Prosecutors probing alleged Livedoor falsification of financial data

January 17, 2006

Japanese prosecutors are investigating Internet firm Livedoor Co. over allegedly falsifying financial data as well as on suspicion of violating the securities law, investigation sources said Wednesday. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office suspects Livedoor falsely booked a profit of 1.4 billion yen -- when it was in fact in the red -- through illegal accounting practices for the business year to September 2004, the sources said.

14 nations to form 1st int'l organization against landslides

January 17, 2006

Japan, China, the United States and 11 other countries have decided to establish the world's first organization dedicated to promote the measures against landslide disasters that often follow earthquakes, as seen in Niigata Prefecture in 2004. The participants will meet Wednesday through Friday at the United Nations University in Tokyo. The project is led by Kyoto University's Research Center on Landslides and the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Livedoor sees 150 bil. yen loss in group market value

January 17, 2006

The market evaluation of Livedoor Co. took a nosedive Tuesday, a day after prosecutors raided the Internet services company over alleged securities law violations, with its group companies' combined market value disappearing by about 150 billion yen. After the all-night raid was completed in the morning, Livedoor President Takafumi Horie stressed that the prosecutors' investigations would not have a negative impact on the Net firm's business operations.

5 die in oil tank fire in Ehime Pref.

January 17, 2006

Five men were killed and two others were slightly injured in a fire at a Taiyo Oil Co. crude oil tank in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, Tuesday afternoon, police and firefighters said. The accident occurred at 2:10 p.m. while the seven, who were dispatched from a maintenance company in Matsuyama, were inside the 100,000-kiloliter tank for a safety check, the Tokyo-based company and the prefectural government said.