Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Resigns

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, whose party swept away nearly half a century of rule by the sclerotic LDP, has tendered his resignation just eight months after his election. Like many of his predecessors, he became mired in funding scandals. He was slow to deliver on campaign promises, and he reversed himself on the key issue of U.S. forces on Okinawa, allowing them to stay on the island rather than insisting that they leave.