Japan

TOKYO — Longtime opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama took office as prime minister on Wednesday, naming a new Cabinet and vowing to rebuild the economy and refocus Japan's place on the world stage with his largely untested party.

Shizuka Kamei, leader of Japan’s People’s New Party, accepted an offer to be the nation’s next minister for financial services, responsible for oversight of the banking and insurance industries.

VIENNA — The International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday formally appointed Yukiya Amano of Japan as its new director general from December 1, amid the stalemate over Iran's disputed nuclear ambitions.

Japan's NEC Corp will take over the cellphone operations at Casio Computer Co and Hitachi Ltd as the struggling sector bands together to cut costs and survive a fast-shrinking market.

A split is emerging between the United States and Japan over the new Tokyo government's anti-globalisation rhetoric and its threats to end a refueling agreement for US ships in support of the war in Afghanistan.

TOKYO — A partner in Japan's incoming coalition government Thursday said it would not budge from its demand that the nation end a naval refuelling mission backing US-led military operations in Afghanistan.

Japan's new ruling party will form a coalition government with two smaller groups despite differences on foreign policy, party leaders said Wednesday in Tokyo.

TOKYO — Japan's incoming prime minister said Tuesday he was confident coalition talks on forming a new government would be complete within the day, despite differences on defence and history.

TOKYO — Japan's next prime minister on Monday vowed tough greenhouse gas cuts for the world's number two economy as he prepared to name key cabinet posts ahead of taking power next week.

TOKYO — Katsuya Okada, a senior figure in the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), is to be appointed the nation's new foreign minister, newspapers reported on Saturday.