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 Oct 1, 2013
World perplexed by U.S. shutdown
As the U.S. government creaked toward a shutdown Monday, the world looked on with a little anxiety and a lot of dismay, and some people had trouble suppressing smirks. “To be honest, people are making a lot of jokes,” said Justice Malala, a political ...
Politics & Diplomacy | Focus Oct 1, 2013
'Not-so-conservative' Republicans may be key to solving U.S. fiscal drama
The most conservative tea party-backed members of the House GOP have been the center of attention in the ongoing fiscal drama, but the key to a solution in the coming days may be a different Republican bloc altogether. It’s a group of a few ...
Politics & Diplomacy Oct 1, 2013
Republican protests, Democrats' silence spell doom for Clinton film
Following protests by Republican rivals, an Oscar-winning filmmaker has dropped plans to make a documentary about Hillary Rodham Clinton, and a planned TV miniseries about her has also been scrapped. Charles Ferguson, who was making the film for CNN, faced criticism from the GOP ...
Politics & Diplomacy Oct 1, 2013
Greek premier vows to eradicate neo-Nazi party
Greece’s prime minister said Monday his government will do “whatever it takes” to completely eradicate the extreme-right Golden Dawn party, whose neo-Nazi leaders have just been arrested. Antonis Samaras said the Greek people “are very smart” and are now seeing the party for what ...
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 30, 2013
Austria coalition scrapes majority; far right gains
Austria’s two main political parties looked Monday to have little alternative but to continue their unloved “grand coalition” for another five years after just scraping together a majority in elections. This is unless the conservatives attempt a repeat of their 2000 coalition with the ...
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 30, 2013
Berlusconi and allies split over strategy to push early elections
Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi appears to backpedal Sunday in his strategy aimed at collapsing Italy's fragile coalition government and triggering early elections, after some key supporters chafe at his order to quit the Cabinet.
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 29, 2013
Looking to 2016, Rubio and Paul rush to join Cruz
by David Nakamura
Sen. Ted Cruz might have alienated the Republican establishment with his all-night polemic against the Affordable Care Act. But that doesn’t mean the caustic Texan didn’t win any friends in Washington. As Cruz’s 21-hour speech dragged on, GOP Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and ...
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 27, 2013
Nippon Ishin's future seen riding on Sakai mayor race
by Eric Johnston
Sunday’s mayoral contest in Sakai, one of Japan’s most independent-minded cities, is expected to decide not only the fate of a plan to merge Osaka prefectural cities into a single administrative entity, but also the fate of national-level efforts to create a new opposition ...
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 27, 2013
Confusion reigns in Maldives over canceled election
The Maldives’ Election Commission sparked confusion Friday over whether elections suspended by the Supreme Court would go ahead as originally scheduled this weekend. The chief of the independent election body in the troubled Indian Ocean archipelago, Fuad Thaufeeq, told local media late Thursday that ...
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 27, 2013
India's top court OKs rejecting candidates
India’s Supreme Court on Friday recognized the right of voters to reject all candidates in polls in what is seen as a key reform ahead of elections next year. A bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam asked the National Election Commission to make ...
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 24, 2013
Cambodian MPs re-elect Hun Sen amid opposition boycott
Cambodia’s parliament reappointed strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen for another five-year term Tuesday, extending his nearly three-decade rule as the opposition threatened to mount fresh protests over fiercely disputed elections. The controversial move came despite recent mass public demonstrations and a boycott of parliament ...
Politics & Diplomacy Sep 23, 2013
Cambodian opposition boycotts parliament over electoral results
The Cambodian opposition boycotted the opening of parliament Monday over alleged widespread cheating in July’s elections, putting the country’s political crisis at a critical juncture. Empty seats dotted the National Assembly as 55 lawmakers elected from the opposition were absent, while 68 ruling party ...