Nine die in Japan 'suicide pacts'

A police spokesman said seven young people were found in a van in the Saitama mountains to the west of Tokyo. Minutes later, two women were found dead in a car south of Tokyo, in another apparent suicide pact.

Japan has recently seen a wave of internet-linked suicides, as people seek companions to die with. More than 34,000 Japanese took their own lives in 2003, according to the National Police Agency - an increase of more than 7% from the previous year.

Economic difficulties and an increasing sense of isolation among Japanese youth are believed to be contributing to the rise.

A small but growing number of suicide attempts are being made by people brought together through the internet. Analysts have speculated that group suicide may mitigate the inherent loneliness of taking one's life alone.