- People in Japan have rung in the New Year with celebrations across the country. In Japan, 2019 is a special year, as Crown Prince Naruhito will ascend the throne in May.
- Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed his commitment to address the dwindling birth rate alongside the aging society.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says he is eager to hold a second round of summit talks with the United States, but threatens to seek a “new path” if Washington maintains sanctions against the country.
January 1, Tuesday, 2019 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Fumiko Konoe