January 2, Wednesday, 2019 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Mr. Raja Pradhan and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

  1. Japan’s Emperor Akihito has delivered New Year greetings to the public at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
  2. The Taiwanese president says the island faces security risks, especially China’s attempts to use the openness and freedom of Taiwan’s democratic system to interfere in its politics and society.
  3. Jair Bolsonaro has been sworn in as Brazil’s president. The leaders of Cuba and Venezuela were not invited to the inauguration ceremony.

January 1, Tuesday, 2019 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Fumiko Konoe

  1. 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.
  2. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed his commitment to address the dwindling birth rate alongside the aging society.
  3. 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.