December 1, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Japan has stressed the need for a new climate deal to include more steps than planned in order to keep global warming in check.
2. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and China’s President Xi Jinping have agreed their nations should strive to put their improving relations on a more sold footing.
3. The leaders of Japan and India have agreed they will work together to make the COP 21 climate conference in Paris a success.
December 2, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Working-level talks got off to a rocky start on Tuesday at the U.N. climate4 change conference in Paris.
2. The prime ministers of Japan and Luxembourg have confirmed that they will cooperate on anti-terrorism measures and reform of the United Nations Security Council.
3. Foreign ministers from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have agreed to take further measures to help Turkey defend its borders.
December 3, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. A shooting spree at a social services facility in the U.S. state of California has left 14 people dead and 17 others injured.
2. Britain’s Parliament has approved a government motion to begin airstrikes to Syria against the Islamic State militant group.
3. Japan’s space exploration probe Hayabusa 2 will closely approach Earth on Thursday to get a gravity assist to change its course for an asteroid.
December 4, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Mariko Kojima and Mr. Maxwell Powers
1. Delegates to the U.N. conference on climate change remain divided over how to differentiate responsibilities between developed and developing countries in the fight against global warming.
2. The U.S. Justice Department announced it has indicted 16 more FIFA officials on bribery and other charges. The suspects include 2 vice presidents of soccer’s world governing body.
3. U.S. investigators say they have discovered large amounts of explosives and ammunition after investigating the couple suspected of carrying out Wednesday’s shooting spree in California.
December 5, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Jeff Adolf and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. A United Nations committee has unanimously adopted a Japanese-submitted resolution to designate November 5 as World Tsunami Day.
2. Delegates to the U.N. conference on climate change have broadly agreed that a new deal to stop global warming should require periodic reviews of progress on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
3. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation says it suspects Wednesday’s mass shooting in California was an act of terrorism.
December 6, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. Delegates to the U.N. conference on climate change have adopted a draft agreement on a new framework to address global warming.
2. The Japanese government has proposed maintaining its annual financial contributions to U.S. bases in the country for fiscal 2016 at about the same level as the past 6 years.
3. Hundreds of Turkish troops have been sent to an area close to Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq. It is now under the control of the Islamic State militant group.
December 7, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. The U.S. president has stressed the need to further tighten security against terrorism, in the U.S. following the deadly shooting in California.
2. In regional elections in France, a far-right party has made a strong showing, although no party has secured a majority in any regional electoral district.
3. A Japanese government panel has proposed ways to reduce soaring healthcare costs as part of the drive to balance the national budget.
December 8, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Many schools and businesses were closed in China’s capital on Tuesday, a day after Beijing issued its highest air pollution alert.
2. The European union has expressed willingness to increase financial assistance to developing nations in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Germany’s interior minister says that the number of migrants and refugees arriving in the country hit 965,000 this year.
December 9, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Delegates to the U.N. climate conference in Paris have almost agreed that a new accord will refer to the goal of limiting global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
2. Officials from Japan and India are holding talks to lay the groundwork for an agreement on nuclear cooperation in time for a summit meeting this week.
3. A senior official of Iraq’s Anbar Province says government troops have recaptured a wide area around the key western city of Ramadi.
December 10, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Prada and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. France has presented a draft agreement for a new international accord on global warming at the U.N. climate change conference in Paris.
2. Police in Tokyo say a South Korean man arrested in connection with an explosion at Yasukuni Shrine last month has never been found engaged in anti-Japanese demonstrations.
3. A revision to Japan’s civil aviation law that regulates the use of drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles has taken effect on Thursday.
December 11, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Mariko Kojima
1. A royal banquet was held in Stockholm for this year’s Nobel Prize winners, including 2 Japanese scientists.
2. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has presented a new draft agreement at the U.N. climate change conference in Paris.
3. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has left for India to reach agreement with Indian officials on sales of Shinkansen high-speed rail technology.
December 12, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Jeff Adolf and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and two other crewmembers from the United States and Russia have returned to Earth after completing their mission aboard the International Space Station.
2.Negotiators at the U.N. climate change conference have extended their session by one day to try to reach an agreement on a new framework to curb global warming.
3. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Saturday. Abe hopes to strengthen cooperative ties in a wide range of areas, including defense and security.
December 13, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. The U.N. climate conference in Paris has reached a historic accord to combat global warming.
2. Japan’s Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu has broken his own world record in Barcelona, Spain, to grab another grand prix final title.
3. A North Korean all-female band formed under the direction of leader Kim Jong Un has cancelled its first-ever overseas concert in Beijing.
December 14, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. A Bank of Japan survey shows that sentiment among the country’s major manufacturers stayed flat in the 3 months to December.
2. Results from France’s runoff election show the far-right National Front has failed to win a single region.
3. Kazakhstan’s president says the best way to ease tensions between Russia and Turkey is through negotiations.
December 15, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. U.S. President Barack Obama is calling on the international community to step up military campaigns against Islamic State militants.
2. The death toll from U.S. airstrikes on a hospital operated by an international NGO in Afghanistan has risen to 42.
3. French authorities say that a kindergarten teacher who claimed to have been stabbed on Monday actually made up the story.
December 16, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The United States and Russia have agreed to push ahead with peace talks for Syria.
2. The European Union has unveiled a plan to better protect its external borders against terrorists and the growing influx of refugees.
