Politics
G7 leaders divided on climate change, closer on trade issues
Under pressure from Group of Seven allies, U.S. President Donald Trump backed a pledge to fight protectionism on Saturday, but refused to endorse a global climate change accord, saying he needed more time to decide. The summit of G7 wealthy nations pitted Trump against the leaders of Germany, France, Britain,… Read
Abe becomes Japan's 3rd longest-serving postwar prime minister
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday became the third longest-serving Japanese leader in the postwar era with 1,981 days in office, surpassing the tenure of his predecessor Junichiro Koizumi, who was in office between 2001 and 2006. The figure combines Abe's first stint in power from 2006 to 2007, when… Read
Panel urges government to impose delayed sales tax hike to balance budget
Japan must not delay a sales tax hike scheduled for October 2019 as the revenue is needed to cover bulging social security costs and achieve the target of balancing the budget in four years, an advisory panel to Finance Minister Taro Aso says. The Fiscal System Council made the proposal… Read
Opposition steps up offensive against Abe over school scandal
Opposition parties stepped up their offensive Friday against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over allegations he influenced a government decision to approve the opening of a new department at a university run by his close friend. The move came a day after Kihei Maekawa, a former top bureaucrat of the education… Read
U.S., Japan agree to expand North Korea sanctions
U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on Friday to expand sanctions against North Korea over its continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, the White House said. Pyongyang has carried out repeated missile tests in the past year, prompting an array of countries to… Read
Japan, Russia to survey disputed isles in June for joint projects
Japanese experts will carry out a survey with Russia of disputed islands controlled by Moscow but claimed by Tokyo in late June to assess potential joint economic activities, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday. The dispatch to the islands of experts from the public and private sectors in fields such… Read
G7 to focus on trade, climate, terrorism at Italy summit
U.S. President Donald Trump will face pressure at his first summit of major industrialised nations on Friday from allies eager to promote free trade and safeguard international accords on climate change. The annual Group of Seven (G7) meeting is being held in a chic Sicilian resort town, with Europe's most… Read
China urges Japan to be cautious over missile defense
China on Thursday urged Japan to act cautiously after government and defense industry sources in Tokyo said U.S. and Japanese companies are collaborating on new missile defense radars. As nuclear-armed Pyongyang builds ever more advanced missiles with the ability to strike anywhere in Japan, Tokyo is likely to fund a… Read
LDP calls for free education among other areas of Constitution change
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party said Thursday that free education could be one of the issues that deserve consideration in a constitutional revision, in addition to amendment of the war-renouncing article of the supreme law. The LDP made the proposal at a meeting of the House of Representatives' Constitution Commission,… Read
U.S. may review plan to relocate forces in Okinawa to Guam
U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen Robert Neller said Wednesday the country is considering reviewing its plan to relocate U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam in light of recent developments in North Korea and environmental concerns in Guam. His testimony at the Senate Appropriations Committee suggests the Japan-U.S. agreement to relocate… Read
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Sam Watters
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Toasted Heretic
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