Kyodo news summary -8-

TOKYO, May 25 Kyodo

---------- China becomes member of animal health group, Taiwan name changed

BEIJING - China on Friday became a full member of the World Organization for Animal Health that also counts Taiwan as its member, after a decision was made to call the self-ruled island ''Chinese Taipei'' instead of ''Taipei China,'' the organization said.

The member countries of the international organization, known by its French acronym as the OIE, voted on the membership in a general assembly in Paris, the OIE said in a statement.

---------- Nothing unusual in Pyongyang's missile launches, Hill says

MANILA - The chief U.S. delegate to the six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea said Friday there is nothing unusual in North Korea's test launch of short-range missiles on Friday and it will not affect the nuclear dialogue process.

''It's something that they have done on several occasions,'' U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said in Manila where he attended a meeting of senior officials of the ASEAN Regional Forum. ''I know that it will not affect the six-party talks.''

---------- Malaysia's Anwar to defy gov't ban against seeking office

KUALA LUMPUR - (EDS: UPDATING, RECASTING)

Former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will defy a government ban on him participating in his party leadership election scheduled for Saturday, party officials said Friday.

---------- German Chancellor Merkel to visit Japan by year-end

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to visit Japan at the invitation of the Japanese government by the end of this year for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, government spokesman Thomas Steg said Friday.

The visit could take place in late summer if scheduling permits, according to the spokesman. The Japanese Embassy in Berlin said no date has been set yet.

---------- 40 slow lorises, record high, smuggled and seized at Narita airport

NARITA, Japan - About 40 slow lorises -- a protected species under an international treaty -- were smuggled to Japan by a Japanese man and seized by customs officials at Narita International Airport earlier this month, customs office sources said Friday.

It is the largest number of the primate brought into Japan at one time, according to the Finance Ministry's Customs and Tariff Bureau. All of the animals were alive when seized but about a dozen died later, the sources said.

---------- Emperor in Latvia, expresses regret at period of ruptured ties

RIGA - Japanese Emperor Akihito said Friday he regrets a period during which Japan and Latvia did not maintain friendly ties, saying it is welcoming to see such ties reemerging between them.

The emperor made the remark at a luncheon hosted by Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga -- the first woman president in the former communist bloc -- and her husband, Imants Freibergs, at the Blackheads House. Empress Michiko was also present.

---------- S. Korean heartthrob Rain performs at Tokyo Dome

TOKYO - Asian pop sensation Rain performed on Friday in front of around 35,000 fans, mostly women, at Tokyo Dome, becoming the first artist from South Korea to give a solo performance at the stadium.

The Tokyo performance is part of his concert tour of 10 countries including Thailand and the United States. It started in Seoul in October and is scheduled to finish in June.

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