Hope rises for Japan-N. Korea agreement on negotiation format
December 23, 2005North Korea's delegate to talks with Japan said Saturday his country is ready to set the schedule for future negotiations with Japan, raising hopes the two nations will be able to agree on the format of their talks on bilateral problems in their weekend meeting. Song Il Ho, vice director of the North Korean Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, told reporters upon his arrival in Beijing that he personally thinks Japan's idea to set up separate working groups to deal with the bilateral issues was a ''positive proposal.''
N. Korea positive about Japan-proposed working groups
December 23, 2005North Korea's chief delegate to talks with Japan in Beijing said Saturday he thinks Japan's proposal to set up separate working groups for resolving various issues is positive and suggested the two sides may agree on a schedule for ensuing talks if necessary. Song Il Ho, vice director of the North Korean Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, made the remarks to reporters upon arrival in the Chinese capital.
WTO mini-ministerial meeting to be held Jan. in Davos
December 23, 2005Ministers from about 20 countries and regions are expected to hold an informal meeting Jan. 27-28 in Davos, Switzerland, in a bid to accelerate global trade liberalization talks under the World Trade Organization, trade sources said Friday. Participants in the meeting will include ministers from Brazil, the European Union, India, Japan and the United States, the sources said.
N. Korean delegation arrives in Beijing for talks with Japan
December 23, 2005A North Korean delegation arrived in Beijing on Saturday for a two-day meeting with Japan which may produce an agreement on the format of future negotiations for solving thorny issues preventing the two countries from normalizing diplomatic ties. The delegation led by Song Il Ho, vice director of the North Korean Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, arrived at Beijing's international airport in the morning.
Bill to be submitted to continue Koizumi gov't streamlining drive
December 23, 2005The Cabinet decided Saturday to submit a bill next year to demonstrate its resolve to further promote Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's initiative to streamline government agencies. The bill, to be presented in the ordinary Diet session starting in January, will feature basic policies for reducing payroll costs for state employees, cutting the number of special budget accounts and consolidating government-affiliated financial institutions.
Sharapova, Hingis to play at Toray Pan Pacific Open
December 23, 2005Defending champion Maria Sharapova will feature in a strong field of players at the 2006 Toray Pan Pacific Open, which also includes former world No. 1 Martina Hingis, organizers said Friday. World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, who like Hingis has won a record four titles at the top-tier WTA tournament, Elena Dementieva and Serena Williams will also play in the Jan. 31-Feb. 5 event at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
S. Korean researcher faked stem-cell data: investigating panel
December 23, 2005South Korea's most prominent cloning scientist, Hwang Woo Suk, who published a landmark paper claiming to have produced 11 embryonic stem cells tailored for individual patients, fabricated the research results, an investigation panel said Friday. The paper, carried by the U.S. journal Science in May, was based on data from two embryonic stem cells, not 11, the panel of Seoul National University, where Hwang works as a veterinary professor, said.
Tunnel blast kills at least 42 in western China
December 23, 2005At least 42 people have died and 11 were injured Thursday in a highway tunnel explosion in Sichuan Province in southwestern China, the State Administration of Work Safety said Friday. A gas explosion in the Dongjiashan Tunnel, part of a road construction site along the highway between the cities of Wenchuan and Dujiangyan, killed mostly construction workers, according to the administration and the official Xinhua News Agency.