Japan's Prime Minister has defended his country's annual whale hunt in the oceans around Antarctica.

The Greenpeace boat, the Esperanza, has attempted to block the Japanese whaling fleet from refuelling in Antarctic waters.

Anti-whaling monitors in the Southern Ocean say Japanese whaling boats may have been able to resume their operations, after the monitors lost track of the Japanese vessels.

Anti-whaling protesters say they are preventing Japanese whalers from resuming their operations in the Southern Ocean.

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda signalled he was unlikely to call an early election despite gridlock in the divided parliament.

At the conclusion of his official visit to China, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda of Japan has called for more cooperation between the countries.

In October this year, Sony signed an agreement to purchase 16 million kWh of biomass renewable energy.

The Federal Government has announced it will send ships and aircraft to monitor the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean, a decision which could lead to an international court challenge.

Japanese official claimed that the country has began installing its second advanced Patriot missile defense system at an air base near Tokyo. It is a part of a defense shield for the nation's capital.

Japan says it expects to maintain strong ties with Australia while still continuing what it calls its research whaling program.

New prime ministers like to put their stamp on their governments, and the choice as their first overseas visit is often a sign of what they want to achieve with their foreign policy.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to hold talks with U.S. President George W. Bush on his first overseas trip as Japan's leader.