Japan PM forced to withdraw Afghan backing
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Yasuo Fukuda could have to call early general election after failing to win opposition backing for country's participation in US-led conflict.
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Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Wednesday Japanese troops would not pull out of Iraq, rejecting a demand by Islamic militants claiming to have taken a Japanese hostage.
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Japan's PM Yasuo Fukuda fails to get opposition agreement to continue a support mission for Afghanistan.
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Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made the pledge after talks with visiting South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. The Japanese government is under pressure to impose sanctions over a row concerning kidnapped Japanese.
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Japan's prime minister, a staunch U.S. ally in Iraq, refused on Wednesday to withdraw Japan's troops from the country, taking a tough stance in the face of demands by militants threatening to behead a Japanese hostage unless the soldiers leave.
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The Prime Minister vowed to restore Japan's place on the world stage. His resignation may be a sign that domestic concerns will turn the country inward again
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Japan grappled Wednesday with the fallout from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to a Tokyo war shrine, as diplomats reportedly worked to mend frayed ties with China and South Korea.
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Japan has taken another step towards freeing itself from military restrictions in place since the end of World War II. The changes are a significant retreat from the pacifist policies that
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Shinzo Abe tells ruling party officials he will resign as Japan's PM, local media reports say.
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Support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has fallen to its lowest level since he took office, dented by the suicide of a scandal-hit minister and government bungling of pension records, an opinion poll showed on Monday.
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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began the toughest battle of his political life in a parliament session that opened on Monday after staking his job on extending Japan's naval mission in support of U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan.
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Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is considering announcing an end to Japan&#039;s military mission in Iraq ahead of his meeting with US President George W. Bush later this month, the foreign minister said.
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The front-runner to become Japan's next prime minister vowed Saturday to extend his nation's support for U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan.
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Japan&#039;s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi won Israeli support for its accusations of a North Korean military threat, while urging the Jewish state to take &amp;quot;rational action&amp;quot; in the face of an escalating Middle East crisis.
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NEW YORK-The Iraqi and Afghan leaders both asked Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to continue assisting their war-ravaged countries, Japanese officials said Tuesday.
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The beheading of a Japanese hostage in Iraq renewed pressure on Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to withdraw his country&#39;s troops, as the opposition blamed his pro-US policy for the slaying.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his resignation at a Wednesday news conference.