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Guzzling looming soared soar ban outsized fixture prompted boroughs steer overhaul swelled

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It took Japan decades, but voters finally got fed up with the entrenched ruling clique and threw it out of office. The landslide election victory for the DemocraticParty of Japan was the worst defeat for the rival Liberal Democratic Party in more than 50 years. We hope this stunning rout presages the end of economic decline and political stagnation, but that will take real leadership, not just trading one group of politicians for another.
The first challenge is getting the economy out of its worsening crisis. Japan, crippled by recession throughout the 1990s,is about to lose its standing as the world’s second-largest economy, to China. The economy, projected to contract 6 percent this year, is among the world’s worst performers.
Although constrained by a public debt approaching 100 percent of its gross domestic product and a fiscal deficit hovering around 10 percent of G.D.P., Japan needs to do more to stimulate domestic demand — to deal with theimmediate emergency and diminish its historical dependence on exports as an economic engine. This requires maintaining fiscal stimulus. It also requires a longer-term strategy that encourages spending by Japanese households. The Democrats’ plans do not yet amount to a strategy that could rebalance the economy and put it on a path of domestically focused growth.
Yukio Hatoyama, who is expected to bethe next prime minister, wants a more equal alliance with the United States. Some of his policy proposals are reasonable, but others are cause for concern. We are eager to hear more details. The United States needs a responsible strategic partner committed to a strengthened alliance.
One concern: Mr. Hatoyama’s suggestion that Japan not renew the mandate for its ships on a refueling mission inthe Indian Ocean in support of United States military operations in Afghanistan. President Obama is implementing a new Afghan strategy. Japan should continue its risk-free mission, at least through next spring.
One good sign: Mr. Hatoyama’s pledge not to visit the Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japan’s wartime past. Visits by some of his predecessors stirred damaging tensions with China and SouthKorea.
Some wonder if the Liberal Democratic Party can survive this loss. We hope it — or some successor — does. Every democracy needs a vigorous and responsible opposition to give voters a choice — just like the Democratic Party finally gave the voters in this election.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge ruled on Monday against American International Group in the insurer's legal battle withStarr International Co, affirming a July jury verdict that Starr did not breach a trust.

At issue in the case brought in 2005 were two claims that AIG made against Starr International, which is run by former AIG Chief Executive Maurice "Hank" Greenberg.

AIG sought $4.3 billion of damages to recover millions of its shares held by Starr and to get compensation for stock sold. AIG also claimed thatStarr International breached an oral agreement that Starr's AIG shares would be used to fund an executive retirement scheme for generations of AIG employees.

In a 58-page written judgment, Judge Jed Rakoff in U.S. District Court in Manhattan underlined a jury's July 7 finding that prevented the bailed-out insurer's bid to collect $4.3 billion in damages.

He also said the court found "thatAIG has failed to prove SICO's liability on AIG's counterclaim for breach of an express trust."

A spokesman for AIG declined to comment on the judge's ruling.

Greenberg and Starr's lawyer, David Boies of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, said in a statement, "This dismisses AIG's only remaining claim against Starr International. Another federal judge had already dismissed AIG's other claims in...