2003.11.25

Japan-DPRK Japan is looking at imposing sanctions on North Korea if the Stalinist state continues to ignore Japanese demands concerning the abduction of Japanese nationals in the past. An emboldened opposition is pressuring Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to clear the way legally for sanctions against North Korea. But Pyongyang has said it would consider any sanctions tantamount to war. During a contentious opening day of the latest Parliamentary session, Koizumi today said he wanted to keep all his options open regarding how to handle Pyongyang. The prime minister said if North Korea further aggravates the situation, Japan will have to think about economic sanctions. There is rising public support for such action, both among politicians and the public. Koizumi also said Tokyo will again take up the issue of the abductions during the second round of six-way talks about North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Those talks are expected to take place in Beijing in mid-December. Japan has been demanding that North Korea allow relatives of five abducted Japanese who returned home last year to come to Japan for reunions. It also wants a full accounting of what happened to other Japanese believed to have been kidnapped by North Korean spies. The Japanese consider North Korea to be the most serious threat to national security, not only due to the abductions -- but also because the communist neighbor has missiles capable of hitting most of the country.   2003.11.25

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S Korea political row deepens. [BBC News ] The opposition GNP threatens to boycott parliament after President Roh blocks an independent graft probe.   2003.11.25

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RFIDs and Sushi in Tokyo. [ITU Strategy and Policy Unit Newslog] RFID tags are also making their appearance in food establishments. Pintokona, a sushi restaurant in a trendy new part of Tokyo, Roppongi Hills, has introduced RFID tags to track and price their plates of sushi that are presented to on a rotating belt in front of customers. The system facilitates the calculation of the bill, as each tag contains information such as price, sushi type, chef, time stamp and other information. As readers can track the precise time when the sushi is placed on the plates, once a thirty-minute period has expired, the sushi is automatically removed from the rotating belt, in order to ensure that only the freshest pieces are made available.   2003.11.25

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Japan's banks head for profit. [BBC News ] Solid performances from Japan's smaller banks raise hopes that the Big Four could all stay in profit this year.     2003.11.25

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Japan-Iraq (Kyodo) Prime Minister Koizumi says it's too early to give up on sending the SDF to Iraq.   2003.11.25

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Nikkei closes up 107 points, coming off three-day weekend. Yen surges to near 109.40 to the dollar.   2003.11.25

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U.S. Troops to Iraq from South Korea (Washington Times) Moonie-owned newspaper says U.S. will shift some troops from South Korea to Iraq.   2003.11.25

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Colombia Army Says Rebels Killed Japanese Hostage (Reuters). Colombian army finds a dead body believed to be that of a Japanese businessman kidnapped by Marxist rebels nearly three years ago.   2003.11.25

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Terrorism Warning Sources in Asia monitoring al Qaeda internet traffic (bulletin boards, e-mail and little-known Arabic language web sites) say the terrorist organization has just issued  a new attack warning. The traffic indicates that a major attack will soon be attempted in the United States. "The big blow will come down very shortly. It will be a series of surprise attacks that will sever America from communication with its armies in Muslim countries." Muslims living in the United States are urged to "take advantage of what little time is left" to leave America. The threats appear linked to the same sources which last week sent e-mail to Arabic newspapers in London warning that the heart of Tokyo will be attacked if Japan dispatches SDF troops to Iraq.   2003.11.25

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Japan-Markets Stocks, yen surge in opening minutes of Tokyo markets in Tuesday session.   2003.11.25

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Sakhalin-Investment (Sakhalin Times) Some $4 billion of investment in two projects is set for Sakhalin next year from major oil concerns.     2003.11.25

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Typhoon Lupit (Pacific Daily News) Typhoon Lupit is heading towards Yap.   2003.11.25

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Japan-Headlines Here are the headlines in major Japanese newspapers in the Tuesday morning editions.   2003.11.25

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The strange story of South Korea's sympathy for a spy. [Christian Science Monitor] A returned South Korean hero, now arrested, divides generations.   2003.11.25

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