3. The International Atomic Energy Agency has decided to end its probe into the allegation that Iran had a nuclear weapons program.
December 17, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Policymakers at the U.S. Federal Reserve have made a landmark decision. They’ve decided to end a near-zero interest rate policy that’s been in place since the 2008 financial crisis.
2. Members of the World Trade Organization have agreed to abolish tariffs on digital products.
3. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant says excessive heat from nuclear fuel at one of its damaged reactors may have caused some key parts to melt.
December 18, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Sarah McDonald and Ms. Mari Kojima
1. Diplomats in Japan and South Korea are watching to see how Seoul prosecutors react to a ruling in a case that has strained ties.
2. UNESCO has called on its members to apply jointly for inclusion in Memory of the World Register when materials involve multiple countries or organizations.
3. Japan’s Coast Guard says it has agreed with its Chinese counterpart to promote exchanges and information sharing.
December 19, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Helen Lewis
1. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull have agreed that their nations will strengthen trilateral security ties with the United States.
2. The U.N. Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing a peace process in Syria.
3. An enormous budget deficit is forecast for hosting the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic games.
December 20, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. A senior Iraqi official says a U.S.-led airstrike has hit Iraqi government forces by mistake, killing 9 people.
2. Ministers of WTO member economies have failed to agree whether they should continue the Doha Round of trade liberalization talks.
3. An executive of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party will visit Russia next month to facilitate negotiations on the Northern Territories.
December 21, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Yoshi Ogasawara and Ms. Emma Howard
1. Chinese authorities say that the built-up construction waste soil may have been held responsible for a massive landslide that occurred at an industrial park in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province on Sunday.
2. Spain’s ruling Popular Party failed to retain its parliamentary majority in the general election on Sunday.
3. Hiroshima University and Cairo University have agreed to launch joint research to bring peace to the Middle East.
December 22, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Mick Corliss and Ms. Risa Shimizu
1. Chinese media report that a body was retrieved on Tuesday from the rubble at the site of a massive landslide in Guangdong Province.
2. Japan’s government has approved the design for the main stadium of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
3. The governor of Fukui Prefecture has approved the restart of 2 reactors at the Takahama nuclear power plant.
December 23, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. Chinese officials say a man has been rescued from the site of Sunday’s massive landslide in the southern province of Guangdong.
2. Iraqi government forces and the Islamic State group are engaged in fierce fighting over the militant’s stronghold of Ramadi.
3. The International Organization for Migration says more than one million refuges and migrants have arrived in Europe from the Middle East and Africa this year.
December 24, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. The Japanese cabinet ministers have approved the largest-ever budget plan for the next fiscal year.
2. U.S. transportation officials say they have confirmed an eighth death in the country linked with a faulty airbag made by auto parts maker Takata.
3. A Japanese freelance journalist is reportedly being held by an armed group in Syria.
December 25, Friday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Mariko Kojima and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai
1. South Korea is likely to study what Japan will say in an expected meeting between the foreign ministers on the issue of those referred to as comfort women.
2. An independent panel in Japan has dismissed the Okinawa government’s request for adjudication in a conflict with the state.
3. Syria’s foreign minister says the government is ready to attend U.N.-organized peace talks in Geneva next month.
December 26, Saturday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Helen Lewis
1. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a surprise visit to Pakistan to meet his counterpart Nawaz Sharif. It’s the first time in nearly 12 years that an Indian prime minister has visited the country.
2. A leader of one of the main insurgent groups in Syria has been killed in an airstrike. The killing has raised concerns that fighting may intensify ahead of peace talks between the government and opposition groups.
December 27, Sunday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa
1. A Kurdish militant group has reportedly claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s explosion at Istanbul’s second largest airport.
2. Chinese prosecutors will investigate a fatal landslide in Guangdong province for possible mismanagement crimes.
3. Japanese people who are suing the central government and an electric power utility over the Fukushima nuclear disaster will form their first association.
December 28, Monday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradan and Ms. Emma Howard
1. The Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers are believed to have begun talks in Seoul. They are trying to conclude negotiations on the issue of those referred to as comfort women.
2. Taiwan’s 3 presidential candidates have their first televised debate on Sunday.
3. All couples in China will be officially allowed to have 2 children for the first time in more than 3 decades as of January 1st.
December 29, Tuesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Risa Shimizu and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. The South Korean government is facing mixed public reactions to its agreement with Japan on the issue of those referred to as comfort women.
2. Chinese police say they are investigating 12 people in connection with a deadly landslide in the southern province of Guangdong.
3. Saudi Arabia projects a massive budget deficit for 2016 due to falling crude oil prices.
December 30, Wednesday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Yuka Matsumoto and Ms. Fumiko Konoe
1. A U.S. military official says U.S.-led coalition airstrikes have killed 10 Islamic State group leaders over the past month, including 2 linked to the Paris attacks in November.
2. Korean Americans have expressed mixed reactions to Monday’s agreement between Japan and South Korea to settle the issue of those referred to as comfort women.
3. North Korea’s state-run media says a close aide to leader Kim Jong Un has died in a traffic accident.
December 31, Thursday, 2015 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto
1. 10 member economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have founded a single market to promote free flows of goods, services, and labor.
2. The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France have agreed to extend the ceasefire agreement for Ukraine until next year.
3. The Tokyo Stock Exchange marked the second largest annual turnover this year.