Kyodo news summary -3-

Asian Political News, August 6, 2007

TOKYO, Aug. 5 Kyodo

---------- 4 policemen killed, 3 wounded in Afghanistan

KABUL - Four Afghan policemen were killed and three others were wounded when a police convoy was attacked by militants in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, police said.

The police convoy was ambushed in Kolangar district of Logar Province early Sunday while patrolling the area, said Mostafa Mohsini, the provincial police chief.

---------- N. Korea warns Japan's anti-Chongryon moves may stall 6-way talks

BEIJING - North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun has warned Japanese government's crackdown on pro-Pyongyang Korean organization in Japan may jeopardize the six-party talks on North Korea's denuclearization, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday.

KCNA said Pak has called Japan's actions against the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, better known as Chongryon, a ''grave provocation'' against North Korea and ''an act of infringing upon its sovereignty, which no preceding Japanese government dared to do.''

---------- Abe apologizes over Kyuma remarks, to review A-bomb disease screening

HIROSHIMA - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apologized Sunday in a meeting with survivors of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 over recent remarks that caused offense by former Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma, while pledging to review the contentious government screening of their status as radiation disease suffers.

''I apologize for Mr. Kyuma's remarks that resulted in hurting the feelings of hibakusha very much,'' Abe told representatives of seven groups of A-bomb survivors, or hibakusha, in a closed session of the meeting, a government official said.

---------- Gov't to set aside NSC bill to give priority to antiterror law

TOKYO - The government and the ruling coalition parties decided Sunday to set aside a bill aimed at establishing a Japanese version of the U.S. National Security Council which had been carried over for deliberations during the extraordinary Diet session to be convened in the fall, ruling party sources said.

They came to the decision in order to give priority to extending the law to support U.S.-led antiterrorism operations around Afghanistan, in light of the fact that the ruling bloc lost its majority in the House of Councillors in the July 29 election and opposition parties are set to oppose the extension, the sources said.

---------- Taliban still seeking neutral venue for talks with S. Korea gov't

KABUL - Afghanistan's Taliban militia is still seeking a neutral venue to hold talks with a South Korean government delegation over the fate of 21 remaining South Korean hostages, a purported spokesman for the militants said Sunday.

''We are still in contact with the Korean side over the phone, but have not agreed on a place to meet,'' Yousif Ahmadi, who claims to speak for Taliban, told Kyodo News by phone from an undisclosed location.

---------- 2 U.S. Navy officers climb Mt. Fuji 3 times for charity

YOKOSUKA, Japan - Two U.S. Navy officers stationed at the Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture scaled Mt. Fuji three times in 24 hours from Saturday to Sunday to raise money for a Japanese child welfare facility.

Lt. Jeff de Groot, 29, and Lt. Doug Szwarc, 28, of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said they plan to donate a $4,500 donation from their colleagues and other people to the facility in Yokosuka around mid-August.