an image as a fiscal conservative and occasional central bank critic since assuming the finance post in January.

He was among the few cabinet ministers to urge early debate on raising Japan’s 5 percent sales tax, a step economists say is vital to fund the huge social welfare costs of a greying society. Kan was likely to pick a fiscal reformer, Deputy Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, as his finance minister, a move that would be welcome for bond markets worried about too much debt.

Kan said in a statement that he would work with the Bank of Japan to beat the deflation bedeviling Japan’s economy. As finance minister, Kan has pressured the central bank to do more in the battle against deflation, although for now the government and BOJ seemUkraine's Ambassador Struggles To Stay Silent About Donald Trump

Usually foreign diplomats try to stay out of U.S. politics. But for Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., this is a hard time to stay silent. He's worried about what Donald Trump is saying about Ukraine and Russia on the campaign trail.

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Typically foreign ambassadors try to stay out of U.S. politics, but this is not a typical election cycle. Ukraine's ambassador to Washington is rattled by what he's hearing from the campaign trail. In particular, he's worried about what Donald Trump has been saying about his country and its powerful neighbor Russia. NPR's Michele Kelemen has this report.

MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Ambassador Valeriy Chaly attended both the Republican and Democratic conventions. He's gone over the party platforms and listened carefully