TOKYO — Japan unveiled a record $1 trillion budget yesterday for the next fiscal year, reflecting the prime minister's campaign pledge to boost spending for child support and slash wasteful outlay for public works.

The budget for the year starting in April 2010 came as Japan's economy — the world's second-largest — struggled to shake off its worst recession since World War II amid deflation.

"This budget is to protect lives. I made all my efforts to secure budgets to support child-rearing, employment, the environment and welfare," Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told a news conference after his Cabinet approved the budget.

Japan's jobless rate in November climbed to 5.2 percent, reversing an improvement to 5.1 percent in October, the government said yesterday.

The result marks the first increase since July and matches Kyodo News agency's average market forecast of 5.2 percent.

VEGAS HOTEL TOWERS INCREASING BY TWO

LAS VEGAS — Two more casino resorts are preparing to open new hotel towers, less than two weeks after the debut of the 4,000-room Aria casino-hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

The 1,201-room PH Tower at the Planet Hollywood Resort and the 374-room HRH Tower at the Hard Rock Hotel are set to open Monday, with executives at the properties saying both will seek well-heeled guests.

The new 52-story tower on Las Vegas Boulevard is a joint venture between Planet Hollywood Resort and Florida-based time share company Westgate.

About 200 units are being sold as time shares, with the rest being used for hotel rooms marketed at $229 midweek and $349 on weekends.

The all-suite Hard Rock Hotel tower on Harmon Avenue is part of a $750 million expansion aimed at attracting customers looking for a different experience from the 450-room Paradise Tower, which opened in July.

LENDER THREATENS TO SUE GM OVER OPEL

MOSCOW — Russian lender Sberbank demanded compensation from U.S. automaker General Motors Co. for the failed deal to buy Opel, threatening to sue GM otherwise.

Sberbank chief executive German Gref said in televised remarks yesterday that GM should pay "voluntary" compensation for its decision in early November to scrap the selling of a 55 percent stake in the struggling Opel to Sberbank and Canada's Magna International Inc.

"We think that GM's commitment went so far that they should have sealed the deal," Gref said, adding that if GM does not agree to reimburse Sberbank's losses it will "demand compensation in court."

Sberbank planned to take a 35 percent stake and Magna a 20 percent stake.

The deal was courted in Russia as a major coup for the country's troubled carmaking industry — based on signals that Magna would produce Opel cars in Russia.

— Associated Press