Political News(2025/02/17)
LDP executives propose new "gradual income tax deduction amount" to tackle 1.03 million yen annual income barrier
2025-02-17 23:19:00
Regarding the review of the "1.03 million yen annual income barrier," a senior LDP official told reporters that a new proposal to increase income tax deductions will be presented at tax policy talks with the Democratic Party for the People, which resume on the 18th, and revealed that the party is considering ways to gradually change the deduction amounts depending on annual income.
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Prime Minister Ishiba: "Revising the budget to remove income limits on school support grants"
2025-02-17 21:25:00
The Diet held intensive deliberations in the House of Representatives Budget Committee, where Japan Restoration Party co-leader Maehara called for making high school tuition free, while Prime Minister Ishiba indicated his intention to revise the budget bill to eliminate the income limit for tuition support grants, which currently provide over 110,000 yen per year to both public and private schools from the new fiscal year, thereby effectively making public high school tuition free.
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Cross-party group calls on justice minister to include victims of wrongful convictions in debate over revision of retrial law
2025-02-17 21:05:00
In response to Justice Minister Suzuki's request to the Legislative Council to consider amending the law to revise the system of retrials, or the practice of redoing trials, a cross-party group of lawmakers has urged Minister Suzuki to include victims of wrongful convictions and their families in the discussion.
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Prime Minister Ishiba meets with high school student who won the top prize in the policy contest and praises their efforts
2025-02-17 21:00:00
Prime Minister Ishihara met with a high school student from Nagano Prefecture who won the top prize at a policy contest open to high school students from all over the country for his proposal to utilize the special adoption system to realize diverse family structures. He praised the student's efforts, saying, "I would like to consider incorporating this into national politics."
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Parties express opinions at meeting on stable imperial succession
2025-02-17 20:42:00
A meeting was held between the Speakers and Vice Speakers of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors and representatives of each political party to discuss how to ensure stable succession to the throne, and each party expressed their opinion on whether or not a female member of the imperial family, who remains in the imperial family after marriage, should also become a member of the imperial family with her spouse and children.
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Prime Minister Ishiba: "Revising the budget to remove income limits on school support grants"
2025-02-17 19:43:00
The Diet held intensive deliberations in the House of Representatives Budget Committee, where Japan Restoration Party co-leader Maehara called for making high school tuition free, while Prime Minister Ishiba indicated his intention to revise the budget bill to eliminate the income limit for tuition support grants, which currently provide over 110,000 yen per year to both public and private schools from the new fiscal year, thereby effectively making public high school tuition free.
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Himeji city council member's SNS posts inappropriate: Political ethics committee established for Hyogo gubernatorial election etc.
2025-02-17 19:05:00
Eight factions of the city council requested the establishment of a political ethics review committee to investigate the reasons for the posts, etc., after the content posted on social media by members of the Himeji City Council regarding the Hyogo Prefectural gubernatorial election was deemed inappropriate, and the review committee was established. The Hyogo Prefectural Police Headquarters protested to the Liberal Democratic Party prefectural federation, claiming that the posts made by members regarding the gubernatorial election were not true.
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LDP, Komeito, and Nippon Ishin continue discussions on maximum amount of financial support for private high schools
2025-02-17 18:45:00
Regarding the free high school tuition, policy chiefs from the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito Party and the Japan Restoration Party met and confirmed that they would continue to discuss the nature of educational support, including how to handle the upper limit on subsidies for private high schools, which Prime Minister Ishiba said "is likely to be raised."
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Mayor Nagano of Kishiwada, Osaka, loses job after second no-confidence motion passed today
2025-02-17 18:42:00
On the 17th, a motion of no confidence was submitted again to the city council against Mayor Nagano Kohei of Kishiwada City, Osaka, who reached a settlement in a lawsuit over sexual relations with a woman. All members present voted in favor and passed the motion. The mayor will lose his position on the 17th, and a mayoral election will be held within 50 days.
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LDP considers inviting former Abe faction accounting officer to appear as witness, reports say
2025-02-17 18:18:00
Regarding the issue of political fundraising parties held by factions of the Liberal Democratic Party, the accounting officer of the former Abe faction told the board of directors of the House of Representatives Budget Committee that he would like to consider inviting a witness. However, since he does not want the witness to be invited in public, the head directors of the ruling and opposition parties will discuss the format of the invitation.
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Mayor Nagano of Kishiwada, Osaka, loses job after second no-confidence motion passed today
2025-02-17 17:38:00
On the 17th, a motion of no confidence was submitted again to the city council against Mayor Nagano Kohei of Kishiwada City, Osaka, who reached a settlement in a lawsuit over sexual relations with a woman. All members present voted in favor and passed the motion. The mayor will lose his position on the 17th, and a mayoral election will be held within 50 days.
