Japan to lift sanctions against North Korea

Japan is to lift some of its sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang’s decision to create a committee to investigate the fate of at least a dozen Japanese who were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said he was satisfied the committee has the mandate to carry out a serious investigation into the abductions, although previous deals with the North have fallen through.