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☆ South Korean Parliamentary Election to Set Tone for Rest of Leader’s Term
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In the two years since he was elected, President Yoon Suk Yeol has made his mark in foreign policy, forging deeper ties with the United States and Japan. Mr. Yoon has a shot at a do-over on Wednesday, when South Koreans head to the polls to select a new Parliament. Dozens of parties are vying for the 300 seats in the National Assembly, South Korea’s single-chamber legislature. However, the contest is largely between Mr. Yoon’s conservative People Power Party and the main opposition camp, the liberal Democratic Party. Both have intense followings, but the eventual winner is expected to be decided by moderate and swing voters.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Organizations: South Koreans, National Assembly, People Power Party, Democratic Party Locations: United States, Japan

☆ Russians vote in an election that Putin will win, but the Kremlin is looking for a landslide victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Mikhail Svetlov/Getty ImagesThere are no surprises over who will win Russia's presidential election this coming weekend with incumbent, Vladimir Putin, set to win a fifth term in office, keeping him in power until at least 2030. The heavily stage-managed vote taking place from Friday to Sunday is not expected to throw up any nasty surprises for the Kremlin which told CNBC months ago that it was confident Putin would win the vote comfortably. That's particularly the case in a country where Russian opposition figures are not represented on the ballot paper or in mainstream politics, with most activists having fled the country. "According to official data, Putin received 77.5% of valid votes in the 2018 presidential election that saw a turnout of 67.5%. Russian opposition activists, most in self-imposed exile in order to evade arrest, imprisonment or attack, have also condemned the election.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Putin, That's, Alexei Navalny, there's, Vladislav Davankov, Leonid Slutsky, Nikolay Kharitonov, Russia's, Yekaterina Duntsova, Boris Nadezhdin, Andrei Kolesnikov, —, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Andreas Tursa, Russian Federation's, Yulia Navalnaya, Dmitrii, we're Organizations: Kremlin, CNBC, New People, Liberal Democratic Party, Communist Party, Russia's, Commission, Levada, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Putin, Teneo, Russian Democratic Society, Festival Locations: Kremlin, Ukraine, Russia, Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast, Europe, Kyiv, Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, London, Sirius, Sochi, Stavropolsky Krai, Krasnodar Krai

☆ Japan's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional, high court says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A high court in Japan on Thursday said the country's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, ruling on a matter that has divided lower levels of the judiciary and put the conservative government at odds with shifting public opinion. Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven industrialized nations that doesn't offer legal protection for same-sex unions. Although polls show 70% public support for same-sex unions, they are opposed by the Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "Enacting same-sex marriage does not seem to cause disadvantages or harmful effects," the court said. The government will eye other upcoming court decisions, its top spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi, told a briefing.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Eri Nakaya, Fumiyasu Tsunamori, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: Valentine's, Rights, Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Locations: Shinagawa, Japan, Tokyo, Sapporo

☆ Putin is coasting towards another term in power. Here’s what to know about Russia’s presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Russia is holding a presidential election that is all but certain to extend Vladimir Putin’s rule throughout this decade and into the 2030s. But this is not a normal election; the poll is essentially a constitutional box-ticking exercise that carries no prospect of removing Putin from power. But that is not to say Russians expect the election to change the direction of the country. Russia’s elections are neither free nor fair, and serve essentially as a formality to extend Putin’s term in power, according to independent bodies and observers both in and outside the country. In order to vote against Putin, you just need to vote for any other candidate,” he said on February 8.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Alexey Navalny, Natalia Kolesnikova, Joseph Stalin, Putin’s, Dmitry Medvedev, euphemistically, —, Abbas Gallyamov, Gallyamov, ”, Callum Fraser, Nikolay Kharitonov, Leonid Slutsky, Vladislav Davankov, Davankov, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Boris Nadezhdin, Yekaterina Duntsova, Duntsova, Leonid Volkov, Volkov, Stringer, Alexey Navalny –, –, Yulia Navalnaya, “, “ Putin, Don’t, Navalnaya Organizations: CNN, Russian, Duma, Getty, Levada, Central, Commission, Royal United Services Institute, Communist Party, Slutsky, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Kremlin, CEC, Freedom, Putin, European Union, Foreign Affairs Locations: Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Soviet, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Chechen, Grozny, Moscow, Russian

