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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. "I believe that now is the time for Japan, Taiwan, the United States and other like-minded countries to be prepared to put into action very strong deterrence," he said in remarks streamed online. He added that clearly showing the will to defend Taiwan was a form of deterrence. Aso is the most senior Japanese political official to visit Taiwan since 1972. In 2021, Aso, then deputy prime minister, called any invasion of Taiwan by China a "threat to Japan's survival" and said Japan and the U.S. would defend Taiwan together should such an incident happen.

Persons: Taro Aso, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Aso, Japan's, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Sakura Murakami, Satoshi Sugiyama, Kantaro, Ben Blanchard, Chang, Ran Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, REUTERS, Japanese, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Japan, United States, Taiwan Strait, China, U.S, TOKYO

☆ Japanese vice minister quits as PM Kishida's ratings slide
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo prosecutors raided the office of ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Masatoshi Akimoto on suspicion that he took bribes amounting to tens of millions of yen, according to public broadcaster NHK. The foreign ministry later announced that Akimoto had stepped down from his post as a vice minister. The resignation comes after Kishida's approval rating slid to its lowest since he took office in 2021. Errors that have recently come to light with the card have included health insurance information linked to the wrong social security account and welfare payments made to the wrong person. State broadcaster NHK and other media have reported that Tokyo prosecutors suspect Japan Wind Development Co paid bribes to Akimoto.

Persons: Masatoshi Akimoto, Amit Dave, Fumio Kishida, Akimoto, Hirokazu Matsuno, Sakura Murakami, Robert Birsel Organizations: Land, Transport, Speed, Kalupur, REUTERS, Liberal Democratic Party, NHK, Yomiuri, State, Development, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Infrastructure, Tourism, Ahmedabad, Mumbai Ahmedabad, India, TOKYO, Tokyo, The Tokyo

TOKYO, July 19 (Reuters) - Japan needs to rapidly expand computing power as it vies to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, said Hideki Murai, a special AI adviser to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "The government's key priority is computing power. We feel a real sense of crisis about that," Murai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who heads the government's AI strategy team, told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. Japan, the world's third-largest economy, has been slow to invest in the field, and lags the United States in AI computer infrastructure. Some 3,000 companies in Japan have access to a supercomputer at the government's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) offering 0.8 exaflops of computing power.

Persons: Hideki Murai, Fumio Kishida, OpenAI, Murai, Shohei Ohtani, Tim Kelly, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Sam Holmes Organizations: Liberal Democratic, Reuters, government's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science, Technology, Microsoft, Japan's Ministry of Economy Trade, Industry, SoftBank Corp, AIs, Japan, Major League, European Union, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, United States, AIST, European

REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, July 8 (Reuters) - Japan on Saturday marked one year since former prime minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down during an election speech by a man angry at his links to the Unification Church. The death of Japan's longest serving prime minister, which was caught on video, rattled a nation unused to gun violence. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other senior officials and lawmakers joined Abe's widow, Akie, at a private memorial service at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Among them was Tsuu Ogawa, 49, a hotel worker, who celebrated her birthday the day that Abe was assassinated. In social media posts before the shooting, he blamed the Unification Church for leaving his mother in financial straits.

Persons: Shinzo Abe, Issei Kato TOKYO, Japan's, Fumio Kishida, Akie, Tsuu Ogawa, Abe, Critics, Atsuhiro Ueda, Kishida, Tetsuya Yamagami, Daishiro Yamagiwa, Tim Kelly, Irene Wang, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Unification Church, Liberal Democratic Party, Unification, Korean, Economic, Thomson Locations: Zojoji, Tokyo, Japan

☆ Russian ex-arms dealer freed for Brittney Griner to run for far-right party in local vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 2 (Reuters) - A Russian arms dealer freed last December in a prisoner swap for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner has been chosen as the candidate of a far-right party for a seat in a Russian regional legislature, state news agency RIA reported on Sunday. RIA cited an official in Russia's ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR)'s local organisation as saying that Bout had been nominated as a candidate for the legislative assembly of the Ulyanovsk region in central Russia. Bout publicly joined the LDPR following his return to Russia. Despite its name, the LDPR holds far-right, ultra-nationalist views and strongly supports President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Lugovoi has served as an LDPR member of Russia's national parliament since 2007.

