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Reports that North Korea has set out three conditions to be met before it would return to the regional talks on its nuclear program. Denunciation of the latest regional talks by North Korea on September 2004; Accusation of an official in South Korea regarding the selling of international food aid by North Korea; Criticism of North Korea on the Washington led naval drill scheduled to take place on October 26, 2004.

Reports that rescuers had dug into hundreds of landslides, sifting for survivors for the worst typhoon that ever hit Japan that killed at least sixty-six people and left twenty-two people missing. Destruction made by the typhoon Tokage on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's four main islands; Saturation of the soil and loosening of the slopes brought by the heavy rains; Report of the Fire and Disaster Management Agency on the estimated damage caused by tokage typhoon.

Reports on the casualties of a typhoon in the main islands of Japan.

Mentions the efforts of the Portuguese to promote their language in Macao, the 10-square-mile area surrendered to China in 1999. Consideration of how enrollments for private Portuguese classes have tripled since 2002; Goals of leaders in Beijing to dictate that Macao will serve as a platform for China's growing commercial and strategic interests in the Latin world; How Macao offers training programs and conventions where the languages of Chinese and Portuguese are both spoken; Aggressive strategies employed by China to establish connections between countries that speak both Portuguese and Spanish; Plans to expand companies such as Portugal Telecom in China.

Reports on the plan for North Koreans to work in South Korean factories in the country's first industrial park. Description of the Kaesong Industrial Park; Analysis of the plan and its impact on Koreans; Way that this would open up more jobs for North Koreans; Economic aspects of the project.

Reports that a mother has posted an Internet notice looking for companion for a group suicide. Number of volunteers on the notice; Use of the Internet as a tool for suicide in Japan; Number of group suicides recorded.

Reports developments related to petroleum industry in Europe as of October 2004.

Reports on the agreement for the disbursement of financial aid for the reconstruction of Iraq. Impact of the violence on the prospect of hastening the aid to the country; Estimated amount pledge by countries for the reconstruction; Strategies on ways to spend the budget and to work around the security problem in the state.

Reports on the link of Internet suicide sites in the death of nine people in two rented cars in Japan. Discovery of seven bodies in the first car that had been rented for the day; Suspicion that all had died of carbon monoxide poisoning; Presence of Web sites where people discuss suicide and suicide techniques.

Looks at Ivanhoe Mine's mining venture into Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi mine with China's Jiangxi Copper Company in search of copper and gold. Estimated worth of copper and gold to be found in mine; Inability of Jiangxi to maintain supplies, leading to the Chinese construction of a highway and power lines to Mongolian border; Hopes of Mongolians that Oyu Tolgoi will transform economy, despite wariness of Chinese involvement.

Reports on the reorganization of the cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Japan. Appointment of Heizo Takenaka as postal reform minister; Creation of the postal reform minister position in overseeing the breakup and sale of Japan Post; Selection of new ministers for foreign affairs and defense.

Reports on the confusion of the hold of a 6-nation talks about the nuclear facilities of North Korea.

Profiles the man-made island of Songdo in the Yellow Sea off Inchon, South Korea. Attempts by a New Jersey developer, Stanley Gale, to deveopl a trade center there that he hopes will make it a hub city for Northeast Asia; Intentions to make it a corporate hub in a free economic zone, a bilingual English-Korean city where foreigners can own land, run schools and hospitals and where companies can get relief from Korean taxes and bureaucracy; Highlights of the plan.

Reports on the opposition of local residents on the plan to open an airstrip to military planes in the island of Shimoji Shima in Japan. Observation of residents on the impact the plan may have on the islands' tourist trade; Concerns on the disputes regarding the territorial claim of China on the area; Interest of the U.S. military to develop a training ground in the island.

Reports on a plan for Japan to access oil from Russia through the development of a pipeline. Speculation that Russia and Japan will negotiate a truce over the dispute regarding four islands; How the oil industry will bring the two countries together; Tour of the island territory by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Kotzumi and the response of Russians.

Reports that Chang In Soon, the president of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, has told foreign reporters that scientists under his command has performed an enrichment experiment. Inspection of laboratories by the International Atomic Energy Agency; Agreement of South Korea to enrich uranium for nuclear power; Assessment of the rules on nuclear enrichment.

Reports on the assertion of South Korean officials that the nation had no nuclear arms program. Statement of Chang In Soon, director of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute regarding the experiment of government scientists involving uranium; Acknowledgment that the institute was not authorized to enrich uranium; Information on the tests made by the scientists that enriched tiny amounts of uranium.

Reports on the possibility of resolving the territorial fight between Japan and Russia. Increase in the oil imports of Japan; Schedule of the visit of President Vladimir V. Putin to Tokyo; Interest of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on the bilateral relationship.

