New Australian leader to refocus foreign policy on first major trip

The new Australian prime minister is begining an 18-day foreign policy trip, keen to draw a stark contrast with his predecessor, particularly with Australia's relationship with the US."New Prime Minister Kevin Rudd left Australia Thursday on his first big overseas trip, armed...

Japan: Wacky, weird or wonderful?

"Last month, Kazuhide Uekusa, one of Japan's most celebrated economists, was arrested on the charge of groping a schoolgirl on a Tokyo subway train: it was the third time in eight years he'd been caught in cases involving pretty young girls in short skirts. The high-profile...