☆ Russia presidential election: Putin set to sweep to fifth term in power
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) approved only three candidates to oppose Putin: Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party, Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party and Nikolay Kharitonov of the Communist Party. “A vote for Slutsky and LDPR is absolutely not a vote against Putin,” he said. Although the ruling United Russia party has declared its “full support” for the president, Putin is running as an independent candidate, placing himself above party politics. A local election commission member prepares a polling station for early voting in the Republic of Karelia, March 10, 2024. Polls are set to open in Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka at 8 a.m. local time on Friday (4 p.m.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Joseph Stalin, Leonid Slutsky, Vladislav Davankov, Nikolay Kharitonov, Slutsky, “, ”, Stringer, Yekaterina Duntsova, Boris Nadezhdin, Alexey Navalny, Navalny “, Navalny, “ Putin, Yulia Navalnaya, Don’t, Natalia Kolesnikova, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Dmitry Serebryakov Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Commission, Liberal Democratic Party, New People Party, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, United, Getty, CEC, Russian Security Service, The New York Times, TASS, Russia Locations: Alaska, Kaliningrad, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet, United Russia, AFP, Moscow, Republic of Karelia, Avdiivka, Russia’s, Kamchatka

☆ Russia’s presidential election is nearing. We already know who the winner will be
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Russia is nearing a presidential election that is all but certain to extend Vladimir Putin’s rule throughout this decade and into the 2030s. The president’s dominance over the Russian electoral system has already been reinforced as the election looms. Voting will be held from Friday March 15 until Sunday March 17, the first Russian presidential election to take place over three days. The region makes up more than a third of Russia’s total territory but has only about 5% of its population. In order to vote against Putin, you just need to vote for any other candidate,” Navalny said on February 8.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Alexey Navalny, Maxim Shemetov, Joseph Stalin, Putin’s, Dmitry Medvedev, ” Callum Fraser, Nikolay Kharitonov, Leonid Slutsky, Vladislav Davankov, Davankov, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Boris Nadezhdin, Yekaterina Duntsova, Duntsova, Leonid Volkov, Volkov, Vladimir Nikolayev, euphemistically, Abbas Gallyamov, Gallyamov, Alexey Navalny –, –, ”, ” Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, “, “ Putin, Don’t Organizations: CNN, Russian, Duma, Federal, Reuters, Kommersant, CEC, Royal United Services Institute, Communist Party, Slutsky, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Kremlin, Freedom, Putin, Levada, EU, Foreign Affairs Council, European Union Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russia’s, Soviet, AFP

☆ Russia Closes Presidential Race Candidate Registration With Putin, 3 Others -TASS
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russia's registration of candidates for the March presidential election has closed, TASS reported on Sunday, with a list including President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to win, and three politicians who all support Moscow's war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has said it does not see him as a serious rival to Putin. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesNadezhdin said on Thursday he would challenge the CEC's decision in Russia's Supreme Court. The war, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation", is nearing the end of its second year. It has killed thousands on both sides, displaced millions of Ukrainians, and turned scores of cities and villages into rubble.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Boris Nadezhdin, Vladislav Davankov, Leonid Slutsky, Nikolai Kharitonov, Putin, Nadezhdin, Elaine Monaghan, Lidia Kelly, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Reuters, Commission, CEC, Russian Duma, New People, Kremlin, Liberal Democratic Party, Communist Party, United Russia, Putin Locations: Ukraine, Russian

☆ Japan's Message for Donald Trump: Don't Cut a Deal With China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Trump, who reached a trade agreement with Beijing in 2019 that later expired, has not mentioned any potential deal with China during his campaign for the 2024 nomination. Two Japanese foreign ministry officials said they fear that Trump may be prepared to weaken U.S. support for nearby Taiwan in pursuit of a deal with China. A Trump aide told Reuters that no recent meetings have taken place between Trump and Japanese officials. "If he is going to cut a deal with China, Japan needs to try and get ahead of the curve and understand its potential role to support its interests in both the U.S. and in China," said Machida. Robert O'Brien, Trump's former national security adviser, also has connections with Japanese officials, two of the sources said.

