2005.05.31

Japan-Chinese ID Theft Gang (Kyodo) Chinese organized crime behind a sophisticated operation in at least 17 prefectures in Japan that sold thousands of fake alien registration cards and other legal documents (including passports) to hundreds of resident foreigners from 40 countries. If you are a foreigner living in Japan, you may be the victim of identity theft. If you call your local ward office (kuyakusho) to try to get information, they are very unlikely to acknowledge there is a problem. 2005.05.31

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Japan-PRC Submarine (VOA) Japanese government says apparent fire aboard Ming-class Chinese naval submarine in the South China Sea poses no threat to Japan. 2005.05.31

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KAL flight diverted to Japan after passenger alarm (Reuters). It's been revealed that a  Korean Air flight bound for San Francisco was diverted to Narita yesterday as it neared U.S. airspace after authorities discovered a passenger was on a U.S. government's no-fly list. 2005.05.31

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Australia-JAL (Kyodo) UPDATED Japan Air Lines has yet another safety-related incident involving one of its jets -- this time in Sydney. 2005.05.31

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Japan-Smoking [Mainichi] Japanese companies flash victory in the war against smoking, but the government sees different smoke signals rising. 2005.05.31

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IATA-Aviation Woes (VOA) The organization representing 95% of the world's airlines, IATA, wants governments to treat them better so they can lose a few less billion dollars. 2005.05.31

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Russian FM Lavrov arrives in Japan amid lingering territorial dispute (AFP). Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in Japan to lay the groundwork for President Vladimir Putin's Japan visit later this year. 2005.05.31

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Japan mobile makers face challenges at home, abroad (Reuters). Not only have Japanese mobile phone makers' global ambitions been dashed, but they may soon face challenges at home as foreign firms compete with cutting-edge camera phones, mobile Web access and 3G handsets. 2005.05.31

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Britons now like their puzzles with numbers. [Christian Science Monitor] A simple Japanese numbers puzzle called Sudoku is gripping Britain. 2005.05.31

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