Persons: Brittney Griner, Viktor Bout, RIA, Bout, Griner, Vladimir Putin's, Andrei Lugovoi, Alexander Litvinenko, Lugovoi, Felix Light, Gareth Jones Organizations: U.S, Liberal Democratic Party, U.S . Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: Russian, United States, Ulyanovsk, Russia, Thailand, Washington, Ukraine, Britain

☆ Ultra-nationalists aim to restrict travel for Russian officials' families
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 2 (Reuters) - The ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) is working on a bill that would temporarily ban the travel of close relatives of high-ranking officials to "unfriendly countries," the RIA state news agency reported on Sunday. Russia considers all countries that have hit it with sanctions over its military campaign in Ukraine to be "unfriendly." Citing a member of the Russian Duma, Sergei Karginov, RIA reported that restrictions may also affect, among others, law enforcement officers, judges, top managers of state corporations, and the board of directors of the Central Bank. Russia launched a full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, calling it a "special military operation" to demilitarise and denazify its neighbour. Despite its name, Russia's Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) has since its founding in 1991 espoused a hardline, ultranationalist ideology, demanding Russia reconquer the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Persons: Sergei Karginov, Karginov, Lidia Kelly, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Russian Duma, Central Bank, Russia's Liberal Democratic Party, Soviet Union, Duma, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Kyiv, Melbourne

☆ Senior Russian lawmaker calls for professional army of seven million
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lawmaker Leonid Slutsky, who early in the 16-month war took part in peace negotiations with Ukraine, said that Russia needs a contract army of at least seven million military and civilian personnel, on top of the current conscript army. He said Wagner fighters can continue fighting with Russian army, go home or go to Belarus. At the end of 2022, Putin backed beefing up the army to 1.5 million combat personnel - including 695,000 contract soldiers - from 1.15 million. Creating a contract army of seven million would require a huge budget allowance. The Russian economy, crippled by the war and subsequent Western sanctions contracted 2.2% percent last year and is expected to rebound only marginally this year.

Persons: Leonid Slutsky, Sergei Lavrov, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Evgenia, weekend's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Lidia Kelly, Stephen Coates Organizations: Russia's, Russian, Qatari Deputy, Foreign, REUTERS, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al, Thani, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Ukraine, aborting, Belarus, Melbourne

☆ Japan will 'aggressively' push for women's participation after gender gap report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, June 21 (Reuters) - Japan plans to "aggressively" push for women's participation in society, especially in politics, top government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday after an annual report showed the country was struggling to narrow the gender gap. The World Economic Forum report measuring gender parity ranked Japan 125th out of 146 countries this year, compared with 116th in last year's report. In economic participation and opportunity, a category that examines labour force participation, wage equality and income showed, Japan was 123th, the lowest among East Asian and the Pacific countries. Its gender parity in political empowerment was one of the lowest-ranked in the world, at 138th, behind China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party this month compiled a plan to raise the percentage of its female lawmakers to 30%.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Satoshi Sugiyama, Pasit, Mariko Katsumura, Shri Navaratnam, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Economic, Japan, East, Investors, Norges Bank Investment Management, Nikkei, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lower

☆ Japan passes watered-down LGBT understanding bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Japan on Friday passed a much-contested bill to promote understanding of the LGBT community amid criticism that the legislation provides no human rights guarantees and may tacitly encourage some forms of discrimination. However, wrangling over the bill and its wording meant it was only submitted to parliament for consideration the day before the summit began. “But now I’ve begun to think it might be better to have nothing at all.”Japan has come under pressure from other G7 nations, especially the United States, to allow same-sex marriage. Opinion polls show a vast majority of Japanese approve of same-sex marriage. Roughly 70% of the country now allows same-sex partnership agreements, although the partnership rights fall short of those guaranteed by marriage.

