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/ 20 December 2007

Japan’s defence minister braces for aliens

As Japan takes a more active role in military affairs, the defence minister has more on his mind than just threats here on Earth. Shigeru Ishiba became the second member of the Cabinet to profess a belief in UFOs and said he was looking at how Japan’s military could respond to aliens under the pacifist Constitution.

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/ 12 September 2007

Japan PM Abe quits after year of scandal, crisis

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe abruptly announced his resignation on Wednesday after a year in power dogged by scandals, an election rout and a crisis over Japan’s support for United States-led operations in Afghanistan. The hawkish Abe, who took office promising to boost Japan’s global security profile, had seen his clout dwindle.