Baby kidnapper 'had no intention to kill': police
January 9, 2006A man arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a newborn baby from a Sendai hospital has said he had no intention to kill the baby boy, who was rescued unharmed, investigative sources said Tuesday. The police believe that Nobuyasu Nemoto, a 54-year-old garment retailer, planned from the beginning to take a newborn baby as a hostage for ransom and was not thinking of harming the child, the sources said.
21-year-old U.S. sailor sent to prosecutors over robbery-murder case
January 9, 2006Japanese police sent a U.S. sailor to prosecutors Monday on suspicion of robbing and killing a Japanese woman last week in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, police officials said. William Reese, 21, who was arrested Saturday, denied he intended to kill Yoshie Sato, 56, saying he was near the incident site to sober up and had no intention to injure her, according to the officials.
7 die in predawn fire in Nagasaki
January 9, 2006Seven elderly people died after a fire destroyed an elderly care facility in Omura, Nagasaki Prefecture, early Sunday, police and firefighters said. The fire broke out after 2 a.m. when nine elderly people -- a man and eight women -- and the head of the facility, who was on night duty, were in the facility that is set up to accommodate senile people, the police said.