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Experts' panel on establishing "Disaster Prevention Agency" says "It should act as a bridge between the public and private sectors"
2025-02-17 16:56:00
A meeting of a government panel of experts was held to discuss the establishment of a Disaster Prevention Agency, and one opinion was expressed that the agency should function as a bridge between the public and private sectors, as government response is limited in the event of a large-scale disaster and cooperation with the private sector will be important.
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Mayor Nagano of Kishiwada, Osaka, loses job after second no-confidence motion passed today
2025-02-17 16:11:00
On the 17th, a motion of no confidence was submitted again to the city council against Mayor Nagano Kohei of Kishiwada City, Osaka, who reached a settlement in a lawsuit over sexual relations with a woman. All members present voted in favor and passed the motion. The mayor will lose his position on the 17th, and a mayoral election will be held within 50 days.
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Prime Minister Ishiba "Discussing budget revisions to remove income limits on school support grants"
2025-02-17 15:45:00
At the House of Representatives Budget Committee, Prime Minister Ishiba indicated his intention to consult with the ruling parties toward revising the new fiscal year budget proposal to essentially eliminate the income limit for the annual tuition support grant of 118,800 yen for all households, including those attending private schools, as a preliminary measure toward a full-scale reform of the system, once discussions between the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, and the Japan Restoration Party are completed regarding the free high school tuition fees that the Japan Restoration Party and others are calling for.
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LDP considers inviting former Abe faction accounting officer to appear as witness, reports say
2025-02-17 14:50:00
Regarding the issue of political fundraising parties held by factions of the Liberal Democratic Party, the accounting officer of the former Abe faction told the board of directors of the House of Representatives Budget Committee that he would like to consider inviting a witness. However, since he does not want the witness to be invited in public, the head directors of the ruling and opposition parties will discuss the format of the invitation.
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Moritomo Gakuen document falsification: Prime Minister Ishiba briefly speaks with Akagi's wife
2025-02-17 14:34:00
On the afternoon of the 17th, Prime Minister Ishiba briefly spoke in the Diet with Masako, the wife of Toshio Akagi (then 54), an employee of the Kinki Finance Bureau who committed suicide, in connection with the falsification of the Ministry of Finance's approval documents related to Moritomo Gakuen.
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Moritomo Gakuen document falsification: Prime Minister Ishiba briefly speaks with Akagi's wife
2025-02-17 13:53:00
On the afternoon of the 17th, Prime Minister Ishiba briefly spoke in the Diet with Masako, the wife of Toshio Akagi (then 54 years old), an employee of the Kinki Finance Bureau who committed suicide, in connection with the falsification of the Ministry of Finance's approval documents related to Moritomo Gakuen.
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At the House of Representatives Budget Committee, the CDP urges the government to "revise the budget plan"; Prime Minister Ishiba says "We will consider doing so based on discussions"
2025-02-17 13:40:00
The Diet held intensive deliberations in the House of Representatives Budget Committee, where Constitutional Democratic Party leader Noda urged revisions to the new fiscal year budget proposal, claiming that the party had secured financial resources to realize its policies. In response, Prime Minister Ishiba indicated that the government would consider its response based on discussions between the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party.
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LDP considers inviting former Abe faction accounting officer to appear as witness, reports say
2025-02-17 13:03:00
Regarding the issue of political fundraising parties for the Liberal Democratic Party faction, the former Abe faction's accounting officer said he would like to consider inviting a reference person to the House of Representatives Budget Committee. The format of the reference person invitation will be discussed by the heads of the ruling and opposition parties.
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Moritomo Gakuen document falsification: Prime Minister Ishiba briefly speaks with Akagi's wife
2025-02-17 12:54:00
Prime Minister Ishiba briefly spoke in the Diet this afternoon with Masako Akagi, the wife of Toshio Akagi (54 at the time), an employee of the Kinki Finance Bureau who committed suicide, in connection with the falsification of the Ministry of Finance's approval documents related to Moritomo Gakuen.
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At the House of Representatives Budget Committee, the CDP urges the government to "revise the budget plan"; Prime Minister Ishiba says "We will consider doing so based on discussions"
2025-02-17 12:30:00
The Diet held intensive deliberations in the House of Representatives Budget Committee, where Constitutional Democratic Party leader Noda urged revisions to the new fiscal year budget proposal, claiming that the party had secured financial resources to realize its policies. In response, Prime Minister Ishiba indicated that the government would consider its response based on discussions between the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party.
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Prime Minister Ishiba's Activities February 14-16
2025-02-17 10:28:00
(Prime Minister Ishiba's Activities February 16, 2025) 14:55 Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Keiichiro Tachibana at the official residence (until 17:59) 18:00 Met with LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Itsunori Onodera (until 18:32) 18:33 Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tachibana (until 19:28)
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Policy talks between ruling and opposition parties reach a climax this week as they look to revise the new fiscal year budget
2025-02-17 05:10:00
Policy talks between the ruling and opposition parties, with a view to revising the new fiscal year budget, will reach a climax this week. The Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito plan to accept the opposition parties' demands and revise the budget if financial resources are secured in order to pass the budget within the fiscal year.
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