Reuters - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Democratic Party looks increasingly likely to suffer a sharp setback in a weekend election, surveys showed on Friday, putting his job at risk and hampering efforts to curb a huge public debt.

AFP - New Zealand anti-whaling activist Peter Bethune was deported from Japan on Friday after receiving a suspended two-year sentence for obstructing Japanese whaling in the Antarctic Ocean.

Reuters - Japanese began voting on Sunday in an upper house election that could deliver Prime Minister Naoto Kan's government a major blow, stalling efforts to curb a huge public debt and putting the premier's job at risk.

AFP - Japan's new Prime Minister Naoto Kan made a final plea for votes Saturday during the last day of campaigning for upper house elections seen as a referendum on his party's 10 months in office.

AFP - Japanese political newcomer Junichi Kawai has been unable to see since he was 15, but he does have a strong vision for his country, which heads to the polls for upper house elections Sunday.

AFP - Japanese police raided about 30 sumo stables and locations Wednesday for evidence of illegal gambling linked to yakuza organised crime groups, the biggest scandal to rock the ancient sport in years.