Social security scandal angers Japanese By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer

Social security scandal angers Japanese By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 46 minutes ago



TOKYO - After reading a book this year about serious flaws in Japan's pension system, retired deliveryman Yoshikazu Hirano thought he'd check his own records just to be safe. He's glad he did: The 74-year-old discovered the government had shortchanged him by 460,000 yen ($3,770) in benefits he accrued while driving a truck for three years in the 1950s and 60s.

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Hirano wasn't alone. Shortly afterward, the government confessed to losing track of pension records linked to an astounding 64 million claims — igniting a scandal that has punished the ruling party at the polls and eroded confidence in the ability of the world's second largest economy to support its growing legions of elderly.

Hirano, who is single and lives outside Tokyo, felt defrauded. "Had I not asked, I would have never gotten the money back," he said.

The pension mess, fully disclosed in May, has landed on one of the world's fastest-aging societies: 21 percent of its 127 million inhabitants are 65 or older and some 25 million retirees are collecting pensions, rising to 35 million by 2040.

People have flooded pension offices and 24-hour call centers seeking to check their records, and titles such as "Recover your pension!" fill bookstores and newsstands.

The confusion has hit Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The outrage contributed to a plunge in his popularity and forced him to delay an upper house election for a week — to no avail, since his ruling party was trounced at the polls anyway, though he remains in office.

An interim government report released in July alleged widespread incompetence at the Social Insurance Agency: records kept in yellowing files instead of on computers, evidence of possible embezzlement of funds, and rampant clerical mistakes.

"The organization had little sense of compliance," said the report, which blamed the mess on faulty governance, low morale, lack of professionalism and ignorance of "the duty to protect the people's rights."

The agency was established a decade ago to unify three separate pension organizations — one for self-employed or non-workers, another for company employees, and the third for public servants. With 70 million members and $1.3 trillion in reserves, it is one of the world's largest.

The panel found internal agency documents indicating embezzlement of pension money by employees. But the fund's flaws were largely clerical; it failed to properly match some 50 million claim records with the correct individuals, and more than 14 million records aren't computerized, meaning they can't be readily retrieved when claims are submitted.

The government has not released an estimate for the number of people affected or amount of money involved, so estimates of the sum in limbo fluctuate widely, between $25 billion and $175 billion.

Hirano has recovered his missing money in a one-time payment, but his case is rare. The agency says it has cleared up only about 40 cases since the scandal erupted.

It's not the first time the agency has been in trouble.

In 2004, a series of scandals led to the arrest of a senior official on bribery charges. A string of agency-run resorts have suffered massive losses. In 2005, the agency disciplined nearly 3,300 staff for various types of misconduct including accepting questionable gifts and money from office suppliers, an agency report shows.

With his job on the line, Abe has promised to rectify the problems within a year and "squeeze out the pus" ahead of the agency's partial privatization by 2010. The agency chief has been fired.

But many remain leery of the agency.

Three years ago it was revealed that many top politicians had skipped their contributions, highlighting concerns over the system's solvency and prompting a growing number of self-employed, students and non-working to stay out of the system altogether.

Pension payment is mandatory for all Japanese from age 20 to 60. An average company employee pays more than 6 percent of a salary and can expect about $1,450 a month after retirement, usually at age 65.

The growing number of nonpayers has pushed the agency to go after them more aggressively. Last year, the agency mailed collection letters to 310,000 nonpayers and seized assets from 12,000 of them. Today the employee pension is covered almost 100 percent but its revenue is decreasing.

Hirano, the ex-deliveryman, was helped by Tomoichi Shibata, a social insurance consultant who calls himself a "pension detective" and says he has helped more than 2,000 pensioners win redress.

"Ideally, my business wouldn't have to exist if the government operated the pension program properly," he said.

Mine search over, Utah towns try to cope By BROCK VERGAKIS, Associated Press Writer

Mine search over, Utah towns try to cope By BROCK VERGAKIS, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 9 minutes ago



SALT LAKE CITY - Signs of prayer and support for six trapped miners remained on display Saturday as residents of central Utah's coal belt struggled with the realization that the men would not be found alive.

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"It's a hard thing. Some are coping with it better than others," said Colin King, a spokesman and lawyer for families of the six miners trapped nearly four weeks ago in a collapse. "They're still dealing with the fact they have to accept now that these miners are not going to be recovered any time soon — that they've died, in all likelihood."

Rescue efforts at the Crandall Canyon Mine were suspended indefinitely Friday.

