Japanese authorities are trying to identify a body found inside one of the landing gear compartments on a Delta Airlines plane flight that arrived in Tokyo from New York.

Japanese authorities were scrambling today to track travellers who arrived on the same flight as three people diagnosed with the country's first confirmed cases of swine flu.

Visitors to Japan face fingerprinting and photographing when they land as part of a crackdown on terrorists.

Police expanded their investigation today at the site of Japan’s worst train crash in decades, but workers called off the search for bodies after the death toll reached 106.

The show must go on for Brad Pitt, who is set to make his first public appearance in Japan since announcing his marriage split from Jennifer Aniston.

FORMER world chess champion Boris Spassky has appealed to US President George W Bush to show mercy to former rival Bobby Fischer and not seek his extradition from Japan, according to a copy of a letter faxed to the media.

Japan is forcing airline passengers arriving directly from Europe to walk over germ-killing mats in a bid to fight foot-and-mouth.