Persons: John Geddie, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, America's, Donald Trump, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden's, Trump, Xi, Kim Jong Un, they're, Ado Machida, Machida, Shinzo Abe, Aso, Japan's, Shigeo Yamada, Mike Pence, Jim Mattis, Mike Pompeo, Michael Green, Bill Hagerty, Yamada, Hagerty, Robert O'Brien, Trump's, O'Brien, Shigeru Kitamura, Biden, Tsuneo Watanabe, John Bolton, Watanabe, Yukiko Toyoda, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, David Brunnstrom, Tim Reid, Ben Blanchard, Laurie Chen, Liz Lee, David Crawshaw Organizations: Trump, Republican, Group, North, Reuters, Fox News, U.S, Steel, Japan's Nippon Steel, U.S ., Liberal Democratic Party, . Studies, University of Sydney, Japan's U.S, Taiwan, Peace Foundation Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Asia, China, Beijing, Tokyo, Iowa, New Hampshire, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Trump, Taipei

☆ Japan's Kishida sends letter to China's Xi - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a summit discussion on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, at the Stanford, California, U.S., November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 23 (Reuters) - A Beijing delegation of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of Japan's ruling party, handed a letter from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for Chinese President Xi Jinping in a meeting with China's top leadership team on Wednesday, NHK reported. The broadcaster did not say what was in the letter. Komeito representatives and Kishida's office were not available to comment on Thursday, a public holiday in Japan. Yamaguchi and Cai also agreed to work toward a resumption of dialogue between the CPC and the coalition of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, NHK reported.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Brittany Hosea, Xi Jinping, Natsuo Yamaguchi, Cai Qi, Yamaguchi, Cai, Makiko Yamazaki, Stephen Coates Organizations: Japan's, Economic Cooperation, Stanford, REUTERS, Rights, Komeito, Wednesday, NHK, Communist Party of China, CPC, Central Committee, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Asia, California, U.S, Beijing, Japan, Taiwan

☆ Germany's Scholz backs Spain's Calvino for EIB presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Susana Vera/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Nov 11 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday backed the candidacy of Spanish acting Economy Minister Nadia Calvino for the post of president of the European Investment Bank (EIB). "I think she will be a very good president of the EIB," Scholz said in an address to a weekend congress of the Party of European Socialists (PES) in Malaga, Spain. He added that they had worked well together in the past when they headed their respective countries' finance ministries. The EIB is currently led by German Liberal Democratic Party (FDP) politician Werner Hoyer. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Nadia Calvino, Susana Vera, Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Werner Hoyer, Andreas Rinke, Vera Eckert, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Monetary, Financial, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Saturday, European Investment Bank, Party of European Socialists, European Union, Berlin, German Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Malaga, Spain, Germany, France

