Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged to stick to the vital Japan-U.S. alliance while calling for it to be more equitable after he took office Tuesday vowing to tackle a slow economy and regain public trust before an upcoming election.

Japan's parliament formally elected Shigeru Ishiba as the country's prime minister to replace Fumio Kishida, whose administration was rocked by scandals.

ISHIBA SHIGERU, Japan’s new prime minister, knows what his colleagues think of him. “I have undoubtedly hurt many people’s feelings, caused unpleasant experiences and made many suffer,” he said apologetically in his final speech during the leadership race of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).