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Kyodo News

Big aftershock shakes Chile

The largest aftershock since Chile's Feb. 27 devastating earthquake hit the country Thursday morning, prompting its navy to issue a tsunami alert, news media said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the 11:39 a.m. quake, which registered magnitude 7.2, according to the U.S. Geological Survey in ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 4:41 PM

N.Y. stocks fluctuate narrowly in morning on conflicting data

New York stocks fluctuated Thursday morning on conflicting economic data, trapping the Dow Jones index in a narrow range around the previous day's close. The 30-issue Dow Jones Industrial Average, which inched up 2.95 points Wednesday, added 0.68 point to stand at 10,568.01 at 11 a.m.

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 4:41 PM

Big aftershock hits Chile

The largest aftershock since Chile's Feb. 27 devastating earthquake hit the country Thursday, prompting its navy to issue a tsunami alert, news media said. The 7.2-magnitude aftershock was stronger than the Jan. 12 quake that devastated the Haitian capital, the Associated Press said, adding it happened along the same fault ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 3:58 PM

U.S. editorial excerpts -3-

Selected editorial excerpts from the U.S. press: AN ENERGY HEAD FAKE (The Wall Street Journal, New York)

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 3:58 PM

Kan to release info on Fed account linked to Okinawa reversion

Finance Minister Naoto Kan is scheduled to release some information Friday regarding a Japanese zero-interest account found at a U.S. Federal Reserve Bank in connection with the financing of the 1972 reversion of Okinawa, government sources said Thursday night. The Finance Ministry has confirmed the existence of the bank account ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 3:58 PM

Toyota to end work-sharing in Britain, to cut 750 jobs

Toyota Motor Corp. will end a work-sharing scheme introduced at plants in Britain last April while cutting the workforce by an additional 750 through an early retirement program, officials of Toyota's Europe office said Thursday. Toyota had tried to maintain its workforce in Britain despite sluggish global sales, but the ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 2:55 PM

U.S. trade deficit shrinks 6.6% in Jan., 1st drop in 3 months

The U.S. deficit in global goods and services trade in January shrank 6.6 percent from the previous month to $37.29 billion, marking the first decline in three months, the Commerce Department said Thursday. U.S. exports of goods and services dipped 0.3 percent from December to $142.66 billion, the first decline ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 2:55 PM

Ministers compile draft climate bill stipulating 25% cut goal

Cabinet ministers compiled Thursday a draft climate bill for its official adoption on Friday, which stipulates Japan's goal of slashing its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 and measures to realize the target, such as emissions trading scheme, carbon tax and incentives to boost renewable ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM

Gov't to launch ministry-by-ministry review of projects to cut waste

The Government Revitalization Unit signed off Thursday on a new round of efforts to cut waste in government programs during the new fiscal year from April, this time directing each ministry to review projects and organizations under its jurisdiction, government revitalization minister Yukio Edano said. The newest review, which will ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM

January U.S. trade deficit down 6.6% to $37.29 billion

The U.S. deficit in global goods and services trade in January shrank 6.6 percent from the previous month to $37.29 billion, the Commerce Department said Thursday. ==Kyodo

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM

Hatoyama tells former Chinese diplomat he may visit Shanghai expo

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told visiting former Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan on Thursday he will consider visiting China for an expo in Shanghai from May, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. Hatoyama also pledged to the former Chinese foreign minister, who is now serving as an honorary adviser to the ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM

Gov't aims to sharply expand production of rice for feed use

The farm ministry said Thursday it aims to have farmers increase the production of rice for feed use to 70 times the fiscal 2008 level in order to raise Japan's food self-sufficiency rate to 50 percent in fiscal 2020. In line with the goal of raising the rate to 50 ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM

Golf: Japan, S. Korea to hold team event in Sept.

The Japan Golf Tour Organization said Thursday a team event will be held between Japanese and South Korean players in a suburb of Seoul on Sept. 10-12. The $700,000 event, which this time around will be called the Hyundai Capital Invitational, will be the second of its kind and the ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM

Lack of health insurance led to 33 deaths in 2009

At least 33 people died in 17 of Japan's 47 prefectures in 2009 after not visiting doctors because they lacked national health insurance, a private survey showed Thursday. The 33 lost their membership of the national health insurance scheme after failing to pay insurance premiums due to financial difficulties, the ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM

Toyota workers likely to secure bonuses worth 5 months' wages

Toyota Motor Corp. workers are likely to secure bonuses equivalent to at least five months' wages for this year, sources familiar with this spring's annual labor-management pay negotiations said Thursday. The labor union of Toyota is seeking annual bonuses worth five months' wages plus 100,000 yen in this year's ''shunto'' ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM

Top court rejects ex-Mitsubishi execs' appeal over cover-up

The Supreme Court has rejected appeals by a former Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. chairman and two former Mitsubishi Motors Corp. executives who were accused of fabricating reports on their trucks, sources familiar with the case said Thursday. With the top court decision dated Tuesday, a Tokyo High Court ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM

Baseball: Greisinger has surgery, to miss early part of season

Yomiuri Giants right-hander Seth Greisinger has undergone endoscopic surgery on his pitching elbow, the club said Thursday. The two-time Central League wins leader will miss some time early in the season starting March 26 as he requires about three weeks before he will be able to start playing catch.

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 12:53 PM

LDH planning to sell Livedoor

LDH Corp., formerly Livedoor Holdings Co., is planning to sell Livedoor Co., its core portal site company, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday. LDH plans to invite bids for Livedoor soon so it can earn a profit from the sale. South Korean Internet firms and investment funds are expected ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 12:53 PM

Kyodo news summary -5-

---------- Hatoyama's move to official residence cost 6.94 mil. yen TOKYO - The cost for Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's move to his official residence was 6.94 million yen, larger than that of his predecessors -- Taro Aso at 3.82 million yen, Yasuo Fukuda at 2.82 million yen and Shinzo Abe ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 12:53 PM

Hatoyama's move to official residence cost 6.94 mil. yen

The cost for Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's move to his official residence was 6.94 million yen, larger than that of his predecessors -- Taro Aso at 3.82 million yen, Yasuo Fukuda at 2.82 million yen and Shinzo Abe at 2.22 million yen, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said Thursday. Of ...

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 12:53 PM