Persons: “, ”, Takeharu Kato Organizations: CNN, Liberal Democratic Party Locations: Japan, United States

☆ Japan parliament passes watered-down LGBT understanding bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A participant holds a sign as they march during the Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade, celebrating advances in LGBTQ rights and calling for marriage equality, in Tokyo, Japan April 23, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File PhotoTOKYO, June 16 (Reuters) - Japan on Friday passed a much-contested bill to promote understanding of the LGBT community amid criticism that the legislation provides no human rights guarantees and may tacitly encourage some forms of discrimination. However, wrangling over the bill and its wording meant it was only submitted to parliament for consideration the day before the summit began. Japan has come under pressure from other G7 nations, especially the United States, to allow same-sex marriage. Opinion polls show a vast majority of Japanese approve of same-sex marriage.

Persons: Issei Kato, Takeharu Kato, Elaine Lies, Lincoln Organizations: Tokyo, REUTERS, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, United States

☆ Why Japanese Prime Minister Kishida may call a snap election soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, June 14 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is thought increasingly likely to call a snap election, perhaps within days. This could make it easier for Kishida to call a snap election because there are no pressing policy issues to rally voters. Calling an election soon could shorten preparation time and keep them on the back foot. Kishida and the LDP could come under fire for calling the election because of the lack of pressing issues. Only 11% of voters thought an election should be held "promptly" and another 19% "within this year," according to the NHK poll.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Elaine Lies, Gerry Doyle, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, NHK, Nikkei, Japan Innovation Party, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Hiroshima

The draft plan, which was presented at Kishida's top economic advisory panel on Wednesday, underscored the challenge for the leader, who is seen as a fiscal hawk, to strike a balance between economic growth and fiscal consolidation. The closely-watched policy framework will be approved by Kishida's cabinet this month, along with a separate action plan on his "new capitalism" agenda. "We will not abandon the flag of fiscal reform," Economy Minister Shigeyuki Goto told reporters after the panel's meeting. "There's no change to the government stance of striving to achieve a primary budget surplus in fiscal 2025," Goto added. The framework said the government will conduct a review of any progress of its fiscal reform in the fiscal year 2024 so as to create a medium-term economy and fiscal scheme.

Persons: Fumio Kishida's, Takahide Kiuchi, Shigeyuki Goto, Goto, largesse, Kishida Organizations: Nomura Research Institute, Liberal Democratic Party, LDP ₎, International Monetary Fund, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan

TOKYO, June 7 (Reuters) - Japan is committed to mobilise all policy options available while putting the economy before fiscal reform, according to a draft of the government's mid-year policy framework reviewed by Reuters on Wednesday, signalling its will to keep the fiscal spigot wide open before looming elections. Kishida, who is seen as a fiscal hawk, also hopes to strike a delicate balance between fiscal stimulus and the unwinding of it, with the framework calling for normalisation from crisis-mode fiscal largesse. "We have not abandoned the flag of fiscal reform," the framework said, in a tacit reference to Kishida's aim of bringing a primary budget surplus, excluding new bond sales and debt servicing costs, by the fiscal year ending in March 2026. The target was originally set to be met in the early 2010s but has pushed back four times. Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fumio, Kishida, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Reuters, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Ukraine

