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Feb. 9 (Al Jazeera) - Toyota has issued a worldwide recall for about 437,000 of its flagship Prius and other hybrid vehicles in the latest of a series of embarrassing safety problems to hit the Japanese carmaker.

BEIJING, Feb. 9 (China Daily) - China has completed construction of 13 permanent facilities - stone tablets and lighthouses - on islands and reefs in the East China Sea, in an effort to clarify its territorial waters' baseline in the oil-rich area.

Jan. 17 (BBC News) - A leading figure in Japan's governing party, Ichiro Ozawa, says he will not resign despite a growing scandal over political funding.

HONOLULU, January 13th (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada failed to reach a deal on Tuesday on a dispute over a U.S. military base, but pledged not to let it derail the broader relationship.

TOKYO December 9, 2009 (AP) — Japan's prime minister said Wednesday that he hopes to meet with President Barack Obama next week to offer his proposals on the relocation of a major American military base in Okinawa that has led to a rift between the allies.

President Obama’s recent speech in Japan stands out as a classic example of rhetoric diverging from reality. It spoke of an American re-engagement with Asia, one in which Japan will serve as the central pivot. The reality on the ground, however, is that U.S. military bases in Japan are in jeopardy of being folded.  

TOKYO November 13, 2009 (RIA Novosti) - U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama are still at odds on a U.S. marine base on Okinawa.

October 29, 2009 (Press TV) - As ministers weight options over the US' Nago military base, the Japanese prime minister says he will thoroughly review the 1960 security treaty between Tokyo and Washington.

The ‘East Asian Community Project’ that emerged from a recent ASEAN summit in Thailand is evidence of growing regionalism in the wake of American decline. Any real Asian EU-style bloc however will be a long time coming.

October 24, 2009 (AFP) - Asian nations discussed plans at a major summit Saturday to "lead the world" by boosting economic and political cooperation and possibly forming an EU-style community.