101.   Japan has accused North Korea of kidnapping the Japanese nationals in an attempt to train spies in Japanese culture.

102.   Japan on Tuesday welcomed a Red Cross deal under which North Korea agreed to resume its search for Japanese nationals believed by Tokyo to have been kidnapped by Pyongyang.

103.   Japan has been reluctant to provide aid amid a furore at home over allegations that Japanese nationals had been kidnapped to the North in the past.

104.   Japanese diplomats in Beirut said no official extradition request has been made, but Tokyo has made it clear that it wants the five Japanese nationals returned home.

105.   Japanese nationals topped the list, followed by South Koreans, US passport holders, Russians, and Malaysians.

106.   Koizumi reiterated that Tokyo wanted to solve the issue of Japanese nationals allegedly kidnapped by North Korean agents before normalising ties with Pyongyang.

107.   Japan has accused North Korea of kidnapping the Japanese nationals in an attempt to train spies in Japanese culture so they could infiltrate South Korea by posing as Japanese.

108.   Japan has been reluctant to extend fresh aid to Pyongyang, citing suspected abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents.

109.   Japan has recently resisted US urging to give its surplus rice to the famine-stricken country citing allegations North Korean agents had kidnapped Japanese nationals here.

110.   Jiji Press here said the Japanese consulate in Los Angeles had not heard of any Japanese nationals being detained there.