Japanese cabinet clears way for new elections

October 5th, 2009 Turned-in live shell clears Philly police stationPHILADELPHIA — A man who turned in an old artillery shell to Philadelphia police has learned a lesson: Call ahead. A police district headquarters was evacuated Saturday after the man brought in a live projectile for a howitzer tank.

October 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni Thursday cancelled a scheduled media briefing after a cabinet meeting in view of the model code of conduct in force due to the forthcoming state assembly elections. The briefing was cancelled at the last minute due to the model code of conduct, sources said.

September 5th, 2009 Power broker choice has postelection Japan nervousTOKYO — Veteran politician Ichiro Ozawa is making a comeback as secretary-general, the top position in Japan's new ruling party and one that could rival the prime minister's authority. That has some Japanese worried.

August 25th, 2009 Japanese minister warns his party is in troubleTOKYO — Voters are turning away from Japan's ruling party in virtually every district and the opposition is on track to win in a landslide when elections are held this weekend, a senior Cabinet minister said Tuesday. At stake in the elections are all 480 seats in the Japanese parliament's lower chamber.

August 18th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Amid a strong possibility that the Haryana cabinet would seek dissolution of the state assembly to advance elections, central minister Prithviraj Chavan Tuesday said that state assembly polls could be held any time. "The Congress party in Haryana is prepared for elections.

July 21st, 2009 Japan PM dissolves parliament, calls electionsTOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso dissolved the powerful lower house of parliament Tuesday, setting the stage for national elections next month that could transform the country's political power structure. In Japan, the prime minister can decide when to disband parliament and call a general election.

July 21st, 2009 Japan Cabinet approves dissolution of parliamentTOKYO — Japan's Cabinet agreed to dissolve the powerful lower house of parliament Tuesday, setting the stage for national elections that could transform the country's political power structure. Parliament was widely expected to formally disband Tuesday afternoon, but the two main political parties had already shifted into election mode earlier in the day, holding separate meetings of their lawmakers in Tokyo.

July 13th, 2009 Japan opposition parties send no-confidence motionTOKYO — Japan's main opposition party says it submitted a no-confidence motion to parliament against the prime minister and his Cabinet. Democratic Party of Japan spokesman Toshiaki Oikawa says the motion was submitted together with other opposition parties.

June 17th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepals Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Wednesday expanded his 11-member cabinet to induct 10 new ministers. However, the protracted squabble with allies over power sharing continued even three weeks after Nepal assuming office with the parties from Terai not sending any new faces to the cabinet.

May 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Having a degree in law can apparently improve one's chances of getting a ministerial berth as nearly half of the cabinet members have studied the subject. Of the 33 cabinet ministers named by Wednesday, 15 hold a degree in law.

May 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - C.P. Joshi, a professor of psychology who turned to politics and swung the December 2008 Rajasthan assembly election result in the favour of the Congress, gets a central cabinet berth Friday.

May 14th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The Orissa cabinet Thursday recommended dissolution of the 147-member state assembly, whose term expires Friday, official sources said. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, at the state secretariat and the recommendation sent to Governor M.C.

April 22nd, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan's differences with Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan were out in the open again Wednesday.

April 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - If coalition partners criticise the ruling party on the eve of the elections, it should not be taken seriously, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday. 'We are a coalition government.

January 23rd, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed Saturday inducted six more junior ministers into her cabinet, raising the cabinet's strength to 38, officials said. President Iajuddin Ahmed administered the oath to the new state ministers at the presidential palace, Bangabhaban.