Japan extends sanctions on North Korea by two years

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has decided to extend sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang's delay in reporting on its investigation into the abductions of Japanese citizens decades ago, the top government spokesman said on Tuesday. Japan will extend a trade embargo on North Korea and a ban on North Korean ships entering Japanese ports, except if there are humanitarian reasons, by two years. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that Japan will continue to urge Pyongyang to report on its probe into the abduction issue swiftly and make the utmost effort to return all the abductees. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Chris Gallagher)