[1/2] Ukrainian artillery fires towards the frontline during heavy fighting amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 13, 2023. Following Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit to Japan during the Hiroshima G7 leaders summit last month, Kishida agreed to donate jeeps and trucks. Japan is one of dozens of friends and allies that Washington is asking to help arm Ukraine as it wrestles with stretched military supply chains. Reuters contacted 22 explosives makers listed on the Japan Explosives Industry Association's website. The only one that said it made industrial TNT was Chugoku Kayaku, an Hiroshima-based firm that supplies Japan's military.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Lloyd Austin, Washington, Fumio Kishida, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Kishida, Tsuneo Watanabe, Austin, Akihisa Nagashima, Tim Kelly, Nobuhiro Kubo, Yukiko Toyoda, Kaori Kaneko, Idrees Ali, David Crawshaw Organizations: REUTERS, TNT, Russian, Reuters, Panasonic, Defense, U.S, Japan's Ministry of Trade, Industry, Technology, Logistics Agency, U.S . State Department, Ukraine, TNT Washington, Japan Explosives Industry, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Bakhmut, TOKYO, United States, Japan, Washington, U.S, Tokyo, China, Taiwan, East Asia, Kyiv, Hiroshima, Sasakawa, South Korea, Chugoku, Japan's, Russia, Seoul

☆ Japan court rules that a bar on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] People including plaintiffs' lawyers hold banners and flags, after the lower court ruled that not allowing same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, outside Nagoya district court, in Nagoya, central Japan, May 30, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. The ruling by the Nagoya District Court was the second to find a ban against same-sex marriage unconstitutional, out of four cases on the issue over the past two years. A Tokyo court later upheld the ban on same-sex marriage but said a lack of legal protection for same-sex families violated their human rights. Though opinion polls show some 70% of the public supports same-sex marriage, the conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida opposes it. Kishida in February sacked an aide who sparked outrage by saying people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was allowed, but the premier remains noncommittal about it and has said discussions must proceed "carefully".

TOKYO, May 22 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is increasingly certain to call a snap election, perhaps within weeks, as domestic support surges after a G7 summit that drew a surprise visit by Ukraine's president. Although Kishida said on Sunday he was not thinking of dissolving parliament now, experts feel he may not be able to resist as favourable conditions stack up. "For Kishida, Zelenskiy's visit has a unique significance that will help boost his support rating," said Shigenobu Tamura, a political analyst and former LDP staffer. On Friday, it powered to its highest since 1990. read moreCalling an early election could mean less time for the opposition to prepare. An early election might come too soon to guarantee Kishida the LDP presidency even if the party does well, as a threat looms from rising prices, said analyst Atsuo Ito.

Last year the former leader of Yoon’s party hit out at what he said was the “evil influence” YouTube channels. “After President Yoon Suk Yeol came to power, there have been many cases where the presidential office filed complaints to the media,” Jung said. It has since consistently ranked top in terms of real-time daily viewership on YouTube in South Korea. To Professor Jung, it’s a success that demonstrates “voices cannot be silenced.”Kim, meanwhile, hopes to build a show with as much recognition as any on traditional media. “I will create a type of press that has not yet existed on YouTube,” Kim said.

☆ Right-wing organizers built a giant statue of a Russian propagandist in Minecraft for a digital rally that saw over 10,000 people show up — and then the server crashed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian right-wing organizers built a monument to a dead Russian propagandist in Minecraft. The rally, held ahead of Russia's May Day, last week garnered 12,000 digital visitors. The event, held ahead of Russia's May Day, was organized by the right-wing populist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, according to Meduza. Zhirinovsky, who died last year, was an ultranationalist politician and propagandist considered to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. He baselessly told BCC in 2018 that Ukraine was Russian territory: "It's our territory; it's our people.

☆ Putin's political enemies and Kremlin critics face an 'extremely dangerous' situation in Russia right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"All of the opposition political leaders are either in jail or under restrictive measures or outside of the country. The oppression of political opposition figures in Russia is nothing new. Some accuse the Russian state of trying to poison them, while others have died in suspicious circumstances. Evgenia Novozhenina | ReutersThe persecution of political opposition figures attracted global attention in 2020 when the high-profile Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent. Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya agreed that "it's extremely dangerous" to be a critic of the Kremlin now, no matter what your background is.

