New sexual assault charges under probe

The US military is investigating another allegation that a soldier sexually assaulted a woman on the southern island of Okinawa, as Washington and Tokyo strive to keep anger over crimes by US troops from damaging broader ties.

In the latest incident, Kyodo news agency reported yesterday that the US military had taken a soldier into custody earlier this month over an alleged sexual assault on a Philippine woman in Okinawa, home to the bulk of US forces in Japan.

"We know about this allegation and are in full cooperation with host nation authorities," said US Forces Japan spokesman Colonel Eric Schnaible in an email. "We take this allegation very seriously and the Army does not tolerate sexual assault."