March 1, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is calling on Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists to provide more information on their withdrawal of heavy weapons in eastern Ukraine.
2. Thousands of people are expected to join a march in honor of murdered Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin.
3. The aide to a religious leader involved in efforts to free 2 Japanese hostages says the negotiations only had a slim chance of success because the militants handling the talks were hardliners who told lies from the start.
March 2, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. The Japanese government says North Korea apparently launched 2 ballistic missiles from its west coast into the Sea of Japan on Monday morning.
2. Police say the leader of a group of youths has admitted to fatally stabbing a 13-year-old boy in an alleged gang killing in Kawasaki City.
3. Tens of thousands of people have marched through the Russian capital to mourn the killing of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.
March 3, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Iraq’s military launched a large offensive against the Islamic State militant group on Monday.
2. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has urged Iran to swiftly implement an agreement with the agency to resolve issues over the country’s nuclear development.
3. A car bomb exploded in front of a court house in central Cairo, Egypt, on Monday, wounding 11.
March 4, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. A Japanese government-affiliated research organization will launch a long-term health study of people who were working at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant right after the nuclear disaster in March 2011.
2. The U.N. Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution creating a system to impose sanctions on those blocking peace in South Sudan.
3. The White House says U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama will begin her first visit to Japan on March 18.
March 5, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms.Hiroko Kitadai
1. The U.S. ambassador to South Korea was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant in Seoul. This attack was possibly motivated by the man’s opposition to a military drill between the countries.
2. Chinese leaders have set its growth target for this year at around 7 percent, down a half percent from last year.
3. Iraqi government forces are trying to surround Islamic State militants in the northern city of Tikrit as part of a major operation to retake the city.
March 6, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The Japanese government will propose to the Diet an amendment to a law that would give equal authority to civilian and uniformed personnel at the Defense Ministry.
2. Senior officials from Japan’s and China’s Foreign and Defense Ministries will meet later this month for their first security talks in 4 years.
3. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will announce Japan’s new plan to contribute to disaster prevention efforts around the world.
March 7, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Iraqi government officials say Islamic State militants have destroyed the site of one of ancient Mesopotamia’s greatest cities in the country’s north.
2. Japanese and U.S. officials have wrapped up their latest round of talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. But tough problems to be resolved are still left ahead.
3. The United Nations says 700,000 people died in disasters around the world in the last 10 years. It says economic losses from those disasters totaled 1.4 trillion dollars.
March 8, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1.Russian authorities are set to arrest two men they detained over the killing of high-profile opposition politician Boris Nemtsov in central Moscow.
2. The Iraqi government says Islamic State militants have destroyed a 2,000-year-old world heritage site in the north of the country.
3. Nigerian security authorities suspect the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram is to blame for 3 bomb blasts that have killed at least 50 people in a city in Nigeria.
March 9, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday in Tokyo.
2. An investigation conducted by the Philippine military has shed light on the expansion of China’s reclamation projects in disputed waters in the South China Sea.
3. Russian authorities have arrested 5 people suspected of involvement in the recent killing of high-profile opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.
March 10, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. The leaders of Japan and Germany have agreed to work closely on a variety of issues, including the Ukrainian crisis and reform of the U.N. Security Council.
2. More than 220,000 people are still living in temporary housing as the fourth anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan approaches.
3. Austria says it believes Islamic State militants have abducted 9 foreign workers from an oil field serviced by an Austrian firm in central Libya.
March 11, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Helen Lewis and Mr. Michael Rhys
1. People in Japan are observing the 4th anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country’s northeast on March 11, 2011.
2. The Japanese government is planning to extend sanctions on North Korea as Pyongyang has failed to submit a report on its investigation into the fate of missing Japanese.
3. Spain has arrested 2 men suspected of plotting a terrorist attack either in Spain or neighboring European countries.
March 12, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Jonathan Sear and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Workers have resumed drilling of the seabed in waters off Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan, as part of a survey for the relocation of a U.S. air base.
2. The top U.N. disaster risk reduction official says Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami was an event that showed the world the importance of being prepared.
3. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says levels of radioactive material in groundwater have surged 30-fold, apparently after contaminated rainwater leaked outside a barrier.
March 13, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. As cleanup work continues, workers in Fukushima Prefecture will start transferring contaminated materials to an intermediate storage facility.
2. The Japanese cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has approved a bill to revise the law governing the dispatch of temporary workers.
3. Japan’s government will send a senior official to Iraq’s Kurdish autonomous region over the weekend.
March 14, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Delegates at a United Nations conference in the Japanese city of Sendai are discussing ways to manage the threats posed by natural disasters.
2. Bullet trains have begun operating on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line which connects Tokyo and the major city of Kanazawa on the Sea of Japan coast, more than an hour faster than before.
March 15, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagaqwa
1. Officials, experts and NGO members from around the world have discussed how they can improve warning systems for natural disasters.
2. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Civil Affairs Minister Li Liguo have agreed to promote dialogue to improve ties between their countries.
3. U.N. officials say at least 6 people are reportedly dead and 20 injured in the capital of Vanuatu after a powerful cyclone tore through the South Pacific archipelago.
