InfoAnda - Japan votes in election seen as test for Democrats

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

'Godfather' singer Al Martino dies in Pa. at 82 | 15 October 2009
Iraqi, South Korean films take top prize at Pusan | 17 October 2009
Hacker mounts second attack on Israeli credit cards | | 6 January 2012

VH1's "Lords Of Revolution" Documentary To Feature 20th Century Icons | 27 July 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Japan votes in election seen as test for Democrats

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Japan votes in election seen as test for Democrats By MARI YAMAGUCHI,Associated Press Writer - Sunday, July 11 Send IM Story Print TOKYO – Japan voted in a parliamentary election Sunday as the ruling Democrats highlighted reforms and cuts in wasteful spending during their 10-month rule _ while apologizing for creating "confusion and mistrust" over tax-hike talk and a dispute involving a U.S. base. The main opposition conservatives, meanwhile, said voters must act to stop the Democrats' "wandering, reckless politics." Polls show the Democratic Party of Japan will likely lose seats in the 242-member upper house, where half the seats are up for grabs. The party's popularity has taken a hit after Prime Minister Naoto Kan suggested Japan needs to raise its sales tax in coming years as the country's population ages and shrinks _ a proposal several top newspapers praised as courageous in front-page commentaries Sunday. The vote won't directly affect the Democrats' grip on power because they have a majority in the more powerful lower house. But a weak showing could undermine the party's ability to pass legislation and force it to find new coalition partners. Kan's party swept to power last August, ending 55 years of nearly unbroken rule by the conservatives, promising to slash wasteful spending, rein in the bureaucrats' power and bring more transparency to politics. In their brief tenure so far, the Democrats have delivered mixed results. They have put the brakes on many large public works projects considered wasteful, but their first prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, disappointed voters by breaking a campaign pledge to move U.S. Marine Air Station Futenma off the island of Okinawa and by getting mixed up in a funding scandal. Kan, a plainspoken former finance minister with a grass-roots activist background, enjoyed an initial surge in approval ratings when he came to office just a month ago after Hatoyama quit. But that support has sagged after he argued Japan needs to seriously consider raising its sales tax from 5 percent to as high as 10 percent in coming years to help rein in its ballooning public debt. Without aggressive steps, he warned Japan could face a Greece-like fiscal crisis _ a comparison experts say is a stretch because most government bonds are held by domestic investors. Over the last several days, Kan has backed off on his tax talk, promising the Democrats won't raise the sales tax until after the next lower house elections, scheduled to be held within three years, saying he wants to seek a public mandate for any decision. In a sometimes desperate-sounding plea to voters released Sunday, the Democrats called the election a choice between "politics that puts people first or going back to old politics." The party also apologized for not living up to voters' expectations, and for "causing confusion and mistrust" over funding scandals, the U.S. base dispute, and tax-increase proposals. Kan has promised to stick to an agreement with Washington to move Futenma to a less crowded, northern part of Okinawa _ despite opposition from residents who want it off the island entirely. "We will eliminate wasteful spending of tax money, and instead spend the national budget for child-rearing, medical care, elderly care and pensions to make a society where we can live with a peace of mind," the party's statement said. The leader of the main opposition conservatives, the Liberal Democratic Party, said voters needed to pronounce judgment on the young administration. "We must stop wandering, reckless politics by the Democrats," said Sadakazu Tanigaki as he wrapped up his campaign speech Saturday night. Kan's attempts to raise the possibility of higher taxes won praise from some of Japan's top newspapers. "That itself is a courageous act" given the likely backlash from voters, read a front-page column in the Yomiuri, the nation's largest paper. While questioning whether Kan was truly committed to following through on tax reforms, the piece said avoiding the tax debate risked burdening "our children and grandchildren." The Democrats and their tiny coalition partner, the Peoples' New Party, have a slim majority in the upper house with 122 seats. Kan has set a target of winning 54 of the seats at stake, but newspaper surveys suggest the party will more likely get about 50 seats. The opposition LDP is projected to pick up about five seats to bring their total to about 76. A total of 437 candidates from 12 parties are vying for the 121 spots. Hiroshi Umezawa, a 60-year-old who listened to Kan on Saturday afternoon, said he was still uncertain whether he would vote for the Democrats because they had not lived up to expectations. "A tax increase is probably inevitable, but I wonder if 10 percent is an appropriate figure," he said. Still, Umezawa credited the Democrats for "bringing fresh air into politics" and said he was inclined to let them rule a little longer. ___ Associated Press writer Malcolm Foster contributed to this report. