JAPAN

North Korea said on Tuesday it would conduct a nuclear test in the future but would never use atomic weapons first and remained committed to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, Pyongyang’s KCNA news agency reported. Analysts say the reclusive state, which shocked the region in July with a series of missile tests, has enough fissile material to make at least six to eight nuclear bombs.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il lavished luxury cars and apartments on female footballers who won the recent under-20 world championship, according to the country’s media. Kim rewarded the players for their crushing 5-0 win over China in the tournament final in Moscow earlier this month.

Superstitious or not, Japanese golfer Mitsuhiro Tateyama is likely to shudder whenever he comes across the number 19 in future after an horrific round at this week’s Acom International. Still, though, Tateyama could see the funny side after setting a Japanese record by taking 19 on a par-three hole at the Ishioka Golf Club on Thursday.

A Japanese man was arrested after trying to steal a mannequin from a display window, claiming it was love at first sight, news reports said on Monday. Shoji Shibuzaki (33) was arrested at 3am in the southern city of Maebara for allegedly trying to remove the mannequin from display at a community centre.

Japanese lawmaker Shinzo Abe, widely expected to become the country’s next prime minister, said on Friday the military should have a greater role in global security and should increase cooperation with United States forces. Abe called for a permanent law allowing Japanese forces to take part in international cooperation missions overseas.

A typhoon churned toward Japan’s Pacific coast on Thursday with heavy rain and choppy waves, leaving three people, including a middle-aged surfer, dead or missing, officials said. Typhoon Wukong, which means Monkey King in Chinese, was moving slowly towards the southern main island of Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

South Africa is confident in its ability to host the 2010 World Cup, claiming on Wednesday it is better prepared than Germany was at this point before the 2006 tournament. ”We are absolutely on target with World Cup preparations. We are well within the time frame,” Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk told reporters in Tokyo.

Japan’s space agency has set a goal of constructing a manned lunar base in 2030, an official said on Wednesday. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency revealed its ambition to an international conference in Tokyo this week but has not yet been alotted the budget for the ambitious project.

Harry Potter’s magic has failed to work on Japanese tax authorities, who accuse the translator of the blockbuster books on the boy wizard of failing to declare millions of dollars in income. Yuko Matsuoka (62) who has translated the books into Japanese since 1999, declared her income in Switzerland, saying she was a Swiss resident.

For those who relish looking back on the small, often inconsequential details of their lives, a Japanese company has come up with a "Big Brother" mobile network that makes up where human memory fails. Japan’s number two telecom operator KDDI said on Monday that it had developed a server that keeps a record of the smallest events in a person’s electronic life.

Forget about Japanese technology. Japan’s latest contribution to the war on terrorism is tiny fish, which will be deployed to detect contamination of water supplies. Light-orange rice fish, which are about 4cm long and are commonly kept as pets in Japan, will alert authorities if their movement is irregular.

Japan and the United States announced a plan on Wednesday to deploy advanced Patriot interceptor missiles and boost troop numbers at US bases in Japan as a top government spokesperson called for more action on North Korea over its recent missile tests.

Russian sumo wrestler Roho is the latest foreign import to land himself in hot water after smashing a window and belting two photographers in a fit of pique. The 195cm giant faces a ban from Japan’s ancient roly-poly sport after throwing a temper tantrum in the wake of a defeat on Saturday.

North Korea launched a seventh missile at about 5.20pm (8.20am GMT) on Wednesday, according to Japan’s Defence Agency. The missile landed six minutes later, but the location is not yet known. Pyongyang’s action has triggered a storm of international reaction, including immediate sanctions imposed by Japan and an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York.