A FARMING friend doesn’t rely solely on weather forecasts any more. Instead, he observes the behaviour of his animals.

Twenty-five passengers and the driver were injured when a train derailed in western Japan.

The train derailment death toll in northern Japan rose to five as rescuers searched the snow-covered wreck today, following reports that more passengers could be trapped inside.

Workers pulled the uniformed body of the driver from the wreckage of Japan’s rail disaster today as the death toll rose to 106, police said.

Rescuers pulled the final survivors from the gnarled wreckage of Japan’s worst train crash in decades today as investigators raided rail operator offices for clues about why the train skidded from the tracks, killing 73 people.