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| Russian fighter jets 'breach Japan airspace' | Russian fighter jets 'breach Japan airspace' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two Russian fighter jets have violated Japanese airspace, prompting Tokyo to scramble its own aircraft, reports say. | Two Russian fighter jets have violated Japanese airspace, prompting Tokyo to scramble its own aircraft, reports say. |
| Japan lodged a protest after the planes were detected off the northern island of Hokkaido for just over a minute. | Japan lodged a protest after the planes were detected off the northern island of Hokkaido for just over a minute. |
| The incident happened after Japanese PM Shinzo Abe said he was seeking a solution to a territorial dispute with Russia over a Pacific island chain. | The incident happened after Japanese PM Shinzo Abe said he was seeking a solution to a territorial dispute with Russia over a Pacific island chain. |
| Russia's military denied the incursion, saying the jets were making routine flights near the disputed islands. | |
| Mr Abe was speaking on the anniversary of an 1855 treaty which Japan says supports its claims to the islands. | |
| The four islands - which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories - are the subject of a 60-year-old dispute. | The four islands - which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories - are the subject of a 60-year-old dispute. |
| Because of the dispute, the two nations have not yet signed a peace treaty to end World War II. | Because of the dispute, the two nations have not yet signed a peace treaty to end World War II. |
| "Today, around 03:00 (06:00 GMT), military fighters belonging to Russian Federation breached our nation's airspace above territorial waters off Rishiri island in Hokkaido," the foreign ministry said, quoted by AFP news agency. | "Today, around 03:00 (06:00 GMT), military fighters belonging to Russian Federation breached our nation's airspace above territorial waters off Rishiri island in Hokkaido," the foreign ministry said, quoted by AFP news agency. |
| Hours earlier, Mr Abe told former inhabitants of the disputed islands and their descendents: "In the telephone talks, I told [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin I would make efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution so as to ultimately solve the issue of the Northern Territories." | Hours earlier, Mr Abe told former inhabitants of the disputed islands and their descendents: "In the telephone talks, I told [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin I would make efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution so as to ultimately solve the issue of the Northern Territories." |
| In December, Mr Abe and Mr Putin agreed to restart talks on signing a peace treaty. | In December, Mr Abe and Mr Putin agreed to restart talks on signing a peace treaty. |