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Clinton to honour S.Korean sailors: official AFP - 51 minutes ago China demolishes Urumqi flashpoint area AFP - 57 minutes ago Japan government at risk of setback as voters go to poll Reuters - 1 hour 23 minutes ago Pakistan bombing death toll hits 105: officials AFP - 1 hour 26 minutes ago New Myanmar party splits opinion in voting debate AFP - 2 hours 1 minute ago News Search Top Stories Deadly British fugitive siege under investigation European probe Rosetta flies by asteroid: ESA Spain, Holland see unity as key to World Cup final ECB launches offensive on eurozone economic fears Oil companies reeling from drilling moratorium uncertainty More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended European probe Rosetta flies by asteroid: ESA Painting of dead Mandela draws outrage in S.Africa Remote Easter Island braces for total solar eclipse Russian spies leave US without a trace Fugitive British gunman dead: source More Most Viewed » Reclusive top mathematician turns down prize, again Germany's 'Octopus oracle' keeps perfect record Aussie men shoot each other in buttocks 'to see if it hurts' Amputee cat gets bionic legs Fans gather for Michael Jackson death anniversary More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Sunday, 11 July 2010
Abbas says wants progress for direct Mideast talks
Mercury soars across Europe
Iran reviewing woman's stoning death sentence
Face-saving compromise lets China, Google do business
Cuba readies prisoner release; one said out of jail |
Russian, US spies start new lives but mystery swirls
Gaza aid ship sails from Greece, may head to Egypt |
Sudan to consider north-south confederation
Oil companies reeling from drilling moratorium uncertainty
Five US soldiers die fighting Taliban in Afghanistan
Remote Easter Island braces for total solar eclipse
French sleaze case puts spotlight on legal system |
Abbas says wants progress for direct Mideast talks |
On eve of final, S.Africa basks in World Cup success
Surge of attacks kills 6 US troops, 12 Afghans
6 US troops, 12 civilians killed in Afghan attacks
Indonesian president visits attacked anti-graft activist
Japan PM's party at risk of setback in Sunday vote
5.8-magnitude quake strikes off Solomon Islands
Russia-U.S. spy swap participants phone families
It's okay U.S. only got 4 for 10 in spy swap
Russian expert in spy swap 'resurfaces near London'
Apocalypse now? In US and abroad many are prepared
Remote Easter Island braces for total solar eclipse
Haitian farmers reaping hard times as hunger grows
Easter Island braces for eclipse, tourist influx
Correction: China Trade story
Surge of attacks kills 6 US troops, 12 Afghans
Cuba starts releasing group of political prisoners
European probe Rosetta flies by asteroid: ESA
Fidel Castro makes first appearance in four years |
Spain, Holland see unity as key to World Cup final
Japan government at risk of setback as voters go to poll |
NATO: 5 US troops killed in Afghanistan
Cuba begins to free small group of political prisoners
ECB launches offensive on eurozone economic fears
50 people dead in China after heavy rain |
Russian, US spies start new lives but mystery swirls
Australia to hold boatpeople talks with East Timor |
Second person killed in Panama labor clashes |
Global Weather-Celsius
China demolishes Urumqi flashpoint area
Japan government at risk of setback as voters go to poll
Pakistan bombing death toll hits 105: officials
New Myanmar party splits opinion in voting debate
Sex now chief cause of Ukraine's AIDS epidemic
Remnants of war pose threat in Vietnam's Quang Tri
Adrien Brody flexes muscles in "Predators"
Suspect arrested for Philippine radio reporter's killing
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
50 people dead in China after heavy rain
Spanish director Vila wins at Czech film festival
Australia to hold boatpeople talks with East Timor
In Spain, crowds rally for Catalan autonomy
Rain, floods blamed for 50 deaths in China in July
Japan votes in election seen as test for Democrats
Usher to sing in Chinese in China debut
Interest rate hikes are Asia 'vote of confidence'
China's forex reserves hit new record
Mergers key to survival in India's crowded mobile market
New Mumbai airport plan: environment vs business
Philippines seeks boost to tourism
S.Korean finance minister upbeat on global economy
South Sudan army says kills seven in militia raids
British police probed over fugitive manhunt
Tunisia sentences eight to jail on terror charges
Judge shot dead in Dagestan
Netanyahu says will meet Egypt's Mubarak on Tuesday
Deadly British fugitive siege under investigation
Attacks kill 11 Afghan police, district chief
NATO denies Taliban ascendant as Afghan toll mounts |
European probe Rosetta flies by asteroid: ESA
Colombia forces kill 12 rebels in early morning raid |
Israel says won't let Libyan aid ship reach Gaza |
BP works to replace cap over gushing well
Bangladesh jails police over extrajudicial killing |
Fifteen years on, Srebrenica buries more victims |
Taliban attacks kill 14 Afghan police: officials |
Iraqi court seeks arrest of Iranian exiles |
Al Qaeda claims south Yemen security HQ attack |
Japan govt loses upper house majority: exit polls
Japan coalition govt 'loses upper house majority'
China confirms renews Google's China license |
India ends Kashmir curfew, uneasy calm across region
New sumo tournament starts amid gambling scandal
Australia defends 'difficult' asylum-seeker plan
Taiwan's leader calls for closer ties with China
NZ house price growth slows in June
UAE high-flying airlines to create 60,000 new jobs
Clinton to honour S.Korean sailors: official
Indian govt sorry for dumping Bhopal waste in 2008
China bank lending cools in June
China's foreign reserves rise to $2.45 trillion
US-TECH Summary
China confirms renews Google's China license
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01