Web suicide pacts surge in Japan
`The number of Japanese who killed themselves in suicide pacts made over the internet rose sharply last year.
Police said 91 people died in the pacts in 2005, compared with 55 in 2004 and 34 in 2003, when the records started.
Alarm at the rise has led to increased vigilance by internet service providers, who now report suspected suicide pacts to the authorities.
Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, and the pacts may appeal to those scared to die alone.’
