Japanese journalist detained in Russia on espionage charges

Russia's Federal Security Service has arrested a Japanese journalist in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, on Sakhalin Island. The journalist works for Hokkaido Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper with an office in the city. Officers detained him on Tuesday as he was about to leave Russia. A court in Moscow later ordered him to stay in custody while investigators continue their work. The FSB says he collected information about Russia's military for a Japanese intelligence agency. Espionage carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years in Russia. The arrest happened shortly after President Putin visited the Kuril Islands, which both Russia and Japan claim. Japan calls the four southernmost islands the Northern Territories. The Japanese government is working to confirm details of the case through its Moscow embassy.