SEOUL - A DAY-LONG dispute between North and South Korean officials on Thursday delayed the start of their first formal talks for more than a year, dimming hopes of easing the high tensions between them.

The South's team crossed the heavily fortified border at around 8:35am for the scheduled talks at the nearby Kaesong joint industrial complex.

TOKYO - JAPAN was set to launch another whaling mission on Wednesday, aiming to catch up to 60 minke whales off its northeastern coast for what it calls research, the government said.

TOKYO - A 5.0 magnitude offshore earthquake shook northern Japan on Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, officials said.