June 1, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. Japanese authorities are warning of another possible volcanic eruption on an island in the southwest of Japan.
2. A British newspaper has reported Swiss prosecutors will question the head of the world soccer governing body, FIFA, as part of an investigation into a scandal over World Cup hosting rights.
3. Japan’s Kei Nishikori has advanced to the quarterfinals in men’s singles tennis in the French Open.
June 2, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. Japan’s government has decided to aim for a 26 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 2013 levels.
2. The International Atomic Energy Agency is holding its first meeting on cyber security.
3. Japan’s finance ministry says tax revenues hit a 17-year-high for fiscal 2014, which ended in March.
June 3, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. FIFA President Sepp Blatter says he will step down as the head of soccer’s world governing body.
2. More than 400 passengers are still missing from the ship that capsized in China’s Yangtze River.
3. Iraqi government forces and their allies are stepping up their offensive against Islamic State militants, but insurgents are resisting by carrying out suicide attacks.
June 4, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Chinese rescue workers have cut a ole in the bottom of the capsized ship in the Yangtze River.
2. The South Korean government says its military has test-fired a new ballistic missile that can fly to any part of North Korea.
3. Philippine President Benigno Aquino has called on Japan to work together to peacefully settle disputes in the South China Sea.
June 5, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Ms. Mariko Kojima
1. Chinese rescuers have brought the capsized cruise ship to an upright position on the Yangtze River in an effort to locate 345 people still missing.
2. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on parties in the South China Sea territorial rows to find ways to peacefully resolve the disputes.
3. Greece has delayed a debt payment to the International Monetary Fund that was due on Friday.
June 6, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Jeff Adolf and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has arrived in Ukraine, the first leg of a two-nation tour. He will meet Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Saturday.
2. Chinese officials have confirmed more than 330 people died aboard a capsized cruise ship on the Yangtze River.
3. A powerful earthquake that hit Malaysia’s Borneo Island on Friday has left two people dead. Rescue workers are now searching for 17 people left stranded on a mountain, including a Japanese man, who have yet to descend.
June 7, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Police in Germany are boosting security ahead of the Group of 7 summit I nthe southern resort of Schloss Elmau.
2. Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Western powers for causing the crisis in Ukraine in comments preceding a Group of 7 summit that will likely focus on the situation between the neighboring countries.
3. Authorities in China held a memorial ceremony on Sunday for the more than 400 people who died when a cruise ship capsized in the Yangtze River.
June 8, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. The leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations have agreed to work together to deal with China and its newly-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
2. Japan’s economy grew in the first quarter considerably faster than initially focused.
3. Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP, reportedly failed to secure a majority in the general election held on Sunday.
June 9, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says G7 countries are ready to strengthen sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine if necessary.
2. South Korea has reported its 7th death from MERS, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and 8 new infections.
3. In Women’s World Cup soccer, defending champion Japan beat Switzerland 1-0.
June 10, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Iraqi government forces are struggling to take back territories under control of Islamic State militants.
2. The Japanese government is considering sending a senior Foreign Ministry official to Russia to coordinate a planned visit by President Vladimir Putin.
3. South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se plans to visit Tokyo later this month to mark the 50th anniversary of normalizing diplomatic ties between Japan and South Korea.
June 11, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. A top official of world’s football governing body says the organization plans to postpone bidding for the right to host the 2026 World Cup Finals.
2. U.S. President Barack Obama has approved a plan to deploy up to 450 additional military personnel to Iraq to train Iraqi forces fighting Islamic State militants.
3. South Korean health officials say another 14 people have contracted the MERS virus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 122.
June 12, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Mariko Kojima
1. A court in China has sentenced a former member of the nation’s top decision-making body to life in prison.
2. A report compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency says Japan lacked necessary safeguards to prevent the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident.
3. Delegates to a U.N. climate meeting have agreed to draft by late July the negotiating text for a new framework to curb global warming.
June 13, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Mr. Jeff Adolf
1. The number of cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS in South Korea, has reached 138, raising the total of deaths to 14.
2. The U.S. Department of Defense has admitted mistakenly sending an anthrax sample
to Japan.
3. A U.N. report says international peacekeepers often pay cash or change clothes for sex with local women.
June 14, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. South Korea has reported seven more cases of infections with MERS coronavirus/
2. Leaders in Nepal say the Himalayan nation will need seven billion dollars for reconstruction projects.
3. Trade officials from Asia-Pacific countries have ended the eighth round of talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
June 15, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Emma Howard
1. Officials in South Korea have reported two more deaths from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, bringing the number of people who have died in the country to 16.
2. A British newspaper reports that Russia and China have cracked the top-secret information contained in files leaked by former U.S. intelligent contractor Edward Snowden.
3. Japanese archaeologists plan to raise funds to protect cultural heritage in Syria and Iraq from being plundered by Islamic State militants.
June 16, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Kurdish fighters have intensified their offensive against Islamic State militants in a northern Syrian town near the border with Turkey.
2. A Swedish think tank reports that the overall number of nuclear warheads around the globe has declined, but China has bucked the trend.
