A FRESH scandal broke out in Japan’s time-honoured sport of sumo as a teenage novice died after being beaten with a beer bottle by his stable master.

NORTH Korea’s top nuclear envoy has told former US officials that Pyongyang wants more than half a million tonnes of fuel oil a year in return for suspending its atomic reactor, a Japanese daily said yesterday.

North Korea is ready to freeze a key nuclear facility and allow international inspectors back into the country in exchange for half a million tons of oil and an easing of US financial restrictions on the regime, a news report said today.

ENGLAND captain David Beckham continues to attract all the attention as Real Madrid prepare for the second game of their Far East tour.

Police have identified all but one of the 44 victims of an explosion in Tokyo.

Leaders in Japan's ruling coalition have decided Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori will step down in early April.

Japanese politicians are demanding that Russia gives out more information on where Mir is expected to crash.