Tokyo, 10 July, /AJMEDIA/
Voting under way in Japan’s upper house election
TOKYO – Voting is under way for a House of Councillors election Sunday, with rising prices and security threats seen as being at the forefront of the people’s minds as Japan also reels from the death of Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister who was gunned down on the campaign trail.
The outcome of the triennial election is a gauge of voter confidence roughly nine months into the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has set a goal for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner Komeito to retain a majority in the upper house.
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Abe shooter cites grudge against religious body over big donation
NARA, Japan – The man who fatally shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told police that his mother had made a “huge donation” to a religious body, and he harbored a grudge against the group, which he believed was associated with the Japanese leader, investigative sources said Saturday.
A day after the death of Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, one of the sources also quoted Tetsuya Yamagami as saying something to the effect of “initially, I intended to attack an executive of the group” but decided to target Abe instead.
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U.S. airs concern about China-Russia alignment amid Ukraine war
NUSA DUA, Indonesia – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday raised Washington’s concern about China’s alignment with Moscow amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Blinken said that was made clear during a more than five-hour meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the Indonesian island of Bali, but both sides agreed to manage their differences on issues ranging from Taiwan to human rights and continue high-level exchanges.
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Rugby: France deny Japan historic win in 2nd test with late try
TOKYO – Ryohei Yamanaka scored a brace of tries to put Japan in the driver’s seat, but a late five-pointer from Baptiste Couilloud denied the hosts a historic victory over France, who emerged 20-15 winners of the second test at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Saturday.
The Brave Blossoms had never before beaten the three-time World Cup runners-up, with their best-ever result a 23-23 draw in November 2017 in Paris.
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Sri Lanka’s PM says to quit after protesters storm president’s house
NEW DELHI – Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Saturday he will resign after protesters stormed the president’s official residence as the island country of 22 million people struggles with its worst economic crisis since independence.
The prime minister said via Twitter that he has accepted “the best recommendations” of party leaders to do so to “ensure the continuation of the government including the safety of all citizens.”
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Top court upholds damages ruling in Japan’s #MeToo symbol’s rape case
TOKYO – Japan’s Supreme Court has finalized a ruling ordering a former senior television reporter to pay journalist Shiori Ito 3.3 million yen ($24,000) in damages over a high-profile rape case that helped spark Japan’s #MeToo movement.
The top court upheld a Tokyo High Court ruling in January favoring Ito, saying Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a 56-year-old former Washington bureau chief for Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Inc., had sexual intercourse with her without her consent in 2015. The top court’s ruling was dated July 7.
