N. Korean ferry leaves Japan after safety checks

NIIGATA: Lights ablaze, a North Korean ferry glided out of a Japanese port yesterday after a delay in its departure for safety checks threatened to raise tensions at delicate talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programme this week. 

Further delay in the sailing of the Mangyongbong-92 from here had risked chilling already frosty ties as Japan prepared to push its own agenda on the emotional topic of its citizens abducted decades ago at the six-country talks in Beijing beginning today.