Fuji TV chairman says backing Livedoor one option
January 25, 2006Fuji Television Network Inc. Chairman Hisashi Hieda said Thursday that supporting scandal-hit Livedoor Co. is among options the TV broadcaster, Livedoor's second-biggest shareholder, may consider. ''It's one of the options,'' Hieda told reporters. ''If we judge (Livedoor) will grow, we may do so.''
Man with 'harem' arrested for alleged intimidation
January 25, 2006A 57-year-old man living in Tokyo with 10 women and a baby was arrested Thursday on suspicion of threatening a young woman in an attempt to force her to join the group, police said. Hirohito Shibuya of Tokyo's Higashiyamato allegedly told the woman, aged 20, on Oct. 20 last year that she might be injured or killed if she refused to live with them, the police said.
Japan senior vice foreign minister to attend Afghan confab in London
January 25, 2006Senior Vice Foreign Minister Katsutoshi Kaneda said Thursday he will attend an international conference on Afghanistan in London on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of international efforts to help rebuild Afghanistan. Kaneda said in a news conference that his visit underscores the importance Japan places on its aid to Afghanistan as well as the need for continued international support for Afghanistan.
Police conduct on-site probe of condo built on fake quakeproof data
January 25, 2006Police conducted an on-site probe Thursday of a Tokyo condominium that was built based on fabricated quake-resistance data while demolition of the building was under way. The probe of Stage Daimon in Minato Ward marks the first police inspection of any of the buildings involved in the quake-resistance data fabrication scandal since the issue came to light in November.
Over-65s account for record 42.6% of traffic deaths in 2005
January 25, 2006People aged over 65 accounted for a record 42.6 percent of deaths in traffic accidents in Japan last year, the National Police Agency said Thursday. The number of deaths in the age group was 2,924 out of a total death toll of 6,871, a figure that fell below the 7,000 line for the first time in 49 years.
China was top Japan trading partner for 2 yrs, overall surplus down
January 25, 2006Japan's two-way trade with China totaled 24,949.1 billion yen in 2005, making the country Japan's biggest trading partner for the second straight year, according to government data released Thursday. Meanwhile, Japan's worldwide trade surplus in 2005 shrank 26.5 percent from the previous year to 8,785.2 billion yen, marking the first fall in four years as high crude oil prices inflated the value of imports, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.
Fuji TV chairman says backing Livedoor one option
January 25, 2006Fuji Television Network Inc. Chairman Hisashi Hieda said Thursday that supporting scandal-hit Livedoor Co. is among options the TV broadcaster, Livedoor's second-biggest shareholder, may consider. ''It's one of the options,'' Hieda told reporters. ''If we judge (Livedoor) will grow, we may do so.''
Police conduct on-site probe of condo built on fake quakeproof data
January 25, 2006Police conducted an on-site probe Thursday of a Tokyo condominium built based on fabricated quake-resistance data in the structural plans. The probe of Stage Daimon in Minato Ward marks the first police inspection of any of the buildings involved in quake-resistance data fabrication since the issue came to light in November.
Horie leaves Livedoor board as fake profit suspicion emerges
January 25, 2006Livedoor Co. founder Takafumi Horie stepped down completely from the management of the Livedoor group Wednesday as the company said he had given up his all executive posts in the group after prosecutors arrested him Monday over alleged securities law violations. But Horie, 33, who resigned from the Livedoor board and also relinquished director posts at its subsidiaries and affiliated firms, is still the parent company's largest shareholder with a more than 17 percent stake, large enough to affect its management.
Court OKs detention of Livedoor fraud suspects
January 25, 2006The Tokyo District Court on Wednesday permitted the detention of former Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie and three others arrested Monday over alleged securities law violations by the group led by the Internet services company. The decision is effective for 10 days to Feb. 3. Prosecutors can request another 10 days before concluding whether to indict them on charges that the Livedoor group misled financial markets over one of its subsidiaries' acquisition deals in 2004.
Firm to offer use of robots to care for aged, work as receptionists
January 25, 2006People Staff Co. said Wednesday it will begin offering the use of robots to care for residents of homes for the aged or work as receptionists at offices, beginning in February. The service is the first of its kind by a staffing service company, according to the Nagoya-based firm.
Sanyo announces representative director Satoshi Iue's resignation
January 25, 2006Sanyo Electric Co. said Wednesday its representative director Satoshi Iue will resign from the post in late February over the company's poor performance. Iue's resignation apparently comes in response to calls for him to do so from three financial institutions that plan to infuse capital into the company, which projects a group net loss of 233 billion yen for the 2005 business year through March 31, following that of 171.5 billion yen the previous year.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator to visit China for talks: report
January 25, 2006Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani will arrive in Beijing on Thursday to meet with top Chinese officials, the Iranian Embassy announced Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. Larijani met with Russian officials in Moscow on Tuesday and Wednesday, and later told a press conference that Tehran's attitude is ''positive'' toward Moscow's idea to set up a joint enterprise to enrich Iran's uranium on Russian territory.
China reports 7th bird flu fatality
January 25, 2006A Chinese woman infected with bird flu has died in the southwestern province of Sichuan, bringing to seven the number of human deaths from the disease in China, the World Health Organization confirmed Wednesday. The 29-year-old woman died Monday evening, Roy Wadia, a WHO spokesman in Beijing, told Kyodo News.
Livedoor stock traded for 1st time since prosecutors' raids
January 25, 2006Livedoor Co. stock was traded in the Tokyo market on Wednesday, the first time in seven trading days and since the investigation into the company began on suspicion it violated Japan's securities law. The stock closed at 137 yen, down 39 yen from Tuesday, with its turnover exceeding 420 million shares, about 97 percent of the total on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Mothers market for start-up companies.
Horie leaves Livedoor board as fake profit suspicion emerges
January 25, 2006Livedoor Co. founder Takafumi Horie stepped down completely from the management of the Internet services firm on Wednesday as the company said he had resigned from the board after prosecutors arrested him on Monday over alleged securities law violations. Horie, 33, had remained as one of the Livedoor directors Tuesday, although he had stepped down as president.
China's economy expands 9.9% in 2005
January 25, 2006China's economy grew 9.9 percent in 2005 on the year, continuing to accelerate at a brisk pace on the back of strong exports and investment while easing slightly from the double-digit expansion in the previous two years, the government said Wednesday. Gross domestic product for the calendar year came to 18.23 trillion yuan ($2.23 trillion), raising the possibility that it has surged past that of France, the number five economy in the world, and may be running close to that of Britain, which is number four in the world.
Livedoor stock changes hands for 1st time since prosecutors' raid
January 25, 2006(EDS: TO BE LED) Livedoor Co. stock on early Wednesday afternoon changed hands for the first time in seven trading days in the Tokyo market since prosecutors' probe regarding the company's alleged securities law violations began.