The new guy
The week's news at a glance.
Tokyo
Japan’s parliament this week elected nationalist Shinzo Abe to replace Junichiro Koizumi as prime minister. Abe, 52, is the first Japanese premier to be born after World War II. The son of a foreign minister and grandson of a prime minister, Abe supports a strong alliance with the U.S. and a greater role for Japan’s military. He is expected to continue Koizumi’s general policies, but his Cabinet has a more conservative bent. His pick for the women’s affairs minister, for example, opposes a plan to let married women keep their maiden names, and his defense chief is expected to upgrade the agency to a full ministry. In his first meeting with reporters, Abe said he intends to pursue “an assertive diplomacy.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliance
the explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day