Japan’s finance minister, Naoto Kan, has been formally elected as his country’s next prime minister.
The vote in parliament went overwhelmingly in Mr Kan’s favour.
He also takes over as leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, and faces the immediate task of reversing the recent slump in its popularity rating.
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Already getting mileage out of Ira Ira Kan http://tinyurl.com/23l63un Colleagues were hoping for ‘Irritable’ moniker, but he smiled today.