Bogus bones
The week's news at a glance.
Tokyo
Japan threatened economic sanctions against North Korea this week after the totalitarian country tried to pass off random bones and ashes as the remains of a Japanese prisoner. The North Korean government kidnapped Megumi Yokota in 1977, when she was 13, and used her as a language instructor for North Korean spies. In what was supposed to be a goodwill gesture, the regime presented Japanese diplomats last week with a box of remains said to be those of Yokota, but tests showed they belonged to several different people. The Japanese, who venerate their dead, were appalled. “We are so stunned at this development,” said Tokyo’s Asahi Shimbun in an editorial, “that we cannot adequately express our indignation.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Europe's heatwave: the new front line of climate change
In the Spotlight How will the continent adapt to 'bearing the brunt of climate change'?