TMCnet News
Kyodo news summary -5-+(Japan Economic Newswire)TOKYO, Dec. 28_(Kyodo) _ ---------- China publishes series on Nanjing Massacre BEIJING - China has published a 28-volume series of historical materials on the Nanjing Massacre in which hundreds of thousands of Chinese were slaughtered by Japanese forces, according to official media. Following the first eight volumes that came out in July, on Tuesday the remaining 20 volumes were issued "in a bid to reflect history truthfully, objectively and comprehensively," the official Xinhua News Agency reported. ---------- Ex-Sogo Chairman Mizushima's appeal turned down at high court TOKYO - The Tokyo High Court turned down Wednesday an appeal from former Sogo Co. Chairman Hiroo Mizushima against a lower court decision that found him guilty of hiding 150 million yen in personal assets to obstruct a court-ordered seizure by creditors. Presiding Judge Ritsuro Uemura, in upholding the March 29 Tokyo District Court decision, brushed aside Mizushima's argument that he did nothing illegal because the money belonged to his wife to whom he gave it as a gift before her death. ---------- Mild quake jolts Tochigi, Fukushima north of Tokyo TOKYO - A mild quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 shook Tochigi and Fukushima prefectures north of Tokyo on Wednesday evening, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There is no danger of tsunami from the 6:46 p.m. quake that was centered in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, the agency said. ---------- 25-day-old infant becomes youngest liver recipient in Japan NIIGATA, Japan - A 25-day-old infant has undergone an operation to receive part of his father's liver at a hospital in Niigata Prefecture, becoming the youngest liver recipient from a live donor in Japan, hospital officials said Wednesday. Both the baby boy and his father, who is in his 20s, have been recuperating steadily since the operation on Dec. 15, said the officials at the Niigata University Medical & Dental Hospital. ---------- Bosses fail to notice workers' mental trouble before their suicides TOKYO - Most bosses at offices failed to notice any trouble with their staff before they killed themselves due to overwork or stress, a recent study by public health experts shows. The study covered 37 cases of overwork- and stress-related suicides, which are pending at courts or at labor ministry offices with regard to workers' compensation, over a two-year period from April 2002. ---------- Japan to open embassy in Slovenia on Jan. 1 TOKYO - Japan will open an embassy in Slovenia on Jan. 1, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. Japan and Slovenia, formerly a part of Yugoslavia, established diplomatic ties in October 1992. The Japanese Embassy in Austria has been handling affairs related to Slovenia since July 1993. ---------- Japan's 1st dolphin conceived from frozen sperm dies CHIBA, Japan - Japan's first dolphin conceived from frozen sperm died at Kamogawa Sea World in Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture, on Tuesday, the amusement park said Wednesday. The 2.3-meter-long dolphin named Will, who was born in September last year, stopped eating from Saturday and was removed to a special treatment pool along with his mother Norma, but died around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, they said. ---------- Ex-cram school teacher indicted for killing girl KYOTO - A former part-time cram school teacher was indicted Wednesday for killing a 12-year-old student at the school in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, earlier this month. Yu Hagino, 23, a Doshisha University student, is accused of stabbing Sayano Horimoto, a sixth grader, with a kitchen knife several times, causing her to die from blood loss at around 9 a.m. on Dec. 10, according to the indictment. ---------- Shanghai consular staffer killed self, Japan protests to China TOKYO - Japan on Wednesday acknowledged that a staff member at the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai committed suicide in May last year, saying it has lodged protests with China over the death. "It is true that a staff member at the Consulate General in Shanghai committed suicide on May 6, 2004," Yoshinori Katori, press secretary for the Japanese Foreign Ministry, said in a hastily arranged news conference. ---------- Matsushita finds 16 more heaters faulty even after repairs OSAKA - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Wednesday it has found 16 more cases of its kerosene heaters becoming defective again after they were repaired, bringing the total such number to 30. The company should have made the manual for repairmen easier to understand, Yashitaka Hayashi, its senior managing director, said in expressing regrets while reporting the new findings at a press conference. ---------- Tensions high in W. China city after bloody summer riot BEIJING - Authorities are keeping a tight watch over residents in the western Chinese city of Guyuan following a riot over land use in summer that left 60 people injured, according to local sources. Mayor Ma Fu and the local public security bureau are monitoring some 16,000 farmers who battled 2,000 soldiers in the city, located in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on Aug. 1 and detaining people as they see fit, said a farmer surnamed Ma. ---------- Suspended Miyagi nuclear plant to resume partial operations SENDAI - An nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture will resume partial operations as early as January after its three reactors shut down automatically after a large earthquake in August, officials at Tohoku Electric Power Co. said Wednesday. The comments came after Miyagi Gov. Yoshihiro Murai allowed the company to restart operating the No. 2 reactor, one of the suspended three, at the Onagawa nuclear power plant. ---------- China's Wen voices support for H.K.'s Tsang, but cites problems HONG KONG - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday assured Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang that the central government will continue to back the territory's development, while pointing out some problems Tsang has to solve. On the second and final day of his first official visit to Beijing as the leader of Hong Kong, Tsang met with Wen to report Hong Kong's economic and social development for the past six months. ---------- Koizumi not to visit Yasukuni during New Year's holidays TOKYO - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi indicated Wednesday he will not visit the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine during the New Year's holidays, although he has no plans to budge from his stance on the contentious visits. Speaking to reporters on the last working day of 2005, Koizumi also reiterated his hope that the person to succeed him as prime minister next September will take over his structural reform agenda. ---------- Nishimura indicted on additional charge over illegal practice OSAKA - Prosecutors indicted lawmaker Shingo Nishimura on Wednesday on an additional charge of receiving remuneration by illegally allowing an unqualified employee to provide attorney services in his name. Nishimura is the first Diet member to be indicted on charges of violating the Organized Crime Offenses Law, which bans receipt of proceeds from crime activities. |