☆ Ukraine says it killed Kremlin-backed politician in car bombing in occupied Luhansk
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Christian Edwards | Gul Tuysuz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Kyiv CNN —Ukraine said it was responsible for the assassination of a Russia-backed official with a car bomb in the occupied eastern city of Luhansk on Wednesday. Both Ukrainian and Russian authorities reported Filiponenko had been killed in a car bombing early Wednesday morning. Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence posted Filiponenko’s address and warned others: “All addresses of traitors and places of their service to terrorist Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are known! Defense Intelligence of Ukraine states that all war criminals and collaborators will receive a fair retribution!”There have been several assassination attempts against Russian-backed officials in occupied Ukraine. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, in the south of Ukraine, have been occupied by Russian forces since shortly after the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Persons: Mikhail Filiponenko, Filiponenko, Russia ”, ”, Russian Liberal Democratic Party Filiponenko Mikhail Yuryevich, ” Filiponenko, “ Filiponenko, Stanislav Krasilnikov, LPR, Igor Kornet, Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Putin’s Organizations: CNN —, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russia’s, Russian Liberal Democratic Party, Defense Intelligence, Russian, CNN Locations: CNN — Ukraine, Russia, Luhansk, Luhansk People’s Republic, Russian, Kherson, Ukraine, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, Vladimir Putin’s United Russia

☆ Putin looks set to run for president in 2024 — and there's no one who can oppose him right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER 9: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the concert marking the City Day on September 9, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images) Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly decided to run in the March 2024 presidential election and he's likely to win another six-year term in office, essentially because there's no one that can oppose him. Analysts say that the bitter truth in modern Russia is that there is no one who can oppose Putin, for now. In this pool image distributed by Sputnik agency, Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the regional head of Inigushetia in Moscow's Kremlin, on August 15, 2023. MOSCOW, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER 9: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the concert marking the City Day on September 9, 2023 in Moscow, Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sobyanin, he's, —, Vladimir Milov, Alexander Kazakov, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Alexei Navalny, Yulia Morozova, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Sergei Medvedev, Mikhail Svetlov, Medvedev, deigning, Prigozhin's Wagner, Wagner, Kirill Shamiev, Milov Organizations: Moscow's, Getty, Kremlin, Reuters, CNBC, Sputnik, AFP, Kremlin's, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Russia, IK, Wagner Group, Analysts, Saint Petersburg, Economic, Prigozhin's Wagner Group, Anadolu Agency, European Council, Foreign Relations, Putin Locations: MOSCOW, RUSSIA, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Moscow's Kremlin, Ukraine, Vladimir, Iran, North Korea, SAINT PETERSBURG, Concord, Saint Petersburg, Belarus, Prigozhin, Russia's, Tver

☆ Japanese junior coalition party calls for debate on income tax cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Takaya Yamaguchi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The head of the tax panel for the Japanese political party Komeito, a junior coalition partner with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said on Tuesday a thorough debate is needed on a controversial plan to cut income tax next year. Makoto Nishida, Komeito's tax panel head, said that policymakers should not have a preset mind to limit the tax break to just a year, signalling a possibility to extend it beyond 2024. Prime Minister Fumio Kishiida of the LDP plans to adopt income tax cuts for the next fiscal year as part of a broader economic package to boost household incomes and consumption. Opposition lawmakers have criticized the income tax cuts as politically motivated and ineffective as it takes time to implement and it could end up adding to the Japan's debt burden, the industrial world's largest. Additional reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Makoto Nishida, Nishida, Fumio Kishiida, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday he is preparing to take bold economic measures, including an income tax cut for households hit by inflation and tax breaks for companies to promote investment, in what's seen as a move to lift his dwindling public support. “I'm determined to take unprecedentedly bold measures,” Kishida said, pledging an intensive effort to achieve stronger supply capability in about three years. “The results clearly show that many voters are dissatisfied by the government's delayed economic measures to tackle rising prices," said Jun Azumi, a senior CDPJ lawmaker. “Now is the time for me to focus on that, and I'm not thinking about anything else,” Kishida said, denying that his tax cut proposal was related to elections. The tax cuts would be part of a new economic stimulus package he plans to announce by the end of the month.

