Selected Articles :: Monday, May 18, 2009

New Japan opposition head revives election chances
05:07:00 p.m. Monday May 18, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - Mon May 18, 2009 3:07am EDT
Reuters
By Chisa Fujioka
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's opposition Democratic Party has revived its chances of ousting Prime Minister Taro Aso's party in a looming election after replacing its scandal-tainted leader, media polls showed on Monday. continued ...


Protests as nuclear fuel ship docks in Japan
3:38:00 p.m. Monday May 18, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - 2 hrs 30 mins ago 6:08 PM
AFP
OMAEZAKI, Japan (AFP) – An armed vessel with a load of recycled nuclear fuel from France arrived amid heavy security Monday at a Japanese port where it was greeted by dozens of protesters. continued ...


Hatoyama vows to bring regime change under new DPJ leadership
02:04:00 p.m. Monday May 18, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - May 18 12:04 AM US/Eastern
Kyodo
TOKYO, May 18 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Democratic Party of Japan's new leader Yukio Hatoyama vowed Monday that the main opposition party will realize a regime change under his new leadership which includes Secretary General Katsuya Okada and Ichiro Ozawa as acting president in charge of election strategy. continued ...


Survey finds more support for Hatoyama
12:56:00 p.m. Monday May 18, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - Published: May 17, 2009 at 10:56 PM
UPI
TOKYO, May 17 (UPI) -- More Japanese want opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama to be their next prime minister than incumbent Taro Aso, a Kyodo news agency survey said.
In the nationwide telephone survey, which asked who they preferred as their next prime minister, 43.6 percent of the respondents picked Hatoyama, the newly elected leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, compared to 32 percent who favored Aso, the news agency said. continued ...


Rainy season begins in Okinawa, Amami areas
12:11:00 p.m. Monday May 18, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - May 17 10:11 PM US/Eastern
Kyodo
TOKYO, May 18 (AP) - (Kyodo)—The rainy season is believed to have begun in Okinawa Prefecture and on Amami Island in Kagoshima Prefecture on Monday, the first areas of Japan to experience it this year, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The rainy season began ten days later than on average in Okinawa and eight days later on Amami Island, while the season began in both areas four days earlier than last year, according to the agency. continued ...


Armed ship with nuclear fuel arrives in Japan: witness
09:03:00 a.m. Monday May 18, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - Sun May 17, 7:03 pm ET
AFP
OMAEZAKI, Japan (AFP) – An armed vessel carrying a massive load of recycled nuclear fuel arrived in Japan on Monday from France, an AFP correspondent witnessed.
The Pacific Heron, a specially adapted ship with a British police team on board to head off possible hijackers, arrived in the central port of Omaezaki more than two months after it left France in March. continued ...


British POW's son fights for apology from Japanese PM
08:21:00 a.m. Monday May 18, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - Last Updated: 11:21PM BST 17 May 2009
Telegraph.co.uk
By Julian Ryall in Tokyo
The son of a Royal Navy stoker forced to work in a coal mine owned by the family of the Japanese prime minister Taro Aso has begun a one-man campaign to secure an apology and compensation for his father's suffering. continued ...


U.S. asked Japan to suspend Nakasone's visit to Iran
07:19:00 a.m. Monday May 18, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - May 17 05:19 PM US/Eastern
Kyodo
TOKYO, May 18 (AP) - (Kyodo)—The U.S. government asked Japan to suspend the visit of Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone to Iran due to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks on Israel, informed sources said Sunday.
Despite the request, Nakasone met Ahmadinejad in Tehran on May 2 and called on the Iranian leader to give humanitarian consideration to the case of an American journalist of Japanese descent who was detained in Iran for espionage. continued ...


Full text of Hiroshima-Nagasaki Declaration of Nobel Peace laureates
07:13:00 a.m. Monday May 18, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - May 17 05:13 PM US/Eastern
Kyodo
HIROSHIMA, May 18 (AP) - (Kyodo)—The following is the full text of "The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Declaration of Nobel Peace Laureates" published Monday in the Chugoku Shimbun newspaper in Hiroshima. continued ...


17 Nobel Peace laureates jointly call for nuclear-free world
07:07:00 a.m. Monday May 18, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - May 17 05:07 PM US/Eastern
Kyodo
HIROSHIMA, May 18 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Seventeen Nobel Peace laureates have called for a world free of nuclear weapons, following U.S. President Barack Obama's recent commitment to eliminate nuclear arsenals, according to their joint declaration published Monday in the Chugoku Shimbun newspaper in Hiroshima. continued ...


Okada to become DPJ secretary general
09:05:00 p.m. Sunday May 17, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - May 17 07:05 AM US/Eastern
Kyodo
TOKYO, May 17 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Yukio Hatoyama, the new president of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, told reporters Sunday that he has decided to appoint Vice President Katsuya Okada as secretary general of the party and former leader Ichiro Ozawa as acting president in charge of election strategy. continued ...


Ex-DPJ chief Ozawa may take post in charge of election strategy
01:29:00 p.m. Sunday May 17, 2009 in Pacific/Guam - May 16 11:29 PM US/Eastern
Kyodo
TOKYO, May 17 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Yukio Hatoyama, new chief of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, indicated Sunday he intends to give his predecessor Ichiro Ozawa a senior party post in charge of election strategy.
"Mr. Ozawa's election tactics have been very successful," Hatoyama told reporters. "We'd like (Mr. Ozawa) to continue to help us." continued ...