AUM LEADER IN CUSTODY

Four hours into a 1,000-officermanhunt, Japanese police last night arrested Shoko Asahara, the Japanese cult leader charged Monday with murder in theMar. 20 nerve gas attackon Tokyo subways. They also took 14 of his followers into custody. The bearded, 40-year-old guru was meditating alone in a hidden, steel-fortified room at theAum Shinri Kyo cult'srural compound beneath Mount Fuji when police broke in. He surrendered peacefully, with one proviso: "Don't touch me," investigators said he told police doctors. "I don't even let my followers touch me." The Japanese Cabinet held an emergency meeting at dawn as tens of thousands of chemical warfare and regular troops went on alert, bracing for possible retaliatory gas attacks from cult members or copycat supporters. Japanese media immediately labelled the day "X-day" to mark the arrest of Japan's most wanted suspect. Police said Asahara -- who faces murder charges in the deaths of 12 people in the subway gassing -- insisted on his innocence. But, in true Japanese fashion, even his family is reportedly apologizing for the suffering they said he had caused.PARCEL BOMB EXPLODES IN TOKYO: