2 dead, about 30 injured in Yamagata Pref. train derailment
December 25, 2005Two women died and about 30 others were injured when an express train heading to Niigata derailed and partly toppled on its side Sunday night in Shonai, Yamagata Prefecture, according to police, hospitals and officials of East Japan Railway Co. The women, one of whom was in her 30s, were among five people trapped inside the first train car which derailed. One of the other three was rescued, police and firefighters said.
N. Korea to work to settle past, solve issues to normalize Japan ties
December 25, 2005North Korea will work to settle issues relating to the past and resolve other contentious issues to achieve normalization of diplomatic ties with Japan, Song Il Ho, vice director of the North Korean Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, said Sunday. Speaking with reporters after two-day bilateral talks with Japan, North Korean chief delegate Song also praised a bilateral agreement to set up three working groups that will discuss diplomatic normalization, North Korea's past abductions of Japanese nationals and the country's nuclear and missile programs.
Highlights of Japan-N. Korea talks in Beijing
December 25, 2005The following are highlights of the outcome of talks between Japan and North Korea held in Beijing on Saturday and Sunday: -- Japan and North Korea agreed to take measures to resolve pending issues and settle the ''unfortunate past'' to achieve normalization of ties at an early date in the spirit of the bilateral Pyongyang Declaration.
Japan, N. Korea agree to hold talks under new format in January
December 25, 2005Japan and North Korea agreed Sunday on a new format for bilateral negotiations, paving the way for stalled talks on normalizing diplomatic relations to resume as early as January. Under the plan, the countries will establish three working groups that will separately address diplomatic normalization, North Korea's past abductions of Japanese nationals and the country's nuclear and missile programs, Japan's chief delegate Akitaka Saiki said.
Abductee kin express doubt over Japan-N. Korea accord on talks
December 25, 2005The families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea expressed doubt Sunday that the agreement between Japan and North Korea on a new format for bilateral negotiations on various topics will lead to a resolution of the abduction issue. ''There is no one among us families who see this as progress,'' said Teruaki Masumoto, 50, whose sister Rumiko was abducted in 1978 at age 24, about the bilateral accord reached Sunday in Beijing to set up, possibly by the end of January, three working groups to address issues separately but in parallel.
Car hits 7 in run through Sendai shopping arcade
December 25, 2005Three children and four adults sustained minor injuries Sunday when they were hit by a car running through a shopping arcade in Sendai, police said. The police arrested the driver, Yoshifumi Chiba, 52, a professional truck driver from Sendai.
1 dead, about 25 injured in Yamagata Pref. train derailment
December 25, 2005One person died and around 25 other passengers were injured when an express train heading to Niigata derailed and partly toppled on its side Sunday night in Shonai, Yamagata Prefecture, police and East Japan Railway Co. said. Four people are trapped inside the train, one of whom is seriously injured, the local firefighting authority said.
Ito-Yokado, Seibu Department groups to seek integration
December 25, 2005The groups of supermarket chain Ito-Yokado Co. and department store operator Seibu Department Stores Ltd. are in the final phase of management integration negotiations, industry sources said Sunday. They said the talks involve Seven & I Holdings Co., the holding company of Ito-Yokado and convenience store operator Seven-Eleven Japan Co., and Millennium Retailing Inc., which has two key units -- Seibu Department and another department store Sogo Co.
4 found dead in apparent group suicide in Saitama Pref.
December 25, 2005Three men and one woman were found dead Sunday in a parked car on the side of a forest road in Tokigawa, Saitama Prefecture, in an apparent group suicide, police said. The police said a charcoal stove was found inside the passenger car, parked in a vacant lot in the village, adding that the four people seemed to be in their 20s or 30s.
1,100 homes in Niigata again suffer power cuts
December 25, 2005About 1,100 homes in Niigata Prefecture again suffered power outages Sunday as heavy snow continued to fall in areas along the Sea of Japan coast. The temporary blackout came after up to 650,000 homes in the prefecture had power outages Thursday as strong winds and snow played havoc with electric cables.
Rise in consumption tax necessary: Takenaka
December 25, 2005Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Heizo Takenaka said Sunday it will be necessary for Japan to secure new revenue sources to deal with an expected increase in the ratio of public funding to the basic pension scheme in fiscal 2009, such as through raising the consumption tax. ''We have to come up with some kind of measures,'' Takenaka said on a Fuji TV political talk show. ''It is inevitable that we call for (an increase in) the public's tax burden.''
Japan, N. Korea aim at format agreement on 2nd day of talks
December 25, 2005Japan and North Korea began their second day of talks in Beijing on Sunday, with the focus on whether they can agree on setting up three working groups to address outstanding issues that have stalled negotiations on normalizing diplomatic relations. At issue is Japan's proposal to formally resume normalization talks, while handling two other issues -- North Korea's past abductions of Japanese nationals and the country's nuclear programs -- in parallel through separate working groups.
Japan, N. Korea begin 2nd day of talks in Beijing
December 25, 2005Japan and North Korea began the second day of talks in Beijing on Sunday, with the focus on whether they can agree on setting up three working groups to address outstanding issues that have stalled negotiations on normalizing diplomatic relations. The two countries on Saturday discussed a Japanese proposal to establish the working groups but fell short of an agreement, Japanese chief delegate Akitaka Saiki said after the first day of talks.