2003.12.08

Japan-Iraq SDF (Kyodo) Prime Minister Koizumi set to explain to the nation tomorrow why he will dispatch the Self Defense Forces to Iraq.   2003.12.08

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ROK Electric Workers to Leave Iraq [AP ] A South Korean company says it has decided to withdraw its 60 workers restoring electricity lines in Iraq (news - web sites), after a gun attack killed two of its electricians working for the U.S. government project.   2003.12.08

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ROK-Antarctic (Yonhap) Eight South Korean researchers from the King Sejong base are missing in Antarctica.   2003.12.08

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Takefuji Scandal (Kyodo) The dictatorial chairman of publicly-traded Takefuji, who was arrested last week, has resigned.  The company's stock rose 1.18% today.   2003.12.08

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Japan-Immigration (VOA) Japan's population is expected to peak at 127 million a few years from now.  If the birthrate remains at the same low level -  the population will drop below 100 million in about half a century. This worries economists and others, who say unless Japan embraces millions of immigrants, it will not be able to maintain its standard of living or its status as an economic powerhouse.   2003.12.08

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Japan's business optimism returns.  [BBC News ] Japanese businesses are optimistic about the economic outlook for the first time in almost three years, a report suggests.   2003.12.08

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Hitachi to Sell Low-Cost and Small Mu-Chip Inlets [Nikkei BP ] Hitachi announces a Mu-chip PEM (Printing Etching Mask) Inlet for sale next April at a fraction of the cost of conventional RFID inlets.   2003.12.08

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GM eyes ROK car manufacturer.  [BBC News ] General Motors is looking to expand into Asia to help stem a slide in earnings at its car business at home.   2003.12.08

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Japan-Markets A big tumble for the Nikkei -- some 328 points -- more than 3.1% percent to send the key index down to 10,045. The broadbased TOPIX was off nearly 2.4% percent sending it to a close below the 1,000 level for the first time in six sessions. First section volume dropped to 969 million shares. Declining issues swamped gainers by nearly a four-to-one ratio. The greenback fell to a three-year low against the Japanese currency in Asian trading today. Worries about further intervention by Japanese currency authorities kept traders from pushing the dollar below 107.50 yen -- believed to be the trigger point for Finance Ministry action. Late in the Asia session, the greenback was around 107.65 yen, very slightly off its late Friday New York quote and 2/3 of a yen below where it was at the end of last week in Tokyo.    2003.12.08

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N. Korean Nuclear Reactor Talks to Start (AP). North Korea will hold talks this week with the U.S.-led consortium that suspended construction of a nuclear reactor because of the communist state's atomic weapons programs.   2003.12.08

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Japan-Mars (Radio Australia) Japan will make a last ditch effort tomorrow to try to save its mission to Mars.   2003.12.08

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DPRK-Six Way Talks (New York Times) More details on what the wires had Sunday out of Seoul about the proposal to be presented to Pyongyang via Beijing by Washington, Seoul and Tokyo. (NGG note: Our usual caveat about David Sanger bylined stories: treat any anonymous source quotes with caution. )   2003.12.08

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Japan-WWII Brothels (Los Angeles Times) A recently declassified report reveals how Japan ran brothels during World War II.   2003.12.08

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Hawaii-Pearl Harbor Anniv. (AP) An aging and dwindling number of veterans gather to remember the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.   2003.12.08

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Japan-Headlines (Kyodo) Here are the Monday morning headlines in leading Japanese daily newspapers.     2003.12.08

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LDP-Yakuza (Kyodo) More evidence emerges of ties between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Yamaguchi-gumi.   2003.12.08

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