21.   North Korea has reportedly denied it was responsible for sending two suspected spy ships into Japanese waters earlier this week, instead blaming rival South Korea for the incursion.

22.   North Korea has denied sending two suspected spy ships into Japanese waters earlier this week and blamed rival South Korea for the incursion, Japanese officials said Friday.

23.   North Korea said Saturday it had nothing to do with the incursion of two suspected spy ships in Japanese waters earlier this week.

24.   Norota will tour a Maritime Self-Defense Force base near the western Japanese city of Kyoto, from which vessels were dispatched to pursue the pair of suspected spy ships.

25.   North Korea reiterated Monday that it has nothing to do with the recent incursion of spy ships into Japanese waters.

26.   Regional tensions flared last month when North Korea sent spy ships into Japanese waters, triggering the first active deployment of Japanese warships since World War II.

27.   That project comes after suspected North Korean spy ships entered Japanese waters in March.

28.   The origin of the trawler remains unconfirmed, though many think it was likely a North Korean spy ship.

29.   The Sankei said the two spy ships also were used to heighten military tension between Japan and North Korea by encouraging Japanese forces to shoot at them.

30.   The spy ships then raced out of Japanese waters.