Japan

[ad_1] Only a few smaller opposition parties in Japan are considering a reduction in the consumption tax rate ahead of the general election, with the main opposition and the ruling parties supporting the current rate of 10%.“If the consumption tax was abolished, it would create a hole of over ¥20 trillion in the budget,” Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan chief Yoshihiko Noda said during a debate hosted by Niconico, a […]

[ad_1] Gifu – Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Monday traveled to Gifu Prefecture by bullet train to attend the opening ceremony of national cultural festivals. The imperial couple arrived at Gifu-Hashima Station just before noon. They waved and smiled at citizens who gathered at the station. The emperor and the empress attended the opening ceremony of the 39th National Cultural Festival and the 24th National Arts and Culture Festival […]

[ad_1] Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is interviewed at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday. | Jiji The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will move to abolish policy activity allowances that political parties pay their member lawmakers, Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama said Monday. "There is no doubt about moving toward abolishing the allowances," Moriyama said in an interview. The LDP's campaign platform for the Oct. 27 election […]

[ad_1] PARIS – Butter prices have rocketed in recent months, trading at record highs across Europe in bad news for bakers and pastry makers already facing high chocolate and sugar costs as they prepare for Christmas celebrations.Strong demand for butter, tight supply and dairy processors' preference to use more milk for the most profitable products such as cheese have driven the price surge, analysts say.European butter was trading on world […]

[ad_1] Japan’s financial regulator plans to examine banks’ lending to private equity and other funds in the U.S. and elsewhere to determine whether they have proper risk management.Toshinori Yashiki, a senior official at the Financial Services Agency, said the business has attracted attention because the country’s largest banks are increasing what is known as subscription finance and lending to funds that provide equity or credit to private companies."It’s necessary to […]

[ad_1] JERUSALEM – After Israeli soldiers found Mohammed Shubeir hiding with his family in early March, they detained him for roughly 10 days before releasing him without charge, he said.During that time, Shubeir said, the soldiers used him as a human shield.Shubeir, then 17, said he was forced to walk handcuffed through the empty ruins of his hometown, Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, searching for explosives set by […]

[ad_1] Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) said Monday that it has completed the fifth round of discharges of tritium-containing treated water from its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean for fiscal 2024. About 7,800 metric tons of the water, diluted with seawater, was released about 1 kilometer offshore through an undersea tunnel in the latest operation from Sept. 26, which marked the ninth round since Tepco […]

[ad_1] Defender Kye Rowles vowed Monday to "flip the script" as Australia looks to win on Japanese soil for the first time when the two sides clash in World Cup qualifying. The Socceroos are clear underdogs having never beaten Samurai Blue in Japan, while their last victory over the Japanese came in 2009 in Melbourne. Japan is the leading team in Asia at 16th in the FIFA rankings and tops […]

[ad_1] Shanghai – World No. 1 Jannik Sinner said he did his best to roll with the punches and prevent his ongoing doping controversy from affecting his performances after he beat Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 to claim the Shanghai Masters crown on Sunday.In August, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Sinner failed two drug tests in March but had been cleared of wrongdoing by an independent tribunal.The tribunal accepted […]