BSS, Tokyo

Japan’s Democratic Party Monday began talks on forming a new government, faced with the challenge of reviving the struggling economy and reshaping ties with key allies after its crushing election win.
Yukio Hatoyama’s centre-left Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is under heavy pressure to get to work quickly on addressing the huge hurdles facing this fast-greying country and pulling it out of its long economic malaise.
His team huddled to select cabinet ministers and work on a smooth transition from the government of Prime Minister Taro Aso, who conceded defeat and said he would step down as president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). [Read more]