Australia asks Indonesia to explain shooting incident in Papua
January 21, 2006Australia has sought clarification from Indonesia after reports that Indonesian soldiers killed up to four students in troubled Papua, two days after 43 Papuan boat people sought asylum in Australia, Australian media reported Saturday. ''Obviously we've asked our diplomatic representatives (in Jakarta) to obtain the appropriate report for us,'' Attorney General Philip Ruddock was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press.
Chilean court to open hearing on Fujimori later this month
January 21, 2006The Chilean supreme court will open a hearing on former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori as early as the end of this month in a process to examine Peru's request to extradite him, judicial sources said Saturday. The questioning will start after the judge charged with the case finishes reading the more than 10,000-page document submitted by the Peruvian government on the extradition, said the sources. In Peru the former leader faces a number of criminal charges, including murder.
Japan's ban on U.S. beef likely to last some time
January 21, 2006Foreign Minister Taro Aso indicated Saturday a reinstated ban on U.S. beef may remain in place for a long time, saying Japan will talk about lifting the ban only after the United States establishes a proper system of controlling beef safety. ''There will not be any talk of resuming imports, before hearing how the United States will cope with the matter,'' Aso said.
U.S. delegation to arrive in Japan on Monday over beef trade
January 21, 2006A U.S. agriculture delegation will arrive in Japan on Monday to explain steps the United States is taking to ensure the safety of beef exports to Japan, the U.S. Embassy said Saturday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture delegation is being sent at the request of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns to ''assure the Japanese government and public that the U.S. is taking every necessary step to ensure compliance with the requirements for exporting beef to Japan,'' the embassy said in a statement.
Japan-N. Korea 3-track talks to begin in week starting Feb. 5
January 21, 2006Japan and North Korea have reached a basic agreement to begin three-track talks in Beijing to discuss normalization and Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese citizens, among other things, in the week starting Feb. 5, Japanese government sources said Saturday. The envisaged talks, in which North Korea's nuclear weapon and ballistic missile development will also be discussed, are likely to run for about a week, the sources said.