New Japan PM fills Cabinet posts

Tokyo - Japan's new prime minister picked close allies on Friday for key positions in his Cabinet as he tries to steer his troubled nation through disaster recovery, a nuclear crisis and a lengthy economic slump.

Yoshihiko Noda, a surprise choice for prime minister when he took control of the ruling party this week, is bringing along some fresh faces to the Cabinet, including 47-year-old Koichiro Genba as foreign minister and 49-year-old Jun Azumi as finance minister.

Both are relatively young in a Japanese political world normally dominated by elder statesmen, and both are closely allied with Noda.