, which is pushing for EU membership, has won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections.

March 18, Tuesday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. David Crystal

1.      Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver a speech on Tuesday in which he is quite expected to discuss the future of Ukraine’s southern region of Crimea.

2.      Officials from Japan and North Korea are set to hold an informal consultation on the sidelines of their Red Cross talks in China.

3.      Labor officials in Fukushima Prefecture say they have found the violation of nearly 70 percent of companies doing decontamination work after the March 11th nuclear accident.

March 19, Wednesday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Western countries are considering further sanctions against Russia following President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Russia will annex the southern Ukrainian region of Crimea.

2.      Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend a nuclear security summit set for early next week.

3.      Japan has agreed to improve Vietnam’s maritime policing capabilities in the face of China’s increasing activities in the South China Sea.

March 20, Thursday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      Russian and Western envoys have exchanged harsh words at the U.N. Security Council over Russia’s declaration that it will annex Ukraine’s Crimea region.

2.      Iran has held talks with the world’s major powers to pave the way for a final agreement on its nuclear program by July.  They say they will meet again next month.

3.      The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says its water decontamination system will stay suspended until they identify a problem with one of its three lines.

March 21, Friday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

1.      The leaders of Japan, the United States and South Korea will hold a summit meeting on the sidelines of an international conference in the Netherlands next week.

2.      U.S. President Barack Obama has announced additional sanctions against Russia.

3.      Japan has submitted a draft resolution to the U.N. Human Rights Council, calling on the U.N. to refer those responsible for human rights abuses in North Korea to the international justice system.

March 22, Saturday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Hiroko Kitatai

1.      Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country has completed the legal process required to incorporate Ukraine’s Crimea region into its territory.

2.      Turkey’s government has blocked access to the social networking site Twitter after the posting of corruption allegations involving Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

3.      A detailed protocol for generating so-called STAP cells has been posted on the Internet by a U.S. researcher who co-authored papers that are creating controversy over alleged irregularities.

March 23, Sunday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa and Ms. Shelly Yamamoto

1.      Russian forces continued to seize control of Ukrainian military installations in Crimea, drawing more criticism from the West.

2.      Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has left for the Netherlands to attend a nuclear summit and trilateral talks with his U.S. and South Korean counterparts.

March 24, Monday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1.      Leaders of the G7 industrialized nations will discuss whether to expel Russia from the Group of Eight as punishment for its actions in Crimea.

2.      Russia’s Defense Ministry says its forces have occupied most of the facilities belonging to the Ukrainian military in Crimea.

3.      In sumo, Ozeki champion Kakuryu won the spring tournament on Sunday.  The Japan Sumo Association will decide if Kakuryu should be promoted to the highest rank of Yokozuna grand champion.

March 25, Tuesday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu

1.      Leaders of 7 major industrialized nations say they have decided to boycott a G8 summit scheduled for June in Sochi, Russia.

2.      U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that sanctions against Russia will be ramped up if it continues to escalate the situation in Ukraine.

3.      Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says his government will offer financial support for the people of Crimea, which Russia annexed last week.

March 26, Wednesday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Michelle Yamamoto and Mr. Michael Rhys

1.      The leaders of Japan, the United States and South Korea have agreed to work closely together to address security issues in northeast Asia.

2.      World leaders have agreed to try to minimize stocks of weapons-grade uranium and other sensitive materials as a way to counter nuclear terrorism.

3.      South Korea’s Defense Ministry says North Korea fired 2 ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan early on Wednesday morning.

March 27, Thursday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Patrick Devolpi and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1.      Crimea has begun paying pensions in rubles in a sign that Russian control is becoming increasingly evident.

2.      U.S. President Barack Obama says Russia’s decision to annex Crimea poses a threat to democratic ideals.

3.      Egypt’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has declared his candidacy for the presidential election later this year.

March 28, Friday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Maxwell Powers

1.      The U.N. Security Council has condemned North Korea for its missile launch.  It says it is continuing its debate on how to respond.

2.      The U.N. General Assembly has voted for a resolution calling on the international community not to recognize any alteration in the status of Crimea.

3.      Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he raised the issue of China’s growing assertiveness at the recent Group of Seven summit meeting in the Netherlands.

March 29, Saturday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

1.      U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has made clear the United Nations’ stance that the world body does nor recognize Russia’s annexation of the southern Ukrainian region of Crimea.

2.      The United Nations ‘ Human Rights Council has approved a resolution on punishing North Koreans responsible for crimes against humanity.

March 30, Sunday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1.      U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet in Paris on Sunday to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

2.      Major political parties in Ukraine have named their candidates for the presidential election in May.

3.      Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeon has shown willingness to accept some demands by demonstrators opposed to a service trade pact with China, but he says he will not scrap the arrangement.

March 31, Monday, 2014 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Dawn Matus and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

1.      Japanese and North Korean officials are meeting for a second day in China.

2.      The Philippine government has asked an international tribunal to declare most of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea illegal.

3.      France’s governing Socialist Party has suffered major losses in local elections.