A magnitude-5.4 earthquake has rattled central Japan and at least seven people are hurt.

A 61-year-old Japanese woman gave birth to her own grandchild using an egg donated by her daughter, a clinic said today.

The Japan leg of China’s Olympic torch relay began today with thousands of riot police lining the streets, helicopters buzzing the skies and demonstrators rallying in a pro-Tibet prayer vigil.

Riot police, protesters and Chinese well-wishers converged on Nagano in central Japan today as the embattled Beijing Olympic torch arrived on one of its final international stops before moving on to China.

The Olympic flame arrived in Japan today for the next leg of the global torch relay amid tight security, with human rights groups expected to stage protests against China’s crackdown on Tibet.

Torch bearers ran with the Olympic flame in front of a closed crowd today after Indonesia barred the public under pressure from China.

Torch bearers ran with the Olympic flame in front of a closed crowd today after Indonesia barred the public under pressure from China.

Japan will start its Olympic torch relay from a car park after a famous temple pulled out over security concerns and sympathy for Tibetan protesters.

The blue tracksuit-clad Chinese security guards who have followed the Olympic torch around the world will not be welcome in Japan when the flame arrives here within days, it was reported today.

A major Japanese Buddhist temple has pulled out of a plan to host the Beijing Olympics torch relay, it was reported today, amid speculation that the monks sympathised with Tibetan protesters.

A JAPANESE woman in her 50s has given birth to a child she carried for her daughter, who was unable to conceive because she had her womb removed due to cancer, a clinic revealed yesterday.

BENJAMIN RAICH and Michaela Dorfmeister took Alpine gold for Austria in the men’s giant slalom and the women’s super-G respectively.

FRANCE’S Antoine Deneriaz caused a sensation yesterday by storming to the Olympic Games men’s downhill gold medal ahead of the Austrian and American favourites in alpine skiing’s blue-riband event.

Antoine Deneriaz claimed he never lost the belief that he would be crowned Olympic champion after recovering from a torn knee ligament to blaze to men’s downhill glory in Sestriere.

Japan’s fourth avalanche in two days buried three mountain climbers on a remote, icy peak today, as the country struggles through one of its snowiest winters on record.

A woman blocked from driving through a security barrier at the Japanese prime minister’s residence today attempted to kill herself by committing a “hara-kiri” disembowelment, a police official said.

YAMANOUCHI is a Japanese word that means “middle of the mountains”.

Eight athletes are jetting off from Ireland to Japan tomorrow with high hopes of success at the Special Olympics World Winter Games.

Four gold medals are up for grabs on the first day of the Winter Olympics, with Katerina Neumannova looking to complete her medal collection in the opening event.