A thunderous mountain shudder early on Aug. 6 caused mine ribs to shatter, trapping Kerry Allred, Don Erickson, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Brandon Phillips and Manuel Sanchez. It is not known whether they survived the initial collapse.

Three rescuers working underground were killed in a second collapse Aug. 16, bringing an abrupt halt to tunnel-clearing efforts to reach the miners.

Rescue workers drilled seven holes deep into the mountain in search of the men more than 1,500 feet underground but found no signs of life. After a robotic camera became stuck in mud in one hole Friday, federal officials said they had run out of options and told families the search was ending.

The announcement ended hope that the men would be found alive or that their bodies would be retrieved any time soon, if ever. Federal officials said it's too dangerous to drill a hole large enough to send a rescue worker down into the mine if there's no possibility of finding survivors.

"Sadly, there is no remaining hope of finding these miners alive," MSHA chief Richard Stickler said in a statement Saturday.

It was a difficult blow for people in Utah's coal country, where messages of hope adorned cars, homes and businesses throughout Carbon and Emery counties and where residents have gathered for prayer services and vigils in the weeks since the collapse.

"The signs are still up, and I think they will be for a few more days," said Julie Jones, a Huntington City Council member. "We're not going to forget these families."

President Bush issued a statement Saturday praising central Utah's coal community for inspiring the nation with its "incredible strength and courage in the face of tremendous loss."

A nondenominational memorial service for the six men on the football field at a junior high school was being planned for Sept. 9. A fundraiser is planned for Sept. 15.

"Even when we got the news last night, even though in our hearts we knew this would come, it was still hard. But yet, it is time for healing. It is time for the healing process to start and the community is ready for that," Jones said.

As the community begins to heal its emotional scars, the federal government will begin investigating the circumstances that led to the initial cave-in.

A Mine Safety and Health Administration team will begin arriving in Huntington, about 120 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, on Tuesday to began the investigation, said Rich Kulczewski, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Labor, which oversees MSHA.

The investigation will involve people who have no ties to MSHA's Western district, which oversees safety at the mine.

They include Timothy Watkins, assistant district manager in Kentucky, who has ventilation and retreat mining experience; Gary Smith, a supervisor in Pennsylvania who has roof-control expertise; and Joseph O'Donnell, based in MSHA's district office in Alabama.

Labor Secretary Elaine Chao has also ordered an independent team of mine-safety experts to review MSHA's handling of the Crandall Canyon accident. The review will look at MSHA's actions before the collapse and during the subsequent rescue operations.

The newly formed state Mine Safety Commission is also beginning an investigation to determine whether Utah should begin regulating the mines, which it hasn't done since 1977.

Gov. Jon Huntsman appointed the commission after public disputes with mine co-owner Bob Murray, who Huntsman at one point said wasn't doing enough to retrieve the miners' bodies and had been disrespectful to the miners' families.

Some members of Congress also criticized Murray for dominating news conferences at the beginning of the rescue efforts, a role designated for MSHA representatives. Murray later deferred to federal officials and his employees in news conferences.

After the three rescue workers were killed, Murray disappeared from public view for a few days. He later said he was devastated by the experience and had been under care of a doctor.

Murray did not respond Saturday to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

King said a lawsuit will likely be filed on behalf of the families, but he didn't know how soon or who would be named in it.

Late Friday, Huntsman issued a statement saying that the most important thing is for the families to feel at peace with the decision to end rescue efforts.

"These families, and the whole community, have endured so much throughout this devastating tragedy. Each family must determine their own way of gaining closure," he said.

Sen. Craig resigns over sex sting By JOHN MILLER, Associated Press Writers

Sen. Craig resigns over sex sting By JOHN MILLER, Associated Press Writers
2 hours, 56 minutes ago



BOISE, Idaho - In a subdued ending to a week of startling political theater, Sen. Larry Craig announced his resignation Saturday, bowing to pressure from fellow Republicans worried about damage from his arrest and guilty plea in a gay sex sting.

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"I apologize for what I have caused," Craig said, his wife Suzanne and two of their three children at his side with a historic Boise train station as backdrop. "I am deeply sorry."

Craig, 62, said he would resign effective Sept. 30, ending a career in Congress spanning a quarter-century.

Making no specific mention of the incident that triggered his disgrace in his remarks, he spoke for under six minutes and took no questions.

Among those attending was Republican Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, who will appoint a successor for the remaining 15 months of Craig's term.

