Kyodo news summary -4-

Asian Political News, March 21, 2005

TOKYO, March 20 Kyodo

---------- Rice arrives in China to discuss N. Korea, Taiwan

BEIJING - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Beijing on Sunday afternoon for talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions and Taiwan, U.S. officials and state media said.

Rice flew into Beijing from Seoul at 3:45 p.m. and was scheduled to meet later in the day with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People. Her two-day stop in Beijing is the last on a six-nation Asia tour.

---------- Fate of 3 sailors abducted by pirates still unknown

KUALA LUMPUR - The fate of three sailors abducted a week ago by pirates from a Japanese-owned tugboat in the Malacca Strait remained unknown Sunday.

Company and police officials maintained that there has been no contact from the pirates demanding ransom.

---------- Japan marks 10th anniversary of Tokyo subway sarin gas attacks

TOKYO - Japan marked the 10th anniversary Sunday of the deadly sarin nerve gas attacks on the Tokyo subway system, with Tokyo subway workers and survivors offering silent prayers and flowers in one of the sarin-hit stations.

At 8 a.m. -- about the time top members of the AUM Shinrikyo cult, now known as Aleph, released sarin on five trains on three central Tokyo subway lines on March 20, 1995 -- 24 subway workers observed a 30-second silence at Kasumigaseki Station at a signal given by station official Akihiro Fujiwara.

---------- Miss Philippines crowned 1st ASEAN beauty queen

JAKARTA - Miss Philippines Jhezarie Javier has been crowned the first Miss ASEAN, beating out rivals from seven other member countries in the regional grouping.

Miss Indonesia Imelda Fransisca was the runner-up in the Saturday night final. Cambodia and Laos did not send representatives.