The United Nations' specialist on North Korean human rights is calling for Pyongyang to provide full details about the fate of Japanese abducted by North Korean agents. The appeal came as a Japanese official indicated that the number of abductees is far higher than the 17 officially recognized so far. VOA's Steve Herman reports from Tokyo.

The head of the Japanese Defense Agency says he would like to see military exchanges and joint exercises between China and Japan. Defense Agency Director General Fumio Kyuma, in an exclusive interview with VOA, says the idea has gotten a positive response from China. VOA's Steve Herman reports from Tokyo.

What were to be summit meetings of East Asian leaders have collapsed completely as a tropical storm bears down on the summit site. VOA's Heda Bayron reports from the Philippine city of Cebu, a meeting of the Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers is all that saved the event from complete failure.