TMCnet News
Kyodo news summary -3-+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TOKYO, Feb. 20_(Kyodo) _ ---------- Loud explosion rocks Philippine presidential palace MANILA - A loud explosion on Monday rocked the Malacanang presidential palace compound, causing no injuries or damage. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was hosting a luncheon meeting inside the palace when the explosion occurred near one of the buildings in the compound. ---------- Rescuers continue digging for survivors of Philippine landslide MANILA - Rescuers on Monday continued searching for survivors in a farming village in the central Philippines hit by a massive landslide. The rescuers, including 30 U.S. Marines and teams from Malaysia and Taiwan, voiced hope of finding survivors three days after the landslide despite the general assessment by disaster officials that more than 1,000 people remained buried and are feared dead. ---------- AUM's Asahara mentally fit to stand trial TOKYO - Shoko Asahara, founder of the religious cult formerly known as AUM Shinrikyo, is mentally competent to stand trial in a courtroom, an expert report submitted to the Tokyo High Court said Monday, rejecting his lawyers' claim that his mental condition is not normal. While developing prison-related reactions, the 50-year-old Asahara "does not suffer mental problems and he is able to communicate," the report concludes. "He has not lost his litigation capacity." ---------- Australia's Howard says has duty to criticize 'jihad' Muslims SYDNEY - Australian Prime Minister John Howard has criticized aspects of Muslim culture, saying some people of the Islamic faith were "utterly antagonistic to our society," The Australian newspaper reported Monday. "You can't find any equivalent in Italian or Greek or Chinese...immigration to Australia. There is no equivalent of raving on about jihad (holy war), but that is the major problem," Howard said. ---------- NHK might run commercials in overseas broadcasts: vice minister TOKYO - Vice Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Shogo Hayashi said Monday the ministry will consider accepting advertisers' sponsorships to fund programs that Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, airs abroad. Hayashi's remark came in response to a view expressed earlier this month by Foreign Minister Taro Aso, who said it might be necessary to run commercials if the public broadcasting system is to increase its overseas programs in order to disseminate more information about Japan. ---------- Japan may seek more info on U.S. beef, Abe says TOKYO - Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said Monday the government will request more information from Washington if a report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding the handling of beef exports is found inadequate. The U.S. report was released last Friday following the investigation into a shipment of veal the United States exported to Japan in January, which was found to contain backbone, a designated risk material that could transmit bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease. ---------- 3 defense officials indicted for bid rigging TOKYO - The prosecutors on Monday indicted three current and former Defense Facilities Administration Agency officials for playing leading roles in rigging bids for tenders for air-conditioning projects between November 2004 and March 2005. The three, including the incumbent official, Takayoshi Kawano, 57, who held the third-highest post at the entity as technical councilor, and his predecessor Mamoru Ikezawa, 57, are believed to have conspired with employees of three manufacturers -- Taikisha Ltd., Shinryo Corp. and Sanki Engineering Co. -- which formed consortiums and were awarded the contracts. ---------- Cram school teacher pleads guilty to killing girl KYOTO - A former part-time cram school teacher pleaded guilty on Monday to fatally stabbing a 12-year-old pupil at the school in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, last December. "I committed an irreparable mistake, and I would not have done this if I had committed suicide," Yu Hagino, 23, told the Kyoto District Court. "I am sorry that I claimed a precious life." ---------- 15-meter stretch of Tokyo's Yamanote Line railway sinking TOKYO - East Japan Railway Co. said Monday it found a 15-meter stretch of railway track on Tokyo's Yamanote Line sinking up to 2 centimeters between Shimbashi and Hamamatsucho stations, after some train drivers felt abnormal shakiness. JR East suspended operations on one direction of the bidirectional loop line in central Tokyo for checking for almost three hours from around 7:55 a.m., affecting some 112,000 passengers, it said. |