Persons: —, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, “ I'm, ” Kishida, “, ”, Azumi Organizations: TOKYO, Liberal Democratic Party, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan Locations: what's, Nagasaki, Sunday's, Kochi, Tokushima, Ukraine, Israel, China

☆ I'm a 23-year-old gay man training to be a priest. Though I'm living on only $740 a month, I don't regret it one bit.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He says he had considered the idea ludicrous as someone who's gay and used to be an atheist. And it was also a big shift for someone who was living abroad in the Hague, who's openly gay, and who was heavily invested in a different career. I thought it was completely ludicrous, as someone who used to be quite atheist as a teen, who's gay, and who'd been preparing for an entirely different career. By January, I'd started working there as a pastoral assistant. Though it hasn't been the easiest time — I get a stipend of 600 pounds a month, or about $740 — I don't regret it one bit.

Persons: Peter Banks, —, I've, It's, who's, Banks, who'd, Little, I'd, hasn't, We're, you've Organizations: Service, UK's Liberal Democratic Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Hague, University of Cambridge's Trinity College, Episcopal Church, Episcopal, of Locations: Cambridge, England, Hague, Netherlands, Winchester, Mary's, United States, Scotland, of Wales

☆ Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu Gaien redevelopment plan sparks protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Emiko Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Last month the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a UNESCO advisory body, issued a “heritage alert” for Jingu Gaien. Nishikawa believes that the commercial nature of the redevelopment “breaks the promise” of keeping the Jingu Gaien as a public space. Protesters gather for a demonstration at Meiji Jingu Gaien on September 15, 2023. Work commenced at the Meiji Jingu Gaien site in March. “They need to go back to the drawing board and use a much more democratic process to decide the future of Jingu Gaien.”

Persons: Hiroshi Ono, Meiji Jingu Gaien, ”, Emperor Meiji, Emperor Naruhito, Babe Ruth, Daniel Campisi, Jingu Gaien, Naoko Nishikawa, Nishikawa, Shinji Isoya, Gaien, CNN Shinji, Mitsui Fudosan, Hajime Funada, Meiji Jingu, Kiyotatsu Yamamoto, Rochelle Kopp, Jingu, Mikiko Ishikawa, Ishikawa, Kopp, ” Daniel Campisi, CNN Yamamoto, ” Kopp Organizations: Japan CNN, Tokyo, CNN, Chichibunomiya Rugby, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Council, UNESCO, CNN Tokyo, Mitsui Fudosan, Japan’s, Protesters, Meiji, Liberal Democratic Party, University of Tokyo, Japan National, Co, World Cities Culture Forum, Properties, “ Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Meiji, Tokyo’s, Shinjuku, Minato, ”, New, New York, London

☆ Japan's new cabinet reflects PM's focus on gender, defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the leaders talk of the ASEAN-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Indonesia September 6, 2023. Top government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said the role of defence minister went to Minoru Kihara, a pro-Taiwan politician who has visited the island in the past and belongs to a Japan-Taiwan interparliamentary group. Kihara will also oversee the bolstering of Japan's military as part of a plan to double defence spending over five years by 2027. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and will be sensitive to any shift in Japan's stance on the democratically governed island. "Even if the foreign and defence minister posts change, there won't be any change or impact on Japan's diplomatic policy."

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Adek Berry, Yoko Kamikawa, Hirokazu Matsuno, Minoru Kihara, Kihara, Takashi Kawakami, Shigenobu Tamura, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro, Clarence Fernandez, Stephen Coates Organizations: ASEAN, Pacific, Rights, Liberal Democratic Party, Takushoku University, LDP, NHK, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Tokyo, China, East Asia, United States

