Bush eyes competition from China, India, skips N. Korea nuke issue
January 31, 2006U.S. President George W. Bush called for raising economic competitiveness against China and India in his annual policy-setting speech Tuesday, while vowing to press for freedom in countries such as Myanmar and North Korea. But Bush skipped mentioning his policy goals on North Korea's nuclear ambitions, although he condemned Iran for supporting terrorists and seeking nuclear weapons in the nationally televised State of the Union address before Congress.
FY 2005 extra budget passes lower house
January 31, 2006The House of Representatives approved a 4.52 trillion yen fiscal 2005 extra budget Tuesday, after a lower house panel was forced Monday to delay the planned passage of the budget until Tuesday as debate was disrupted for hours over the beef import issue. The House of Councillors is expected to approve on Friday the supplementary budget for the year through March 31, which is designed to finance relief measures for victims of asbestos and other steps.
Gov't to launch drive to help poor countries market goods in Japan
January 31, 2006The government will run a campaign from February to September to help least developed countries market their specialty goods in Japan, as part of an aid package Tokyo presented in December to expand trade of those economies, officials said Tuesday. During the campaign named ''one village, one product,'' Japan will host a couple of trade fairs, send experts to developing countries and accept trainees to boost their ability to develop and sell promising products, they said.
Iran refuses to halt nuclear research, UNSC to tackle issue
January 31, 2006Iran will not bow to Western demands that it halt nuclear research and development, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday after the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council agreed the Iranian nuclear issue should be referred to the council. Javad Vaeedi, deputy head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was quoted by Reuters as telling state television, ''Research and development is the Iranian nation's legitimate right and is irreversible.''
Ministry to investigate confusion over account on beef safety checks
January 31, 2006The government will study the cause of its ''insufficient account'' to parliament about an aborted plan to inspect U.S. beef processors prior to resuming U.S. beef imports in December, farm minister Shoichi Nakagawa said Tuesday. Nakagawa admitted Monday that Tokyo had failed to keep its promise to the Diet to send officials to check U.S. beef packers prior to the import resumption, but then said later in the day that it only failed to explain a change in the plan and did not break a promise.
Hit-and-run case involving U.S. sailor sent to prosecutors
January 31, 2006Police on Tuesday sent papers on a U.S. sailor to prosecutors on suspicion that she drove away after hitting three boys with her minivan in Tokyo last month. The boys sustained both minor and serious injuries.