☆ Japan nuclear disaster: Fukushima's fishing industry fears Tokyo's next move may finish it off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Emiko Jozuka Krystina Shveda Junko Ogura Marc Stewart Daniel Campisi | Emiko Jozuka | Krystina Shveda | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Ocean currents have since dispersed the contaminated water enough that radioactive Cesium is nearly undetectable in fish from Fukushima prefecture. A year before the 2011 disaster, government data shows Fukushima’s coastal fishing industry landed catches worth around $69 million. At the same time, ground and rainwater have leaked in, creating more radioactive wastewater that now needs to be stored and treated. This isotope is radioactive tritium, and the scientific community is divided on the risk its dissemination carries. He argues TEPCO should build more storage tanks to allow for the decay of the radioactive tritium, which has a half-life of 12.3 years.

☆ Japan PM Kishida evacuated unhurt after explosion at speech- media
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERSTOKYO, April 15 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unhurt after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday, domestic media reported. A loud explosion was heard, but the premier took cover and was unharmed while police subdued a man at the scene, public broadcaster NHK said. Kishida had just started to deliver the speech after touring the harbour when Saturday's incident occurred, NHK said. Kishida was to continue his Saturday afternoon campaign schedule after the incident, the LDP confirmed via its Twitter account. The man appeared to be in his 20s or 30s, media said.

☆ Japan ruling party group eyes ban on TikTok, other apps -lawmaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, March 27 (Reuters) - A group of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers plans to compile a proposal next month urging the government to ban social networking services such as TikTok if they are used for disinformation campaigns, an LDP lawmaker said on Monday. Many U.S. lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media app, alleging the app could be used for data collection, content censorship and harm to children's mental health. "If it's verified that an app has been intentionally used by a certain party of a certain country for their influence operations with malice ..., promptly halting the service should be considered," Norihiro Nakayama told Reuters in an interview. Nakayama, a senior member of a ruling party lawmakers' group looking into ways to enhance Japan's economic security, said the group plans to compile the recommendation next month, adding that the proposal will not be targeting at any particular platform. Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

FILE PHOTO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida poses during his news conference in Tokyo, Japan on February 24, 2023. Stanislav Kogiku/Pool via REUTERSThe news comes as households grapple with intensifying cost-of-living pressures amid elevated inflation for items such as energy and food, hitting consumption and smaller businesses. Thanks to the energy subsidies, a leading indicator of Japan’s consumer prices rose at a slower pace in February, data showed on Friday. However, an index stripping away the effect of fuel hit a fresh three-decade high in a sign of broadening inflationary pressures. The Japanese government will consider asking major utilities to reduce price increases for households in light of recent declines in energy prices, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday.

☆ With backing from business lobby, Japan PM calls for workers' pay hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Above all, wage hikes that beat price hikes are needed," Kishida told an annual gathering of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which lays out its policy agenda for this year. "The wave of wage hikes must spread to small firms and local areas to enhance competitiveness amid heated competition to attract workers" amid labour shortages, Kishida said. While achieving "structural wage hikes," Kishida pledged to continue to take steps to curb energy and food prices to ease the pain of inflation on households. Masakazu Tokura, head of Japan's biggest business lobby Keidanren, expressed support for the wage push. Moreover, the small companies that provide most of Japan's jobs generally can't increase pay, business owners, economists and officials say.

☆ Who is Matthew Kacsmaryk, the Trump-appointed Texas judge who could ban abortion pills?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Matthew Kacsmaryk is a Texas federal judge who was nominated by Donald Trump in 2017. Kacsmaryk graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1999 and received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 2003. The Post reported that it was during law school when Kacsmaryk focused on abortion rights. Kacsmaryk also served as the executive editor of the Texas Review of Law & Politics and received two Dean's Achievement Awards, according to the questionnaire. During his undergraduate years, studying political science, Kacsmaryk was outspoken about his conservative views and stances on abortion.

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