Looks at the Australian wine industry, which is now the second-largest source of imported wine in the United States. Philip Ryan, the chief winemaker for McWilliam's Wines, and his new distribution agreement with E.&J. Gallo Winery; Aggressive forecasts Ryan is making for the U.S. market; Tweny-nine-fold increase in wine exports to the U.S. from 1990 to 2003.

Focuses on the struggle of the South Korean government officials to confirm reports from North Korea of the death of its leader Kim Jong II's mistress Koh Young Hee. Closure of the North Korea its northern border to foreign tourists; Mystery of the death of Koh Young Hee; Promotion of Koh Young Hee.

Reports on the agreement between China and South Korea regarding the boundaries of the ancient kingdom of Koguryo. Importance of the kingdom for the South Koreans; Impact of the trade relations between the two countries on the agreement; Details on the history of Koguryo.

Reports on the insults hurled by North Korea on U.S. President George W. Bush in August 2004. Labeling of Bush as a tyrant and an imbecile; Claim of South Korean experts that the move is only a tactic; Assertion of a former American diplomat that North Koreans want Senator John Kerry to win over Bush in the elections.

Discusses the plans for Russian liquefied natural gas to be shipped to California as part of a deal between the U.S. and the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company led by Royal Dutch/Shell. Plans for the gas to be shipped from Sakhalin to a terminal in Northern Mexico as part of a joint venture owned by Shell and Sempra Energy; How the plant in Ensenada, Mexico would convert superchilled liquid into gas which would be shipped by pipeline to Southern California; How world politics plays an important role in how nations decide who they want to buy oil from; Consideration of the rivalry for resources between China and Japan.

Reports that the Novotel Olympic Park complex in Sydney, Australia has grown into a prosperous new community. Convention business and new housing in what was once a fringe neighborhood, reflecting planning and Sydney's status as Australia's trendiest city; Growing tourist arrivals in Australia in the first six months of the year; 2000 Olympic Games, when images of efficiency and cutting-edge design spotlighted a wider shift in Australia's society; 2000, when the number of white-collar workers surpassed the number of blue-collar workers for the first time in Australia.

Discusses the battle over benefits of a free trade pact between the United States and Australia. Signing of a free trade pact by President George W. Bush with Australia; Vow to block Australian Senate approval of the pact by Mark Latham, the Labor Party's current leader; Impact on upcoming parliamentary elections; Demand for two amendments to the pact by Mr. Latham; Recent transformation of Australia from inward-looking and provincial to globally competitive.

Focuses on the construction of the Mongolian Millennium Highway in Nalaikh, Mongolia. Benefit of the Millennium Highway for the government; Terms of the project; Pavement of roads in the desert.

Discusses how Mongolia now values China as its largest foreign investor and trading partner. Invitation to China to drill for oil in Mongolia; Roads in Mongolia being built by Chinese road crews; Fact that 15 years ago when Mongolia was a Soviet satellite it kept its Chinese borders closed.

Discusses the new face of farming in Russia's vast lightly populated lands near the Chinese border. Sharecropping arrangements between Chinese farmers and Russian landowners; Appeal of the rich, arable land in Russia's Far East; Statistics showing that China's food imports will grow steadily; Shrinking of China's cultivated land.

Focuses on Andr&eacute: Tolm&eacute:, a civil engineer from New Hampshire, who is golfing his way across Mongolia, using only a three-iron. Comments of Tolmé; Mongolia's geography; Background on the new extreme golf movement; Tolmé's golfing style; Details of the adventure; His encounters with Mongolians.

Profiles Mongolia's Maritime Administration and its Ship Registry, an international service that offers competitive fees and no restrictions on the ownership of any ship. Description of Mongolia as the world's largest landlocked country; New rules, intended to prevent hijacking of large vessels for terrorist attacks, requiring that ships and ports adopt verifiable, uniform security plans; Reasons for Mongolia's emergence as a seafaring nation.

Reports on the investment of Japanese capital in Russia. Ownership of a total of 45 percent of the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company by two Japanese companies, Mitsui & Company, and the Mitsubishi Corporation; Long-term contracts with four Japanese electricity and gas companies to buy liquefied natural gas from Russia; Commitment to Russia's resource-rich, but capital-poor Far Eastern holdings.

Reports that by quietly ignoring the efforts of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to isolate North Korea, South Korea has become its neighbor's largest source of aid, trade and tourism. Younger South Koreans and the increasingly liberal South Korean government, who no longer see North Korea as a military threat; Conciliatory stance which causes uneasiness in Washington D.C., where the White House tries to induce North Korea to drop its nuclear program; Soaring bilateral trade and efforts to nudge North Korea down the road towards a free market and economic development.

