April 19, Friday, 2019 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Emma Howard and Ms. Sara Macdonald

  1. A senior official of Russia’s presidential office says the first meeting between President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un will likely take place next week.
  2. The Japanese government has officially decided to hold Emperor Akihito’s abdication ceremony on April 30 as an act of state stipulated under the Constitution.
  3. People in Paris have taken part in a ceremony in show of solidarity to rebuild the fire-damaged Notre-Dame Cathedral.

April 18, Thursday, 2019 (2:00 p.m.) Read by Ms. Hiroko Kitadai and Ms. Yuka Matsumoto

  1. North Korea’s state media say its leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a testfiring of a new type of tactical guided weapon on Wednesday.
  2. The European Union is considering tariffs on 20 billion dollars’ worth of products from the United States in the latest development in their dispute over aircraft makers.
  3. U.S. media are reporting that the United States and China are planning to resume trade talks this month.