N. Korea leader appears in public

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has made his first public appearance since his country test-launched missiles more than a month ago, official media reported Sunday.

Kim visited a farm run by an army unit and was accompanied by top generals, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. As usual with such reports, neither the exact time nor location of the trip was given.

Kim’s last reported public appearance was July 4, a day before Pyongyang launched seven missiles, including a new long-range model believed capable of reaching the U.S. that failed shortly after takeoff. The move violated the country’s self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile launches.

Kim’s absence from public view had fueled speculation of a possible crisis in the country in the wake of the missile tests and international reaction.

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind.

4 die during blaze in crowded house

A fire killed four people early Sunday in a two-story house where about a dozen people lived in makeshift rooms, some of them bedding down in closets, the state fire marshal said.

Witnesses reported seeing people fleeing the property before officials arrived, Fire Marshal Roger Johnson said. The residents didn’t return, he said.

“We don’t know why they left, why they did not want to stay and why they did not want to address any questions we may have,” Johnson said.

Immigration officials had been to the scene, Deputy Fire Chief Chuck Greis said. Neighbors said they believed most residents of the house were Asian immigrants who worked at a Chinese restaurant.

The fire appeared to have started in the back of the house, but investigators did not yet know the cause, Johnson said. An accelerant-sniffing dog was being used and a task force was formed to investigate, including agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Tokyo

Accident triggers big power outage

A construction crane reportedly struck some power lines today in Japan, causing a blackout for hundreds of thousands of homes in Tokyo and surrounding areas. Electricity was restored to most affected areas within hours.

At least 800,000 households were affected in the blackout in Tokyo and Chiba prefecture (state), just east of the capital, Tokyo Power Electric Co. official Kiyohito Yokoi said.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange, located in central Tokyo, switched to emergency power sources and began trading as usual despite the blackout, spokeswoman Mariko Saito said.

The Kyodo News agency said the blackout was caused when a construction crane mounted on a truck damaged some power lines in an accident.