3. Japan’s Meteorological Agency says Mt. Asama in central Japan likely had a very small eruption on Tuesday morning.
June 17, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. South Korea says it has confirmed 8 more cases of infections from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, bringing the country’s total to 162.
2. Japan and South Korea are fine-tuning the details of a meeting of their foreign ministers.
3. Al-Qaeda says the group’s deputy leader, Nasser al-Wuhayshi, has been killed in a U.S. attack.
June 18, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The U.S. Federal Reserve has raised its assessment of economic activitiy.
2. The European Union has agreed to extend economic sanctions on Russia over the turbulence in Ukraine until the end of January in 2016.
June 19, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Maxwell Powers and Ms. Mariko Kojima
1. Tokyo police arrested a Toyota Motor executive for illegally importing narcotic drug in packets.
2. Hong Kong’s pro-democracy legislators are demanding a new election reform plan after they voted down the China-endorsed bill to select the territory’s top leader.
3. South Korea’s health ministry has reported one more death in the country’s outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, MERS.
June 20, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Jeff Adolf and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. South Korean authorities say the deadly coronavirus has infected 166 people and killed 24 of them since the first case was confirmed just a month ago.
2.Yemen’s exiled government and Shia insurgents have failed to agree on a ceasefire in peace talks brokered by the United Nations.
3. The U.S. government says the number of terrorism victims rose to more than 32,000 in 2014, or an 80 percent increase from the previous year.
June 21, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. The Japanese government hopes for some progress in its efforts to gain South Korea’s support for its bid to have some historical industrial areas listed as UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.
2. Japanese customs officers have seized banned chemicals bound for destinations within the country on nearly 480 occasions in just 2 months.
3. Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has used World Refugee Day to call on the international community to do more for the growing ranks of refugees.
June 22, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara
1. The foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea have agreed to work together to have each other’s historical sites added to the World Heritage list.
2. The Greek government has submitted a new proposal to the European Union on fiscal reform to get bailout loans.
3. Many people gathered at an African-American church in the U.S. city of Charleston for a memorial service for 9 church members who were shot to death.
June 23, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. People in Japan’s southern prefecture of Okinawa are marking the 70th anniversary of the end of a fierce battle near the end of World War II.
2. Eurozone leaders say Greece’s reform plan needs to be examined more closely before the deal is struck to provide the country with financial aid.
3. Japan and South Korea celebrated the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties at a concert in Tokyo on Monday.
June 24, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Secretary of State John Kerry has reportedly conveyed to visiting Beijing officials that the United States is concerned about China’s reclamation work on the Spratly Islands.
2. The U.S. Senate has moved a step closer toward voting on a bill that would give President Barack Obama the authority to “fast-track” negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact.
3. Kurdish fighters in northern Syria say they have seized a key town from the Islamic State militant group.
June 25, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. The U.S. Senate has approved a bill that would give President Barack Obama the authority to fast-track negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade pact.
2. NATO defense chiefs have agreed to strengthen the alliance’s defenses as Russia moves toward a military buildup.
3. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has chosen a new cabinet minister to take charge of preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
June 26, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Mariko Kojima
1. The Japanese government has announced the host cities of ministerial-level meetings connected with next year’s summit of the industrialized nations in Japan.
2. Japan’s tax revenues are expected to reach almost 54 trillion yen in fiscal 2014. That is the largest amount in 17 years.
3. The season of general shareholders’ meetings for listed Japanese companies is peaking.
June 27, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Mr. Jeff Adolf
1. Opposition parties in Japan are getting ready to grill the ruling Liberal Democratic Party about anti-media comments made by its lawmakers.
2. Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says a call for a referendum on July 5th will decide whether the country should accept the conditions of a bailout deal demanded by the European Union and other creditors.
3. A wave of armed attacks and bombings took place on Friday in cities in Europe and the Middle East, leaving dozens of people dead and wounded.
June 28, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Eurozone countries have rejected the request by the Greek government to extend the deadline of its bailout program beyond a planned referendum.
2. More than 500 people have been injured in a fire at a water park in Taiwan. Authorities suspect colored power used during a music event could have caught fire.
3. Japan’s women soccer stars have defeated their Australian rivals 1-nil at a quarterfinal clash of the World Cup in Canada.
June 29, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Mr. Raja Pradan
1. Concerned Greek citizens formed long lines at bank machines hoping to withdraw cash as their country faces a possibility of default.
2. Japan’s government will hold a summit meeting next month with countries along the Mekong River to discuss how to help their economies grow and strengthen relations.
3. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in the streets of Manhattan on Sunday for the annual Gay Pride parade, celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing same-sex marriage across the United States.
June 30, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Mr. Mick Corliss
1. A Shinkansen bullet train bound for Osaka from Tokyo has stopped after a fire broke out in one of the carriages. One man is dead and a woman is without vital signs.
2. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says his country can only repay its debt to the International Monetary Fund if it reaches a feasible agreement with its creditors.
3. Financial authorities in Japan have agreed to brace for every possible scenario that may unfold due to developments in Greece.