Thursday, Mar 28 2024 | Time 23:12 Hrs(IST)
image
World


Japan defense minister under fire before key Tokyo poll

By Linda Sieg TOKYO, Jun 28 (Reuters) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, its ratings slipping over suspicions of favouritism, has suffered a fresh embarrassment when his defense minister made politically sensitive remarks just days ahead of a key local election. Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, speaking yesterday at a rally for ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidates in Sunday's Tokyo Metropolitan assembly election, asked for voter support saying the request was from "the defense ministry, the Self-Defense Forces, the defense minister and the LDP". By law, the SDF, as Japan's military is known, must be politically neutral. Inada withdrew the remark at an impromptu news conference, saying it could be "misunderstood". The July 2 vote for the Tokyo Metropolitan assembly is on the surface a referendum on Governor Yuriko Koike's first year in office, but it is also shaping up as a chance for voters in the capital to express their views on Abe's administration. Koike is aiming for her new "Tokyo Residents First" party and its allies to win a majority in the 127-seat assembly, while the LDP hopes to keep its status as the biggest party. Abe's support slumped in surveys released last week on voter concerns about suspicions that he helped a friend get permission to open a veterinary school in a special economic zone and criticism his ruling bloc rammed a contentious bill through parliament and ended the session to close off debate. Abe and his aides have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the approval process for the new school to be run by Kake Gakuen (Kake Educational Institution) The flap over Inada's remarks - the main opposition Democratic Party leader, Renho, called for her resignation - follows a widely publicized incident in which a female LDP lawmaker was taped verbally and physically abusing her aide. The lawmaker has left the LDP. Finance Minister Taro Aso, known for making gaffes of his own, later appeared to blame the incident on the lawmaker's gender. "If you look at her academic background, it’s impeccable, but she is a woman,” Aso was quoted by media as telling LDP members on Saturday. Media reports said today that the LDP, worried about the Tokyo race, was considering asking Shinjiro Koizumi, the popular 36-year-old lawmaker son of ex-premier Junichiro Koizumi, to campaign for its candidates. REUTERS SDR 0747
More News

France's Le Pen accuses gov't of 'pickpocketing' French in attempt to cut budget deficit

28 Mar 2024 | 4:19 PM

Paris, Mar 28 (UNI) Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French right-wing National Rally Party's parliamentary faction, has said that the government's reform of social security for the unemployed is an attempt to "pickpocket" the French to reduce the national budget deficit caused by the authorities' failures.

see more..

Turkish Prez's admin denies claims economic outlook grim for next 1 5 yrs

28 Mar 2024 | 4:19 PM

Ankara, Mar 28 (UNI) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration has denied social media claims that a long, tough period lies before the country's economy for a year and a half, accusing those who disseminate this disinformation and stoking panic ahead of the municipal elections slated for Sunday.

see more..

US agencies didn't share all data about threat of terror attack with Russia: NYT

28 Mar 2024 | 4:12 PM

Washington, Mar 28 (UNI) US intelligence agencies did not provide the Russian side with all the information they had about the threat of a terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in the Moscow Region, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing European and US security officials.

see more..

Russia working with China, Turkey, UAE on payments constructively

28 Mar 2024 | 4:07 PM

Moscow, Mar 28 (UNI) Russia is working with China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates on the issue of payments very constructively and takes into account the possibility of pressure from the United States and the European Union, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

see more..

Over 12,500 criminal suspects apprehended in Afghan

28 Mar 2024 | 3:29 PM

Kabul, Mar 28 (UNI) The Afghan police have arrested 12,540 suspects criminal over the past six months across the country, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said on Thursday.

see more..
image