☆ Japan PM to keep his chief cabinet secretary in cabinet reshuffle -Yomiuri
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to keep Hirokazu Matsuno in his current post as chief cabinet secretary, a key ministerial position, during a cabinet reshuffle, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Tuesday. The Yomiuri said core members of his cabinet and party leadership will remain unchanged, as Kishida also plans to keep former premier Taro Aso as party vice president and former foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi as party secretary-general. Kishida, also the head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has said he plans to reshuffle his cabinet and conduct a personnel change of party leadership as early as Wednesday. Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga, two prime ministers before Kishida, both served as chief cabinet secretary before becoming premier. Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Taro Aso, Toshimitsu Motegi, Shinzo Abe, Yoshihide Suga, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Christian Schmollinger, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Yomiuri, Liberal Democratic Party, Kishida, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ The former Russian arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death" who the US exchanged for Brittney Griner is back in Russia and now learning to use a smartphone
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US swapped Viktor Bout, a once notorious Russian arms dealer, for WNBA star Britney Griner, last year. Known as the "Merchant of Death," Bout spent 15 years in a US prison. Bout is now back in Russia, adjusting to modern life, and running for local office. Advertisement Advertisement Watch:The career pivot isn't the only challenge facing Bout, who was first arrested by police in Thailand in 2008 before his extradition to the United States. Since his release, Bout has been a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

Persons: Viktor Bout, Britney Griner, Brittney Griner, Griner, it's, Bout, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: WNBA, Service, New York Times, Times, Kremlin Liberal Democratic Party Locations: Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, United States, Ulyanovsk, Moscow, Thailand, Ukraine, He's

☆ Japan PM Kishida plans Sept 13 cabinet reshuffle, coalition partner says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the leaders talk of the ASEAN-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Indonesia September 6, 2023. Adek Berry/Pool via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to reshuffle his cabinet on Sept. 13, the head of the junior partner in Kishida's ruling coalition said on Friday. On Thursday, there was further bad news when former ruling Liberal Democratic Party member Masatoshi Akimoto was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes. 56% of people thought Kishida should renew his cabinet and shake up the senior executives of the ruling party. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya, Sakura Murakami, Kiyoshi Takenaka; editing by John Stonestreet and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Adek Berry, Natsuo Yamaguchi, Kishida, Masatoshi Akimoto, Akimoto, Kantaro Komiya, Sakura Murakami, Kiyoshi Takenaka, John Stonestreet, Susan Fenton Organizations: Japan's, ASEAN, Pacific, Rights, Public, NHK, Liberal Democratic Party, Asahi, Yomiuri, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, India

Political Cartoons View All 1148 Images“The Russian authorities are trying hard to pretend that everything is going according to plan, everything is fine. In the occupied regions, early voting kicked off last week as election officials went door to door or set up makeshift polling stations in public places to attract passersby. As a result, Moscow has maintained control of about 70% of the Kherson region. “It looks like the Russian authorities know the result (of the election) already,” Fyodorov said. In the end, said Gallyamov, the Russian analyst, Russian authorities will not get “anything good in terms of boosting their legitimacy” in the occupied regions.

Persons: Russia “, Abbas Gallyamov, ”, Gallyamov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, we’ve, ” Sergei, we’re, Konstantin, ” Kostantin, Weeks, Yevgeny Balitsky, “, Ivan Fyodorov, Fyodorov, ” Fyodorov, —, Pavlo Lysianskyi Organizations: Russian, Kyiv, of Europe, Kremlin, United, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic, Associated Press, AP, Eastern Human Rights Locations: TALLINN, Estonia, Ukraine, Moscow, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, “, Russia, United Russia, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Siberia, Melitopol, Ukrainian

TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo prosecutors said Thursday they have arrested the former vice foreign minister of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet on suspicion of accepting more than 61 million yen ($414,000) in bribes from a wind power company in return for his promotion of wind power and other favorable treatment. Political Cartoons View All 1146 ImagesHe allegedly received another 31 million yen ($210,500) in connection to a racehorse owner's group between October 2021 and June this year. Masayuki Tsukawaki, the 64-year-old former president of Japan Wind Development, has admitted that the payments were a “reward” for Akimoto, Kyodo said, quoting unnamed investigative sources. “We cannot build social infrastructure for the future of Japan without fair competition,” said Norihisa Satake, governor of Akita, where Japan’s first full commercial operation of wind power generation began in December. “We want operators to compete fairly and squarely with technology.”Established in 1999, Japan Wind Development has developed 293 turbines in and outside Japan with a combined output of more than 570 megawatts, according to the company's website.

