Free Republic

NKorea, eying next Japan PM, delays kidnap probe 4 hours ago TOKYO (AFP) — North Korea will delay a long-awaited probe into abductions of Japanese citizens, officials said Friday, as dovish Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's sudden resignation set back moves to ease tension. North Korea told Japan through diplomatic channels that it was holding off on launching an investigation into the fate of Japanese abducted in the 1970s and 1980s to train the regime's spies, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said. "This is very disappointing," Komura told a news conference. He said North Korea confirmed it planned to hold the probe...

TOKYO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Unpopular Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said on Monday that he had decided to resign in an effort to break a political deadlock. Fukuda has been struggling to cope with a divided parliament where the opposition parties control the upper house and can delay legislation. "If we are to prioritise the people's livelihoods, there cannot be a political vacuum from political bargaining, or a lapse in policies. We need a new team to carry out policies," Fukuda said.

Fukuda says N Korea will 'disappear' if it doesn't abandon nukes Monday, November 19, 2007 at 11:08 EST WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda warned North Korea in a CNN interview aired Sunday that it will eventually "disappear" unless it abandons its nuclear program. In the interview recorded during his trip to Washington, Fukuda said: "If it hopes to stand on its own as an independent nation, it should abandon its nuclear program." Fukuda urged North Korea to further compromise on the nuclear issue. "As long as it poses a threat to its neighbors, it cannot truly stand on its...

The Talk Shows Sunday, November 18th, 2007 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.; Billy Martin, attorney for Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and NFL quarterback Michael Vick. MEET THE PRESS (NBC): A 60-year anniversary retrospective of the show. FACE THE NATION (CBS): Former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C. THIS WEEK (ABC): Former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn. LATE EDITION (CNN) : Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda; Edwards.

Today President Bush welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to the White House. This was the prime minister’s first official trip since taking office in September: “I have come to this one and only ally for Japan, the United States of America.” After meeting in the Oval Office, the prime minister and the president made a joint statement to the press which covered topics such as North Korea, Iran and the War on Terror. (Transcript) Prime Minister Fukuda later visited Arlington National Cemetery, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and wreaths at the graves of recent...

Yasuo Fukuda, a moderate on international affairs, won the leadership of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, positioning him to become the country's next prime minister, according to media reports. Fukuda, 71, is set to succeed Shinzo Abe, who resigned unexpectedly on Sept. 12 after about a year in office. Fukuda will formally announce his cabinet Tuesday and is expected to retain many of Abe's appointees, the Nikkei News reported Monday. Fukuda is expected to make three appointments Monday to senior party positions, including the posts of secretary-general and policy research chairman, the Nikkei reported. Fukuda won the party election on...

<p>The nation's health agency plans to closely watch flu complications among children, who have swamped hospitals in some states and surprised doctors with the severity of their illnesses.</p> <p>A new concern is the rise of a common drug-resistant staph infection that is complicating efforts to treat children with the flu, an official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.</p>