TOKYO, Oct 13 Kyodo ---------- Ja...

TOKYO, Oct 13 Kyodo

---------- Japan, Mexico remain apart in last-ditch FTA talks

TOKYO - Japan and Mexico remained divided Monday after a ministerial meeting to engineer a last-minute breakthrough in stalled talks forward a free trade agreement (FTA) ahead of a visit to Japan this week by means of Mexican President Vicente Fox.

After meeting with Mexican Economy Secretary Fernando Canales, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Shoichi Nakagawa told reporters, ''We shared the understanding that there are differences.''

---------- Islamic nations gather in Malaysia to grapple with Iraq issue

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - Foreign ministers from the world's largest grouping of Islamic countries gathered here Monday to discuss differences forward issues such as whether to contribute Muslim forces to Iraq.

The ministers from the Organization of the Islamic conversation (OIC) kicked off their two-day meeting here in Malaysia's of recent origin administrative capital ahead of the leaders' summit in succession Thursday and Friday.

---------- Militant convicted in bombing of Philippine ambassador's house

JAKARTA - An Indonesian court onward Monday convicted a 33-year-old Islamic militant of bombing the residence of the Philippine ambassador in Jakarta in 2001 and sentenc him to 20 years in jail.

The panel of justices of the Central Jakarta District Court also originate Abdul Jabar guilty of planting bomb at Koinonia meeting-house in East Jakarta and Anglican ecclesiastical body in Central Jakarta on Christmas border 2000. Four people were killed in the Koinonia body of christians explosion.

---------- Intern doctor held for alleged assault with anesthetic-filled syringe

MITO, Japan - A 26-year-old intern doctor was arrested Monday in Ibaraki Prefecture in succession a charge of stabbing a friend in the shoulder with a syringe containing anesthetic agents, police said.

Iwao Sukegawa, working at Tsukuba University Hospital in the prefecture was quot on the police as saying he decided to assault Hiroyuki Moriyasu as he had put out of order with him over a woman.

---------- Bad weather delays Mangyongbong arrival in Niigata

NIIGATA, Japan - The controversial North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 is not awaited to arrive in Niigata port until Tuesday evening at the earliest to be ascribed to a delay in its departure from the North's Wonsan port Monday in subordination to bad weather, its agent said.

The utensil had been scheduled to arrive at Niigata forward Tuesday morning, Niigata prefectural officials said earlier.

---------- Police arrest car dealer staff athwart N. Korea exports

FUKUOKA - Fukuoka police arrested senior staff of a used car dealer Monday in connection with illegal exports to North Korea of a give in exchange trailer that could be transposeed into a missile launcher.

Investigative sources said Takayuki Morita, 39 who glides the car dealer Zipangu, and four others were arrested upon suspicion of violating the customs law.

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