Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 22, 2013
Tamil party election victory raises hopes of self-rule in Sri Lanka's north
Sri Lanka's main Tamil party easily wins landmark elections in the north, raising hopes the ethnic minority can rule itself after decades of war.
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 21, 2013
Sri Lanka Tamils see hope in provincial election
Ethnic Tamil voters in Sri Lanka’s war-ravaged north went to the polls Saturday to form their first functioning provincial government, hoping it will serve as the first step toward wider regional autonomy after decades of struggle and a bloody civil war. The elections are ...
Crime & Legal Sep 18, 2013
LDP Lower House lawmaker Tokuda's suspected illegal campaign prompts raids
Prosecutors on Tuesday raided the Tokyo head office of Tokushukai hospitals and medical facilities on suspicion its employees were illegally involved in December’s general election campaign of Liberal Democratic Party Lower House member Takeshi Tokuda. Tokuda, 42, a third-term House of Representatives lawmaker from ...
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 10, 2013
Labeling him 'destabilizing,' lawmakers put pressure on Rudd to quit
Pressure was building Tuesday on defeated Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to quit politics, with senior figures within his Labor Party saying he will be a destabilizing influence. Rudd’s popularity with the Australian public came crashing down Saturday when he was soundly defeated by conservative ...
Global-related Sep 3, 2013
Sexism, Jagger, Seinfeld color Oz election farce
by William Pesek
Australia's current election campaign is proof that former Prime Minister Julia Gillard wasn't dispatched for her performance.
Politics & Diplomacy Aug 31, 2013
Rudd predicts election results will be closer than polls show
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Saturday said he believes the upcoming election will be closer than polls suggest, after a survey showed the government faces a wipeout in crucial seats. The Labor leader is trailing conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott ahead of Sept. 7 ...
Politics & Diplomacy Aug 26, 2013
Incumbent Hayashi re-elected as Yokohama mayor
Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi beat two challengers in the mayoral race Sunday, securing a second four-year term, the election board said. Hayashi, a 67-year-old independent backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan and New Komeito, garnered 694,360 votes. Among the ...
National Aug 25, 2013
Yokohama Mayor Hayashi assured of second term
Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi was headed for re-election to a second four-year term Sunday as projections and early returns showed her defeating two fellow independents. Hayashi, a 67-year-old independent backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan and New Komeito, ...
Politics & Diplomacy Aug 24, 2013
Australian coalition ahead of Labor: poll
Australia’s opposition Liberal-National coalition has widened its lead over the Labor government in an opinion poll, signaling leader Tony Abbott may replace Kevin Rudd as prime minister after the Sept. 7 election. Support for the coalition rose to 53 percent on a two-party preferred ...
Politics & Diplomacy Aug 10, 2013
Candidate refers to Islam as country
A candidate for Australia’s anti-immigration One Nation party dropped out of the election race Saturday after a blundering interview in which she referred to Islam as a country. Stephanie Banister, 27, had been campaigning for just 48 hours when she gave the interview to ...
Politics & Diplomacy Aug 10, 2013
Aussie opposition regains poll lead
Australia’s opposition has regained the lead over Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s government, with 52 percent of respondents in an opinion poll published Saturday saying they will support the coalition in the Sept. 7 national election. The ruling Labor Party had a 48 percent share ...
Politics & Diplomacy Jul 18, 2013
Iwate hopefuls locked in close race
Tatsuo Hirano, former minister for disaster reconstruction, faces an uphill battle for re-election as a House of Councilors lawmaker in the fiefdom of former power broker Ichiro Ozawa. Hirano, 59, parted with Ozawa last year when the influential politician bolted from the then-ruling Democratic ...