Vessel inspection bill likely to be scrapped
Japan's bill to inspect cargo on all ships entering or leaving North Korea is likely to be scrapped when the lower chamber of the Diet is dissolved next week.
The bill was put to a vote in a Lower House plenary session on Tuesday.
Opposition lawmakers were absent, but the bill was passed with support from the ruling bloc, which controls the chamber, and sent to the Upper House.
But the opposition, which controls the Upper House, is refusing to deliberate the bill, citing Tuesday's approval of a censure motion against Prime Minister Taro Aso.
Time for deliberations is running out, as Aso has said he will dissolve the Lower House next Tuesday.
Britain investigating Iraqi detainee's death
A public inquiry has opened in Britain into the death of an Iraqi detainee to determine whether there was organizational abuse by British soldiers.
In 2003, an Iraqi hotel clerk died while in custody of the British military, after he sustained 93 injuries. The man's relatives and the Iraqis who were detained at the same time have been calling for an inquiry, saying there was widespread mistreatment.
A British soldier pleaded guilty to mistreating the man at a court martial in 2007, while 6 others were acquitted. The British defense minister decided that an inquiry was needed independent from the military.
On the first day of the hearing on Monday, video was shown in which a soldier hooded the Iraqi detainees, hollered at them and forced them to crouch.
The inquiry is expected to continue for about a year.
The hearings will verify whether the soldiers used banned techniques to interrogate the detainees, and whether the officers instructed or overlooked such actions.
Microsoft to offer free online version of Office
US software giant Microsoft will offer a free, web-based version of its bestselling software suite, Office.
On Monday, Microsoft announced that a new edition of the product, Office 2010, would go on sale in the first half of next year.
It said a limited version of the suite would also be made available free of charge to anyone who subscribes to Microsoft's Windows Live, a free Internet service.
Users of the free online Office will have access to applications that allow them to create and edit documents, make spreadsheets, and put together presentations. But the files created will be saved on servers managed by Microsoft, rather than on local computers.
Microsoft's move is seen as the latest bid to compete with Internet search engine Google, which has been making inroads into the software market.
Google is already offering similar word-processing and other programs free of charge on the Internet. Last week, Google released Chrome, a free operating system for personal computers that challenges Microsoft's Windows. Last month, Microsoft launched its Bing search engine to take on Google.
US ready to work with any Japanese administration
A senior US official says the United States is ready to cooperate with whichever Japanese party wins next month's general election.
US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who is in charge of the country's policy on Japan, spoke with NHK before his first visit to the country starting Thursday.
He said Japan's politics is apparently entering a difficult phase, and indicated that he will meet with officials of various parties including the main opposition Democratic Party.
Campbell also said he is arranging a meeting of 5 countries including Japan and China to discuss North Korea's nuclear program, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum which he will attend in Thailand after visiting Japan.
On his way to Japan, Campbell also plans to welcome Japan's Emperor and Empress on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. He said he is honored and that he hopes the imperial couple will enjoy Hawaiian entertainment.
The Emperor and Empress are scheduled to visit Hawaii from Wednesday after touring Canada.
Lower House blocks no-confidence motion
Japan's Lower House has rejected an opposition no-confidence motion against the cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso.
The largest opposition group, the Democratic Party, submitted the motion on Monday together with the Communist, the Social Democratic and the People's New parties. They also filed a non-biding censure motion against Aso in the Upper House.
Voting on the no-confidence motion took place on Tuesday at the plenary session of the Lower House.
The governing coalition of the Liberal Democratic and the New Komeito parties, which controls the Lower House, voted it down.
The Upper House, which is controlled by the opposition forces, then held a plenary session to vote on the censure motion. The non-binding motion was passed.
Prime Minister Aso and his senior coalition officials have agreed to dissolve the Lower House next week and hold a general election on August 30th.
Democratic Party leader Yukio Hatoyama had demanded that the general election be held immediately, saying Aso is simply holding on to his position for its own sake.
最終更新：2009年07月15日 07:18
