Japanese man kills self in front of friends

MANILA, Philippines - A 58-year-old Japanese man shot himself in the head in front of his friends in a condominium unit in Makati City just before noon yesterday.

Fumio Konishi was chatting at the dinner table with Neroki Hazuhata and Yoshiaki Takahashi, talking about his plans of putting up a foundation for orphans in Mandaluyong City, when he suddenly took out a .38 caliber revolver from his sling bag and shot himself in the temple, said city police chief Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban.

The bullet went through Konishi's skull and grazed Takahashi's chest, police said. Takahashi is in stable condition at a hospital.

Police said Konishi allegedly instructed Hazuhata to take care of his belongings as he  will no longer be returning to Japan.