Shinzo Abe

Locked in a political standoff over a crucial budget bill, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is under mounting pressure to hasten elections -- a step likely to push his party out of power. The bill, which would allow the Japanese government to borrow more...

Shintaro Ishihara, the strident governor of Tokyo who helped touch off a major dispute between China and Japan over some uninhabited islets near Taiwan, announced that he was quitting his post and forming a new political party....

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was elected as head of the Liberal Democratic Party, a move that could pave the way for the hawkish politician to return as the nation's leader if elections are called this fall....

Accused of defaming Islam and the sanctity of all religions, Egyptian activist Albert Saber stood in court on Wednesday in his first trial session as he denied all charges. Saber, a 27-year-old blogger and activist who comes from a Coptic Christian...

The Obama administration will seek to lift the U.S. ban on imported products from Myanmar, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Wednesday at the beginning of a meeting with Myanmar President Thein Sein....

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei share average edged higher on Monday as buying in defensive stocks reversed early losses. The Nikkei added 0.4 percent to 12,7329.85 after trading as low as 12,549.82 on the back of weak U.S. stocks on Friday. Monday's gain...

By Guy Faulconbridge LOUGH ERNE, Northern Ireland, June 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will seek the help on Monday of Russia's Vladimir Putin, Syria's most powerful ally, to bring Bashar al-Assad to the negotiating table and end a two-year...

TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar hovered above a two-month low against the yen on Tuesday but struggled to extend gains on worries the U.S. Federal Reserve could hint at withdrawing stimulus and unsettle share markets. The Australian dollar slipped...

* Key 10-yr yield up half percentage point from record low * Rise in long-term rates threatens recovery in economic activity * Conflict in BOJ logic of higher inflation, lower rates-analyst * BOJ needs to convince market yields will stay low-analyst By...

TOKYO (Reuters) - This is not how Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe probably imagined reaching a key milestone in his economic revival plan. Pro-growth measures meant to complement hefty doses of budget and monetary stimulus met with a cool reception and...

After the cascade of disasters that befell Japan 27 months ago, then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan took the brunt of withering criticism for shoddy nuclear safety standards at the crippled Fukushima reactor complex and the government’s chaotic...

BERLIN (Reuters) - Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations are likely to discuss the role of central banks and monetary policy at a summit in Northern Ireland next week, a German source said on Thursday. "It is understandable that there...