Sony executives today apologised for inconvenience caused by a massive global recall in laptop batteries, but said the problems were now fixed and that none of the company’s top leaders would resign over the recall.

Nationalist Shinzo Abe, a proponent of a tight alliance with the US and a more assertive military, won election as Japan’s new prime minister today, scoring comfortable majorities in both houses.

Japan and Australia today became the first countries to take firm steps to punish North Korea for its missile tests this week, while Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Taiwan added their voices to the chorus of condemnation worldwide.

A 79-YEAR-OLD Japanese man who went missing at the end of World War II and resurfaced nearly six decades later in Russia went back to his homeland to be reunited with relatives.

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’s foreign minister today pledged to smooth ties with China and South Korea after Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi enraged the two Asian neighbours and sparked business jitters by visiting a war shrine that critics say glorifies Japan’s militaristic past.

Japan unveiled plans today to release some of its strategic oil reserves held by refiners to the oil market.