It was a relatively quick end to a drama that began Monday with the stunning disclosure that Craig had pleaded guilty to a reduced charge following his arrest June 11 in a Minneapolis airport men's room.

Craig at first tried to hold on to his position, contending in a public appearance on Tuesday that he had done nothing inappropriate and that his only mistake was pleading guilty Aug. 1 to the misdemeanor charge. But a growing chorus of leading GOP leaders called for him to step down to spare the party further embarrassment and possible harm in next year's elections.

Otter said Saturday he has not chosen a replacement, although several Republicans familiar with internal deliberations said he favored Republican Lt. Gov. Jim Risch.

Otter called speculation that he has made a choice "dead wrong" and declined to say when he would fill the seat.

Craig said he would remain in the Senate until Sept. 30 in hopes of providing a smooth transition for his staff and whoever is chosen as his successor.

President Bush called Craig from the White House after the senator's announcement and told him he knew it was a difficult decision to make, said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.

"Senator Craig made the right decision for himself, for his family, his constituents and the United States Senate," Stanzel said.

Craig was arrested June 11 in a police undercover vice operation. The arresting officer, Sgt. Dave Karsnia, said in his report that the restroom where he encountered Craig is a known location for homosexual activity.

Craig has faced rumors about his sexuality since the 1980s. He has called assertions that he has engaged in gay sex ridiculous.

"I am not gay. I never have been gay," Craig said defiantly after a news conference Tuesday. He said he had kept the incident from aides, friends and family and pleaded guilty "in hopes of making it go away."

Other lawmakers embroiled in sex scandals also have resigned from Congress, albeit usually at the end of scenarios that took longer to play out than the one that claimed Craig.

Former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., quit last fall over sexually explicit Internet communications with male pages who had worked on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., resigned in 1995 amid allegations he had made unwanted sexual advances to 17 female employees and colleagues and altered his personal diaries to obstruct an ethics investigation.

On Saturday, Craig said he would pursue legal options to clear his name. He has retained Billy Martin, a Washington lawyer who represented Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in his dogfighting case, to pursue his legal options. Washington lawyer Stan Brand will represent Craig before the Senate ethics committee, said spokesman Dan Whiting.

"The people of Idaho deserve a senator who can devote 100 percent of his time and effort to the critical issues of our state and of our nation," Craig said. "I have little control over what people choose to believe. But clearly my name is important to me, and my family is so very important also."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Craig "made a difficult decision, but the right one."

"It is my hope he will be remembered not for this, but for his three decades of dedicated public service," McConnell said. McConnell had been one of Craig's harshest critics, calling his actions "unforgivable."

Some Idaho residents who attended Craig's public resignation said it felt like a "political funeral."

Bayard Gregory, from Boise, said Craig should have been more forthright after his arrest.

"It's a horribly embarrassing experience to go through," Gregory said. "But if it were me, and I had done nothing wrong, I wouldn't have pleaded guilty."

Craig spokesman Sidney Smith said he did not know whether Craig would return to Washington on Tuesday, the start of the post-Labor Day congressional session.

"We haven't decided that yet, whether he's going to return or not," Smith said.

Craig represented Idaho in Congress for more than a quarter-century, including 17 years in the Senate. He was up for re-election next year.

Republicans, worried about the scandal's effect on next year's election, suffered a further setback Friday when veteran Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia announced he will retire rather than seek a sixth term. Democrats captured Virginia's other Senate seat from the GOP in the 2006 election.

Craig opposes gay marriage and has a strong record against gay rights. He was a leading voice in the Senate on gun issues and Western lands. Craig chaired the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and was a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, where he was adept at securing federal money for Idaho projects.

A fiscal and social conservative, Craig sometimes broke with his party, notably on immigration, where he pushed changes that many in his party said offered "amnesty" to illegal immigrants. Much of the impetus behind Craig's push to ease bureaucratic hurdles to immigrant farm workers stemmed from his background as a rancher and the state's large rural, farming community.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Deb Riechmann in Washington, D.C., and Todd Dvorak in Boise contributed to this report.

63 arrested in Copenhagen clashes 1 hour, 16 minutes ago

63 arrested in Copenhagen clashes 1 hour, 16 minutes ago



COPENHAGEN, Denmark - A protest by hundreds of youth activists turned violent early Sunday, with protesters setting fire to street barricades and cars and smashing shop windows, police said. Officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

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Authorities said 63 people were arrested as riot police clashed with rock-throwing youth in the Noerrebro district of Copenhagen.