Discusses the 60 year friendship between captured Japanese soldier Tekeo Sato and U.S. Marine John Rich. Citation of the bond formed between prisoner and interrogator during the fall of Saipan to U.S. military forces in July of 1944; Celebration of the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Americans over the Japanese in Saipan; Claim on the possibility for mortal enemies to overcome prejudices and war crimes; Recollection of the war experiences and the development of the interpersonal relations between Sato and Rich.

Highlights the celebrations of U.S. veterans in Saipan, Northern Marianas, commemorating the 60th anniversary of D-Days of the Pacific. Comments from retired Brigadier General Paul Tibbets on the absence of dignitaries and Marine Corps Band during the celebration; Veterans' comments on the relegation of the Pacific anniversary to second-class status; Comparison with the celebrations at Normandy.

Discusses the steel industry in China and its importance to the economy. Analysis of the iron ore production in China; Description of contracts with other countries to supply China with scrap metal; Collection of scrap metal in Russia and other places; Cheapness of melting existing metal than to process ore.

Reports on the record number of suicides in Japan in 2003 as the economy struggled to emerge from a prolonged slump.

Reports on a plan by the U.S. to withdraw one-third of its troops from South Korea by the end of 2005, as part of a wider effort to reposition American forces worldwide. Details of the plan; How the proposed cutback is setting off debate in South Korea regarding its alliance with the U.S.; Criticism of the government of President Roh Moo Hyun for allowing anti-American views to flourish; Efforts of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to draw up new designs for U.S. forces, using technology to assess threats and quickly move troops to meet them; History of U.S. troops in South Korea.

Focuses on the interview given by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi calling for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program if North Korea wants Japanese economic aid and diplomatic ties. International efforts to persuade North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program; Concerns that Japan is the most likely potential target of the nuclear weapons.

Reports that the North and South Korean government has agreed to open their first cross-border road and rail links by October 2004. Decision of the South Korean government to extend a 400,000-ton rice loan to the North; Pledges for greater economic cooperation.

Presents evidence that North Korea is moving towards a market economy. Effect of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's strict communist policy on North Korea's economic collapse; Signs that economic restrictions have been loosened during the past two years; Evidence of future capitalistic growth and continued economic development.

Reports that the North Korean government has banned the use of cellphones as a security measure following the April 22, 2004 train explosion. Claim of security officials that cellphones are being used to set off the blast.

Reports that insults on an Internet page may have prompted a schoolgirl to kill her classmate Satomi Mitarai in Sasebo-shi, Japan.

Focuses on the deposits of potential buyers hoping to be chosen for the apartments or offices in the City Park towers in Seoul, South Korea. Worth of the total deposits; Number of potential buyers; Units available in the City Park towers.

Describes the efforts of South Korea in keeping the peace in the peninsula. Discussion of South Korean government's policy toward North Korea which is officially called "Peace and Prosperity"; Seoul District Court's release of three conscientious objectors who were charged for not performing military service.

Reports on the controversy regarding Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's trip to North Korea. Koizumi's summit meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il; Koizumi's success in bringing home the family members who were kidnapped by North Korea from Japan; Japan's foreign relations with North Korea.

Reports that Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il to negotiate the repatriation of the children of Japanese citizens abducted by the country in the 1970s. Criticism against Koizumi's approach in handling the abduction issue; Allegations that Koizumi took the easy way out of the abduction controversy by offering monetary and food aid to the North Korean government.

Reports that foreign investors have bought nearly half of the shares of South Korea's top ten publicly trade conglomerates. Former reputation of conglomerates for nationalism and inside-the-family accounting; Prominence of the Samsung Group among foreign investors; Other companies including Hyundai Motor and Hyundai Heavy Industries; Foreign stockholder statistics; Background for South Korea's renewed interest in foreign investment; Comparison to North Korea.

Reports that the peak of the 2004 climbing season at Mount Everest has claimed four lives including three South Koreans and a Japanese. Account of the deaths of the climbers; Background on the climbers; Failed rescue attempts.

Reports on the investigations conducted by the Japanese police on a French national believed to be linked to a terrorist cell organized by Al Qaeda organization. Criminal record on the French citizen of Algerian descent; Investigations on bank transactions and telephone records.

Reports on crown prince of Japan Naruhito's unprecedented public complaint that his wife Princess Masako was reduced to a depressed recluse by court bureaucrats obsessed with obtaining a male heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Charges against the court; Concern on the developments that denied Princess Masako's career and personality; Public's reaction on Masako's situation.