August 11, Saturday, 2018 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms .Risa Shimizu

  1. The deaths of all 9 people on board a helicopter that crashed on a mountain north of Tokyo have been confirmed.
  2. Officials from Japan and the United States have failed to narrow their differences in trade talks.
  3. Turkey’s currency has nosedived after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that he has authorized a doubling of tariffs on metal imports from the country. 

August 8, Wednesday, 2018 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Eriko Kojima and Mr. Michael Reese

  1. A strong typhoon is expected to come very close to Japan’s eastern Pacific coast from Wednesday through Thursday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.
  2. White House National Security Advisor John Bolton has accused North Korea of failing to take steps towards scrapping its nuclear program.
  3. The United States has announced it will soon put into force an additional tariff of 25 percent on Chinese imports.

August 7, Tuesday, 2018 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

  1. The United States has re-imposed economic sanctions on Iran, defying strong warnings from Tehran.
  2. Authorities in Indonesia are searching for survivors after a powerful earthquake struck the resort island of Lombok, killing at least 98 people and injuring more than 230.
  3. An NHK opinion poll shows that the support and the disapproval rate for Prime Minister Abe’s cabinet were tied at 41 percent.

August 5, Sunday, 2018 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Hirokazu Sakamaki and Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

  1. Japan remains in the grip of what weather officials call “life-threatening” heat. They say much of the country can expect no relief from the hot weather on Sunday.
  2. The government of Venezuela says President Nicolas Maduro is unharmed after drones loaded with explosives went off as he was giving a televised speech.
  3. The Japanese foreign minister has expressed his concern about the fairness of Cambodia’s recent general elections.

August 4, Saturday, 2018 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Fumiko Konoe and Ms. Risa Shimizu

  1. Intense heat continues to grip much of Japan, with temperatures soaring to record levels on Saturday.
  2. Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Kono has spoken with his North Korean counterpart. He is believed to have conveyed Japan’s position of seeking a comprehensive resolution to various issues.
  3. China is preparing to impose retaliatory tariffs of up to 25 percent on 60 billion dollars of U.S. imports.

August 2, Thursday, 2018 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradhan and Ms. Hiroko Kitadai

  1. Many parts of Japan saw record high temperatures and heavy rains last month. The Meteorological Agency has called the weather conditions abnormal.
  2. Extreme heat is continuing across Japan on Thursday, with highs of 39 degrees Celsius forecast in some areas.
  3. Japan’s 10-year government bond yield reached the highest level in more than a year on Wednesday, one day after the central bank tweaked its monetary policy.