The unrest started after a demonstration late Saturday commemorating the Youth House, a makeshift cultural center for the city's anarchists and disaffected youth that was demolished in March.

"It's six months since we cleared the house there, and they want to show they've not forgotten," police spokesman Mads Firlings said. "Almost immediately they started building barricades and throwing rocks through the windows of shops and banks."

He said police used tear gas to disperse the crowds who set fires to barricades and cars, including a police vehicle that had been abandoned by officers fleeing the angry mob.

The situation had calmed down Sunday morning as crews started cleaning up streets charred by fire and littered with broken glass and garbage, police spokesman Gunnar Noerager said.

He said one police officer received minor injuries when a tear gas canister accidentally exploded inside a police van.

In March, hundreds of people were arrested in several days of street violence when police evicted squatters living in the graffiti-sprayed brick building.

Lebanese army kills 28 militants By SAM F. GHATTAS, Associated Press Writer

Lebanese army kills 28 militants By SAM F. GHATTAS, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 21 minutes ago



BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanese troops killed 28 al-Qaida-inspired militants and captured 15 others in a massive gunfight Sunday after they broke out of a northern Palestinian refugee camp devastated by over three months of fighting, a senior security official said.

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The official spoke on condition of anonymity because no official casualty figure was released.

Heavy gunbattles that began during the dawn breakout continued through early afternoon, with troops engaging Fatah Islam fighters in buildings, fields and roads around Nahr el-Bared camp, residents and television stations reported.

In a statement, the military said troops were attacking the remaining militant strongholds inside Nahr el-Bared and "chasing the fugitives outside the camp" who had staged "a desperate attempt to flee."

It called on Lebanese citizens to inform the nearest army patrol of any suspected militants in their area, but gave no specifics on casualties excepting saying "a large number" had been killed or captured.

Lebanese security officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because no official casualty figures had been released by the military, said two Lebanese soldiers were killed in the fighting, raising to 155 the total number of troops who have died in the conflict.

Before Sunday's battle, Lebanese officials had said up to 70 Fatah Islam fighters remained in the camp. When the fighting broke out more than three months ago, the number was estimated at 360.

Sunday's developments indicated the battle was almost over for the camp, large parts of which have been reduced to rubble.

According to security officials and television reports, the breakout began early Sunday when a group of militants sneaked through an underground tunnel to an area of the camp under army control and fought with troops. At the same time, another group of militants struck elsewhere to try to escape, reportedly receiving help from militants outside the camp.

State-run Lebanese television said the militants inside the camp were aided by outside fighters who arrived in civilian cars to attack army positions around the camp.

Residents said troop reinforcements deployed close to the camp and blocked roads to prevent fighters from sneaking out. Helicopters provided aerial reconnaissance.

State television reported Lebanese residents of nearby villages, armed with guns and sticks, fanned out to protect their houses and prevent militants from seeking refuge and melting into the local population.

Army officials said they did not know whether Fatah Islam leader Shaker al-Absi was among those who attempted to break out. Al-Absi has not been seen or heard since early in the fighting. His deputy, Abu Hureira, was killed by security forces in Tripoli recently, apparently after escaping the siege.

Fighting erupted May 20 between troops and Fatah Islam militants holed up in Nahr el-Bared camp near Tripoli, becoming Lebanon's worst internal violence since the 1975-90 civil war.

The battles have killed more than 20 civilians and scores of militants. Families of the militants — women and children — were evacuated late last month, the last civilians to leave the camp.

Prior to Sunday, the army had inched its way into the camp under artillery and rocket fire, destroying buildings and capturing militants' fortified positions one by one while facing tough resistance from the Islamic fighters.

In recent days, the army has cornered the militants in a small area of the camp and has been pounding it with bombs dropped by helicopters.

Iran: Uranium centrifuge goal reached 9 minutes ago

Iran: Uranium centrifuge goal reached 9 minutes ago



TEHRAN, Iran - Iran has reached its long-sought goal of running 3,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium for its nuclear program, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Sunday in a report on state media.

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The U.N. Security Council had threatened a third round of sanctions against the country if it did not freeze the uranium enrichment program — which Iran maintains is for peaceful energy purposes, but the U.S. says is to hide a weapons program.

"The West thought the Iranian nation would give in after just a resolution, but now we have taken another step in the nuclear progress and launched more than 3,000 centrifuge machines, installing a new cascade every week," the state television Web site quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

Still, Ahmadinejad's comments seemed at odds with independent assements of the status of his country's enrichment program.