Persons: —, Fumio, Masatoshi Akimoto, Akimoto, Masayuki Tsukawaki, Kyodo, Tsukawaki, “, ”, wasn't, Kishida, Norihisa Satake Organizations: TOKYO, Liberal Democratic Party, Japan, Development, Kyodo, Akimoto, NHK, ” Locations: — Tokyo, Aomori, Jakarta, Indonesia, Japan, Akita

Participants march with a banner with rainbow colours during the annual pride parade in Hong Kong, China, November 7, 2015. "Hong Kong has a real opportunity to take the lead here and give a clear message," said Gigi Chao, the vice chair of listed Hong Kong property firm Cheuk Nang Holdings and a prominent gay rights advocate in Asia. "WAKE UP"Business groups in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan have become increasingly vocal in making the case that Asia's leading economies must do more to encourage diversity. A poll this year by Kyodo news agency of just over 1,500 people showed that nearly 70 percent supported same-sex marriage. While corporates rarely lobby Asian governments directly on LGBTQ rights, activists say they show their support through sponsorship of LGBTQ events and Pride-themed marketing.

Persons: Bobby Yip, Janet Ledger, Jimmy Sham, Asia's, Gigi Chao, Chao, Kida, Kiyong Shim, Dyson, Nomura, Kathy Teo, Singapore's, they're, Teo, Revolut, Jessie Pang, Justin Fung, Xinghui, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Kong's, Community Business, Gay Games, Nang Holdings, Reuters, American Chamber of Commerce, Fortune, Kyodo, Liberal Democratic Party, EY, FINANCE, Rights Watch, Gallup, WeWork, Standard Chartered Bank ., Google, IBM, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, TOKYO, Tokyo, Singapore, Asia, Taiwan, Nepal, India, South Korea, York, Japan, EY Japan, Korea, Seoul, Standard Chartered Bank . Singapore, Xinghui Kok

☆ Japan considering extending gasoline subsidies to year-end - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Gasoline fuel guns are pictured in front of fuel boards at a gasoline station in Tokyo, Japan September 20, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Japan's government is considering extending until year-end fuel subsidies to keep gasoline prices below 180 yen a litre, while working on a supplementary budget to finance broader measures, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Earlier, the sources had said the fuel subsidies would be funded by the supplementary budget. Last week, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed ruling party officials to consider steps to extend the fuel subsidies which were introduced in January 2022 to help ease cost of living pressures. Gasoline prices have been rising steadily in Japan due to the weaker yen and higher global prices.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Komeito, Toshimitsu Motegi, Shunichi Suzuki, Fumio Kishida, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Katya Golubkova, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Liberal Democratic Party, Finance, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan ex-PM Aso's 'fight for Taiwan' remark in line with official view, lawmaker says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Former Prime Minister and current Vice-President of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Taro Aso, speaks during the Ketagalan Forum in Taipei, Taiwan August 8, 2023. Aso's speech angered China, which claims Taiwan as its territory. Keisuke Suzuki, an LDP lawmaker who accompanied Aso's Taiwan visit this week, told the BS Fuji talk show on Wednesday that Aso had discussed the issue with Japanese government officials, indicating that Aso's view did not deviate from the official position. "The comment was not lawmaker Taro Aso's personal remark, but a result of arrangements with government insiders", Suzuki said. Aso's visit, which marked the most senior Japanese political official to visit Taiwan since 1972, when Japan normalised diplomatic relations with China, came as tensions have risen over democratically governed Taiwan amid China's increasing military pressure on the island during the past three years.

Persons: Taro Aso, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Taro Aso's, Aso, Keisuke Suzuki, Aso's, Suzuki, Joe Biden, White, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kantaro Komiya, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, REUTERS, Japanese, Beijing, Fuji, United, Taiwan, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, TOKYO, Japan, United States, China, Aso's Taiwan, U.S

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