Kofi Annan in Tokyo: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday for a five-day visit on the first leg of a tour of Japan. China and Turkey, foreign ministry officials said. AFP reports from Tokyo.

Annan is to meet Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko today before holding talks with Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and Foreign Minister Yokel Kono. He departs Friday for the ancient capital of Kyoto in western Japan before heading to Beijing on Sunday.

’Discovery' launch rescheduled: NASA has tentatively rescheduled the unch of the space shuttle Discovery, which is to make rep. to the Hubble Space Telescope during a 10-day mission, the siiuttle's flight director said Tuesday. AFP reports from Washington.

The target date has been set for December 6." said Linda Ham. lead flight director at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Texas, in a press teleconference. NASA will announce a definitive launch date on November 19. said NASA spokesman Joe Wells from the Kennedy Space Center.