Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn drove quietly out of the Japanese carmaker's soon-to-open headquarters today in the first public viewing of its new zero-emission vehicle.

A former defence minister today announced she would try to become Japan’s first female prime minister, as candidates made it clear today that rejuvenating the world’s second-largest economy would be the focus of the upcoming election battle.

Japan’s upper house of parliament approved an unprecedented no-confidence motion against embattled prime minister Yasuo Fukuda today.

The veteran politician selected by Japan's troubled ruling party as its pick for prime minister chose his right-hand men today.

Former Foreign Minister Taro Aso declared his candidacy today to replace Japan’s prime minister, running as the conservative choice against dovish former Cabinet secretary Yasuo Fukuda.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was hospitalised today for stress and exhaustion, a day after announcing his resignation, his doctors said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today announced he would resign, ending a troubled year-old government that has suffered a string of damaging scandals and a humiliating electoral defeat.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed sympathy for victims of Japan’s war-time aggression today as the country commemorated the 62nd anniversary of its surrender in the Second World War.

Japan’s ruling party suffered a devastating defeat in parliamentary elections today, as voters angry at a spate of government scandals revolted against embattled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe marked the 60th anniversary of Japan’s constitution today by calling for a bold review to allow the country to take a larger role in global security and foster a revival of national pride.

Rock star and anti-poverty activist Bono today urged Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to keep his nation’s pledge to boost aid to Africa and other parts of the developing world.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe arrived in China today for a fence-mending visit between the estranged Asian powers that will also focus on North Korea’s threats to carry out a nuclear test.

Japan’s new nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today pledged to make his country a decisive force on the international stage while restoring values of hard work and patriotism at home.

Leaders at a 38-nation Asia-Europe summit in Helsinki, Finland, stood in silence today, remembering those killed in the September 11 terror attacks five years ago in the United States.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso today officially announced his candidacy to replace Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi next month, despite polls that show him trailing far behind the front-runner, his office said.

THE house and office of a politician critical of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s controversial visit to a war shrine burned down yesterday.

The house and office of a politician critical of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to a war shrine burned down today, police said.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today made a pilgrimage to a Tokyo war shrine reviled by critics as a symbol of militarism, triggering a further erosion in Japan’s ties with its neighbours just a month before he leaves office.

REGIONAL tensions rose amid speculation that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi would visit a shrine for war dead tomorrow, on the anniversary of Tokyo’s World War Two surrender, which is seen by critics as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism.

Japan’s rising sun flag flew at the Yasukuni war shrine and tourists thronged today in anticipation of the event of the year – a possible pilgrimage by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Japan’s Princess Kiko has developed complications with her pregnancy and may have to give birth to her third child by Caesarean section, Kyodo News agency reported.

JAPAN’S central bank raised interest rates for the first time in six years yesterday, lifting its key rate to 0.25% from 0% and affirming the end of a long era of deflation and economic stagnation.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today said Israel’s incursion into Lebanon had raised the spectre of a large-scale Middle East war and urged world powers to intervene “to stop this serious deterioration”.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today declared a Lebanese guerrilla attack on Israel’s northern border to be “an act of war,” and vowed that the Israeli response “will be very, very, very painful”.

President George Bush today warned North Korea not to test fire a long-range missile, saying Pyongyang must tell the world its intentions for any launch.

Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi today said party elections to choose his successor will kick off on September 8, with the vote possibly taking place on September 20.

Japan’s top court today threw out two appeals challenging the constitutionality of prime minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visits to a Tokyo war shrine, news reports said.

Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi today announced the withdrawal of 600 ground troops from southern Iraq, saying they had accomplished their humanitarian mission.

Opponents of a possible North Korean long-range missile test stepped up a diplomatic drive to stop the launch today, issuing a barrage of warnings to the reclusive nation and threatening retaliation if it went ahead.

World leaders and terrorism experts described the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as a blow to al-Qaida, but warned that his network of lieutenants would step up to carry on his campaign of death and destruction in Iraq.

Iran has a right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and is committed to not building a nuclear weapon, its foreign minister said today.

US President George Bush intends to invite Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a known Elvis Presley enthusiast, to the former estate of the rock legend in Tennessee, the US Ambassador to Japan said today.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today hinted he would not push ahead with a bill allowing women to ascend Japan’s imperial throne.

Japan should have more thoroughly inspected US cattle facilities before easing a ban on American beef last month, Japan’s agriculture minister said today.

Japan will push ahead with wide-ranging reforms and strengthen its relations with China and South Korea, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said today, in what may be his last annual policy speech to parliament.

Japanese stocks plunged for a second day today, bringing its two-day loss to nearly 6% amid investor jitters about a widening criminal investigation of internet start-up Livedoor Co.

TURKEY yesterday raced to contain an outbreak of bird flu and reassure the world it had the potentially fatal illness under control.

Turkey today raced to contain an outbreak of bird flu and reassure the world it had the potentially fatal illness under control, after preliminary tests showed at least 15 people – two of them children who have died – were infected with the deadly H5N1 strain.

US President George Bush’s going-away present to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was some kind of “good luck charm”.

FROM Japan to the Atlantic, world leaders praised and worried about Ariel Sharon yesterday - a remarkable outpouring for a man not long ago seen as a threat to the Middle East.

Japan will proceed with a ballistic missile defence programme with its closest ally, the US, a top government official said today despite concerns that the project may further erode Japan’s pacifist constitution.

Southeast Asian nations pressed Myanmar’s (Burma’s) generals to get serious about democracy as they opened a summit today aiming for broader Asian integration – an uphill task as shown by a feud raging between China and Japan.

Japan’s defence chief visited Japanese troops in southern Iraq amid rising expectations that Tokyo will extend its humanitarian mission there into next year, local news agencies said.

Iraq’s foreign minister today asked Japan’s premier and its defence chief to extend Tokyo’s deployment of about 600 troops to southern Iraq.