Ship's Crew Rescued Near Disputed Territory

Nineteen crew members have been rescued from a ship owned by a South Korean company that sank near disputed territory near the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The Runei sank in the Kunashir Straits between the Japanese island of Hokkaido and the island of Kunashir, which is ruled by Russia but claimed by Japan.The ship was registered in Cambodia, but 12 of the sailors rescued were Russian and seven were citizens of Myanmar, press agency Interfax reported. The report did not say whether the vessel was carrying any cargo. Russia and Japan have never signed a peace treaty ending World War II, as Japan claims the four islands off its northern coast which Soviet troops seized days after Tokyo's surrender in 1945.