Japan foreign minister - making utmost efforts for release of Japanese held by ISIS

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will ask Jordan to beef up protection of its diplomats in that country and Tokyo is making utmost efforts to secure the release of a Japanese journalist held by Islamic State militants, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters on Friday.

Jordan said on Thursday it was still holding an Iraqi would-be suicide bomber as a deadline passed for her release set by Islamic State militants who threatened to kill a Jordanian pilot unless she was handed over by sunset. Kishida said on Friday he had no major developments to report.