One-third of LDP Diet members against hastily revising imperial law
February 1, 2006A total of 173 lawmakers, including 135 from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, have signed a petition against hastily revising the Imperial House Law to allow females and their descendants to ascend the Japanese imperial throne, a group of conservative Diet members said Wednesday. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, also head of the LDP, which holds 406 seats in the houses of the Diet, told reporters Wednesday that the government's plan to submit a bill to revise the law during the ongoing Diet session will not be affected by the objection, saying, ''If we discuss it sufficiently, I believe many will come to support it.''
Last-ditch diplomacy on Iran nuke issue precedes IAEA meeting
February 1, 2006The foreign ministers of Britain and Iran were set to meet Wednesday in London while Russian and Chinese diplomats headed for Tehran as part of last-ditch diplomatic efforts on the eve of an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency widely expected to refer Iran's nuclear dossier to the U.N. Security Council. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a statement Wednesday saying ''the negotiations path is still open and there are considerable opportunities to reach a rational solution,'' while warming that ''political motives make the situation more complicated and difficult.''