As recently as Thursday, a report drawn up by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, put the number of centrifuges enriching uranium at closer to 2,000 at its vast underground hall at Natanz.

The 2,000 figure is an increase of a few hundred of the machines over May, when the IAEA last reported on Iran. Still the rate of expansion is much slower than a few months ago, when Tehran was assembling close to 200 centrifuges every two weeks.

As well, Iran continued to produce only negligible amounts of nuclear fuel with its centrifuges, far below the level usable for nuclear warheads, the report said.

"They have the knowledge to proceed much more quickly," said a U.N. official.

While Iran has denied stalling, the official and others suggested it could have decided to proceed at a slower pace as it increases its cooperation with agency investigators looking at past suspicious activities so as to reduce any sentiment to impose new U.N. sanctions.

Former U.N. nuclear inspector David Albright and Jacqueline Shire of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security said the slowdown could be a combination of both "technical difficulties" and "political considerations."

"Iran likely has managed to learn how to operate individual centrifuges and cascades adequately. However, it still may be struggling to operate a large number of cascades at the same time in parallel," they wrote in a report e-mailed to The Associated Press. "In addition, Iran's leadership may have decided to slow work to overcome technical problems in order to forestall negative reactions that would lend support for further sanctions by the UN Security Council."

Felix becomes Category 2 hurricane By MARGARET WEVER, Associated Press Writer

Felix becomes Category 2 hurricane By MARGARET WEVER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 40 minutes ago



ORANJESTAD, Aruba - Felix gathered strength and became a Category 2 hurricane early Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was forecast to pass just north of the Dutch Caribbean island.

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Felix was upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Saturday evening, becoming the second Atlantic hurricane of the season. By early Sunday, it had sustained maximum winds of about 100 mph and threatened to become a major hurricane as the day went on, the center said.

A tropical storm warning and hurricane watch were in effect for the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

Franklin Yarzagarag, a staffer at Aruba's airport, said it was closed until Felix passes.

On Saturday, a line of jittery residents and hotel employees snaked through a hardware store in the capital of Oranjestad to purchase supplies.

"This kind of weather doesn't usually make it to Aruba, so people are definitely worried," said store cashier Mark Werleman.

At 5 a.m. EDT, Felix was centered about 85 miles east-northeast of Aruba and was moving westward at about 18 mph, the hurricane center said.

On Saturday, Felix brought heavy rains and strong winds to Grenada as a tropical storm, snapping small boats loose from their moorings, temporarily knocking out local radio and TV stations and toppling utility lines. No injuries were reported.

A tropical storm watch also was issued by the government of Jamaica, which was battered by Hurricane Dean on Aug. 19.

Felix was on track to pass near Honduran resort islands Tuesday and plow into Belize on Wednesday.

On Honduras' Roatan Island, home to luxury resorts and pristine reefs, the weather was normal and guests were simply enjoying their vacations, said Mayan Princess Beach Resort & Spa employee Arturo Rich.

"We aren't evacuating people yet, but maybe on Monday" as the storm gets closer, he said.

The storm ripped roofs off at least two homes and destroyed a popular concert venue in the southern Caribbean island of Grenada. Orchards were left in ruin.

Jess Charles, 29, said he and his family hunkered down in their house in the town of Calliste as the storm's winds howled outside.

"It was really very, very scary," Charles told The Associated Press. "The wind was blowing so hard we thought our roof might come off."

Felix also spawned thunderstorms and downed trees in Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Those islands reported only minor damage.

Rebecca Waddington, a meteorologist at the hurricane center, advised employees of oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico to monitor Felix's progress and said the storm could reach the area in four to five days.

Along the Pacific coast of Mexico, meanwhile, authorities discontinued storm warnings as Tropical Storm Henriette moved out to sea.

Henriette dumped heavy rain on western Mexico earlier, loosening a giant boulder that smashed into a home in Acapulco, killing an adult and two children and injuring two other people.

A teenager and her two brothers also were killed when a landslide slammed into their house in a poor neighborhood of the resort city.

With maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, the storm was expected to become a hurricane Sunday. But forecasters put it on a path that would not threaten land until Thursday, when it could hit a remote section of the Baja California peninsula.

___

Associated Press Writer Linda Straker in St. George's, Grenada, and Sofia Mannos in Washington contributed to this report.