Japan Times :: Wednesday, September 30, 2009

• 6. NATIONAL NEWS
  N. Korea says abductions to be discussed with Japan: U.N. source
  Sept. 30, 2009
  NEW YORK (Kyodo) North Korea's vice foreign affairs minister, Pak Kil Yon, has said that pending issues with Japan, including the abductions, should be discussed with Japan bilaterally, a U.N. diplomatic source said Monday. continued ...


• 8. NATIONAL NEWS - NATSUMI MIZUMOTO
  Dam cancellation leaves local residents high and dry
  Sept. 30, 2009
  By NATSUMI MIZUMOTO, Kyodo News
  NAGANOHARA, Gunma Pref. — Leading a new life without a dam is an idea that people in this small mountain town in Gunma Prefecture had never thought of before, and many appear unable to think of it even after land minister Seiji Maehara suggested it during his visit there last Wednesday. continued ...


• 13. NATIONAL NEWS
  Administration backtracks on keeping power in Cabinet
  Sept. 30, 2009
  Kyodo News
  Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's government has created a policy framework that brings together the heads of the three ruling coalition parties and their secretaries general to discuss key issues — a move that appears to contradict his pledge to concentrate decision-making power in the Cabinet. continued ...


• 14. NATIONAL NEWS
  Suicide tally topped 22,000 through August
  Sept. 30, 2009
  Kyodo News
  The number of people who committed suicide from January through August came to 22,362, an increase of 4.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Police Agency. continued ...


• 16. NATIONAL NEWS
  Murder suspected in Bali tourist's death
  Sept. 30, 2009
  JAKARTA (Kyodo) A 33-year-old Tokyo woman was found dead on the Indonesian resort island of Bali and injuries to the body indicate she may have been murdered, according to local reports Tuesday. continued ...


• 17. NATIONAL NEWS - ALEX MARTIN
  Tanigaki opts for old guard to round out LDP leadership posts
  Sept. 30, 2009
  By ALEX MARTIN, Staff writer
  Sadakazu Tanigaki, fresh off his election as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, chose veteran lawmakers Tuesday for the party's top posts, including former agriculture minister Tadamori Oshima as his No. 2 man. continued ...


• 19. NATIONAL NEWS - JUN HONGO
  Okada, Yu want to keep pressure on N. Korea
  Sept. 30, 2009
  By JUN HONGO, Staff writer
  Sanctions imposed on North Korea by the U.N. Security Council will remain in place until Pyongyang returns to the six-party talks and halts its nuclear programs, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and his South Korean counterpart, Yu Myung Hwan, said Tuesday. continued ...


• 20. NEWS BUSINESS
  YouTube streams TV Asahi, TBS
  Sept. 30, 2009
  Kyodo News
  U.S. search engine giant Google Inc. said Tuesday it has concluded license agreements with commercial broadcasters TV Asahi and TBS to stream their news and other programs through its YouTube video sharing site. continued ...


• 25. EDITORIAL
  No letup on stimulus policies
  Sept. 30, 2009
  The Group of 20 leaders from developed and emerging economies held their third summit in Pittsburgh, Pa., last week, about a year since the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. set off the current worldwide financial crisis. While there are signs of economic recovery, the leaders agreed to maintain existing stimulus policies in view of the bad employment outlook and weak consumer spending. Their agreement to avoid a premature exit from their emergency fiscal and monetary policies underscores the difficulty the world economy faces, and seems reasonable. continued ...


• 29. OPINION - LORO HORTA
  China worries neighbors as its navy comes of age
  Sept. 30, 2009
  By LORO HORTA
  SINGAPORE — China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has made great strides in recent years as it seeks to come of age. While moving to demonstrate its clout, it also seems to recognize the need to reassure others that the intentions behind its modernization program are peaceful. continued ...


• 38. NATIONAL NEWS - TAKAHIRO FUKADA
  '10 budget scrapped; Cabinet starts over
  Sept. 30, 2009
  By TAKAHIRO FUKADA, Staff writer
  Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's government decided Tuesday to scrap the framework set up by the previous administration for the 2010 budget. continued ...


• 40. EDITORIAL
  LDP stakes future on new leader
  Sept. 30, 2009
  The Liberal Democratic Party has elected former Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki as its new president.
  By garnering about 60 percent of the total vote — 120 of the 199 LDP Diet member votes, and 180 of the 300 votes distributed among the LDP's local chapters — he defeated former Vice Justice Minister Taro Kono and Mr. Yasutoshi Nishimura, a Lower House member who has just won his third term. continued ...