2005.12.14

Bulgarian sumo star says just doing his job (Reuters). A Bulgarian who has become the first European to rise to sumo's second-highest rank is being lauded as the continent's best envoy to Japan, but the giant grappler says he's simply doing his job. 2005.12.14

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1 Out of 5 ROK Households Skip Meals. [Hankook Ilbo] Almost one out of five South Korean households have cut their food expenses or sometimes skipped meals due to financial difficulties. 2005.12.14

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Japan construction scandal widens. [BBC ] A Japanese architect who admits breaching safety rules says he was not the only person ignoring standards. 2005.12.14

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Honda to launch Acura luxury brand in Japan (Reuters). Honda says it will bring its high-end Acura brand to its home Japanese market in late 2008, following Toyota's Lexus marque into the lucrative premium segment. 2005.12.14

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Asia-Espionage (Taipei Times) A one-time high level U.S. diplomat, formerly stationed at the American Embassy in Tokyo, pleads guilty after being caught in Taiwanese honey pot.   2005.12.14

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Japan-Space (Kyodo) Japan's troubled asteroid probe will take longer to return to Earth than scheduled amid further woes revealed by JAXA. 2005.12.14

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Christmas Eve spells romance in Japan (Reuters). Christmas Eve in some parts of the world may find parents battling crowds of other last-minute shoppers or struggling to assemble toys as their children sleep, but in Japan the holiday is as much for couples as for kids. 2005.12.14

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Japanese Prime Minister Defends Shrine Visits. [VOA ] Junichiro Koizumi says he fails to understand why Chinese PM refuses to meet him because of his visits to Yasukuni shrine. 2005.12.14

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