Japan has responded to requests from Washington for increased security measures on airline flights by preparing armed plainclothes officers from the National Police Agency to serve as sky marshals on flights to the US. Officers have been sent to Germany for training in their sky marshal program and the NPA anticipates getting the program up by the end of the year. Yomiuri Shimbun has more.

In other international law news...

• The Turkish Parliament (official site in Turkish and English) meets today to begin discussing the hotly contested proposed penal code reforms. Most of the reforms have been met with relative praise in the international community, but that has been overshadowed by the inclusion of a provision criminalizing adultery. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has refused to back down from the provision, stating that it is necessary to protect the 'unity of the family'. BBC has more.
  
  
• Lt. General Kermabon of the NATO Kosovo Force has announced the introduction of an additional 2000 troops into Kosovo. The troops will be present during the elections scheduled in the area for the end of October to ensure the stability of the region. Reuters has more.
  
  
• The UN General Assembly concluded its 58th session Monday, finishing its work for 2004. The final resolution of the body concerned the official position of the UN on cooperation between UN organs and the International Criminal Court. The Resolution (not yet published, but soon to be available here) addressed the logistics of the Court, as well as the concerns of member-states about its application to non-signatories, most notably the US. The official UN press release is here.