March 16, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The prime minister of the Kurdish autonomous government in Iraq has called for more international cooperation to destroy the Islamic State group.
2. Disaster preparedness officials from countries that have experienced major disasters have agreed on the importance of sharing information on risks with the public.
3. Former political leaders and heads of corporations from Japan and South Korea will meet this month to discuss how to improve strained ties between the two countries.
March 17, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Two nuclear power plant operators in Japan have decided to scrap three reactors that are older than the government’s recommended 40-year limit.
2. U.N. officials say at least 24 people have been confirmed dead in Vanuatu after a powerful cyclone hit the South Pacific island country last week.
3. Delegates at a U.N. conference on disaster risk reduction have decided not to include numerical targets in new risk-reduction guidelines.
March 18, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Israel’s ruling Likud Party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has picked up the most seats in Tuesday’s general election.
2. U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice has welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the United States next month.
3. Annual wage negotiations have entered their final stages on Wednesday.
March 19, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. Two gunmen fired at tourists in Tunisia on Wednesday. 19 people, mostly foreigners, are reportedly dead and dozens more wounded.
2. A U.N. conference has set targets on reducing damage from natural disasters.
3. A slow delivery of supplies in the cyclone-hit Vanuatu is raising concern about a shortage of food and water for the affected people.
March 20, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Government officials in Tunisia say the two gunmen behind Wednesday’s fatal attack at a Tunis museum had trained in neighboring Libya.
2. A memorial service was held at a Tokyo subway station on Friday to mark the 20th anniversary of the sarin gas attacks by the Aum Shinrikyo cult.
3. Researchers in Japan say X-ray-like photos of a nuclear reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant show no nuclear fuel remains in the reactor core.
March 21, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea will meet in Seoul on Saturday to hold their first trilateral talks in about 3 years.
2.Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is planning to meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington next month to reaffirm the bilateral alliance.
3. At least 137 people have been reportedly killed in suicide bomb attacks in 2 mosques in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
March 22, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea say they will work to hold an early summit of their leaders.
2. The leaders of Japan and Indonesia will focus on improving business ties and maritime security cooperation during a summit in Tokyo this week.
3. The attack on Tunisia’s National Bardo Museum may not have been a random shooting but may have specifically targeted foreign tourists.
March 23, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. The founding father and former prime minister of Singapore has died. Lee Kuan Yew was 91 years old.
2. A possible civil war looms in Yemen as insurgents have seized an airport near the base of ousted President Abd-Rabbu Masour Hadi.
3. Tunisia’s president says a third gunman involved in museum attack in the capital Tunis last week is on the run.
March 24, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. A Tunisian minister says hardline members of an Islamic extremist group affiliated with Al Qaeda are responsible for last week’s deadly attack on a museum.
2. Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani says the government will continue ongoing work in Okinawa Prefecture to relocate a U.S. base, despite the governor’s instruction to the contrary.
3. White House officials say Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama will hold a summit in Washington on April 28.
March 25, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Michael Rhys and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. A passenger plane operated by low cost carrier Germanwings has crashed in southern France. Airline officials say there were 150 people on board.
2. The U.S. and Afghan presidents have agreed to review the drawdown of American troops from Afghanistan.
3. The Islamic extremist group Boko Haram appears to have kidnapped more than 400 women and children from a town in northeastern Nigeria.
March 26, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. French aviation investigators say full analysis of cockpit voice recording to determine what caused Tuesday’s crash of a German airliner could take months.
2. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab nations have begun air strikes on Shia Muslim insurgents in Yemen.
3. Candidates running for governors in ten prefectures across Japan have launched their campaigns. The contests are expected to hinge on policies to revitalize local economies.
March 27, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Authorities investigating the crash of a German passenger jet in the French Alps are focusing their attention on the co-pilot of the plane.
2. Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab nations have launched airstrikes against Shia anti-government rebels in Yemen.
3. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has accepted an invitation to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on April 29th.
March 28, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. David Crystal and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. German prosecutors say they have found a medical certificate that showed the co-pilot of the Germanwings plane was not allowed to work on the day of the deadly crash.
2. Iran’s deputy foreign minister says negotiators from his country and six world powers have come to an agreement that will allow Iran to continue using the Fordow nuclear facility.
March 29, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Insurgents in Yemen have made more gains in the south of the country despite Saudi Arabia-led airstrikes intended to force the militants back.
2. Gunmen have killed at least 14 people at polling stations in Nigeria in a presidential election that has hinged on efforts to counter terrorism.
3. Australia has joined a number of countries who wish to be founding members of the China-proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, or AIIB.
March 30, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.)Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Emma Howard
1. Nuclear regulators will begin examining a reactor at a power plant in southwestern Japan on Monday to determine whether its operations can be restarted.
2. A powerful earthquake struck Papua New Guinea on Sunday.
3. Japan’s fisheries ministry has overridden instructions by the governor of Okinawa to suspend all offshore work related to the relocation of a U.S. base in the prefecture.
March 31, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Forty-four nations have pledged to become founding members of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
2. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar have agreed to strengthen cooperation on defense and security.
3. The Chinese Air Force says it carried out drills over the western Pacific Ocean for the first time on Monday.