Ministers quit as Japan’s PM Kishida battles for trust amid fraud scandal
Escalating scandal involving allegations of unreported kickbacks from ruling party fundraising claims key ministers. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is revamping his government as a major corruption scandal in the ruling party has forced the resignations of several ministers including close ally and government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno. Matsuno, whose official title is Chief Cabinet Secretary, announced his resignation on Thursday after Economy and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura also quit. Jiji Press and other Japanese media said Internal Affairs Minister Junji Suzuki and Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita were also stepping down and that five deputy ministers would be let go. The ministers all come from the so-called Abe faction, which is named after the assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and is the biggest and most powerful faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Japanese prosecutors have begun a criminal investigation into the faction over allegations of receiving about 500 million yen ($3.5m) in fundraising proceeds missing from party accounts, news outlets reported. “In light of the various allegations made regarding political funds, which have shaken the public trust in politics, and the various allegations made regarding my own political funds, I have submitted my resignation,” Matsuno said at a press conference. He will be replaced by Yoshimasa Hayashi, who was the foreign minister until September. Kishida announced late on Wednesday that he would revamp his government as he battles to control the fallout from the scandal in the party, which has led Japan almost uninterrupted since the end of World War II. He said he regretted that the scandal had deepened political distrust and insisted he would take urgent steps to tackle it. “We will tackle the various issues surrounding political funds head-on… I will make efforts like a ball of fire and lead the LDP to restore the public’s trust,” he told reporters. Investigators are expected to start searching lawmakers’ offices for evidence as early as next week, according to broadcaster NTV, and to examine whether other LDP factions – including one led by Kishida until last week – are involved, according to the reports. Nishimura was quoted as telling reporters on Thursday: “The public’s doubts are around me over political funds, which is leading to distrust in the government. As an investigation is going on, I thought I wanted to set things right.” Since news of the latest scandal broke a few weeks ago, Kishida has seen his public support drop to about 23 percent, the lowest since he came into office in October 2021, according to a recent poll by national broadcaster NHK. Support for the LDP has also slumped. The prime minister, who has already reshuffled his cabinet twice, does not need to hold an election until October 2025, and a fractured and weak opposition has historically struggled to make sustained inroads against the LDP. Opposition groups led by the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDPJ) of Japan led an unsuccessful no-confidence motion against Kishida on Wednesday. “The LDP has no self-cleansing ability,” CDPJ leader Kenta Izumi said. “It is questionable if they can choose anyone who is not involved in slush funds.” Japanese Communist Party leader Kazuo Shii called the scandal “a bottomless, serious problem”. Matsuno allegedly diverted more than 10 million yen ($70,600) over the past five years from money he raised from faction fundraising events to a slush fund, while Nishimura allegedly kept 1 million yen ($7,000), according to media reports. While most senior figures mentioned in the media remained mum, Vice Defence Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa said on Wednesday that he was told by the Abe faction that “it’s OK to not enter” his first kickbacks in 2020-2022 in the funds’ records and that he assumed it was a practice that had been going on for years and was legal. Miyazawa also said that while he had been ordered to keep quiet, he felt compelled to speak out. The amount he accepted was reportedly just 1.4 million yen ($9,800). Collecting proceeds from party events and paying kickbacks to lawmakers are not illegal in Japan if recorded appropriately under the political funds law. Not reporting such payments carries a penalty of as many as five years in prison but prosecution is difficult because it needs proof of a specific instruction to an accountant to not report the transfer. Adblock test (Why?)
Parliament attack: What suspect Sagar Sharma, e-rickshaw driver’s last Instagram post reads; know all about him
Sagar Sharma informed his family that he was heading to a protest when he left Lucknow two days ago.
Christie calls Sununu endorsement of Haley ‘disappointing’ but ‘doesn’t change my strategy’
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he’s “disappointed” that he didn’t land the endorsement of New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu in the Republican presidential nomination race. But Christie said that Sununu’s backing former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP presidential nominating calendar “doesn’t change my strategy here one bit.” And he pushed back on Sununu’s suggestion that Christie and Haley’s other Republican White House rivals should get out of the race, telling Fox News Digital that “I’m not going anywhere, so let’s be really clear about that.” Christie made his comments as he took questions from reporters following a town hall Wednesday night in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Christie returned to the Granite State on the same day that Sununu was continuing to campaign with Haley across New Hampshire after endorsing her the previous evening. SUNUNU ON HALEY’S 2024 RIVALS: ‘I THINK THEY SHOULD ALL GET OUT’ Sununu, a popular Republican governor who’s won election and re-election to four two-year terms as governor in the crucial northeastern battleground state, had said for weeks that his endorsement would come down to Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Christie, who he’s known for over a decade. Haley has been rising in the polls the past couple of months and is currently in second place in the surveys in New Hampshire, far behind former President Donald Trump, who remains the commanding front-runner for the GOP nomination as he makes his third straight White House run. ‘WE’RE ALL IN’ – SUNUNU BACKS HALEY IN MAJOR 2024 ENDORSEMENT Christie, who’s repeating his strategy from his unsuccessful 2016 Republican presidential run of placing all his chips in New Hampshire, stands in third place in Granite State polls, a couple of points behind Haley. “I would have been happy to accept his support,” Christie said of Sununu. But he downplayed the significance of the Sununu endorsement, arguing that “I would have known exactly what it meant. It meant one vote. And it would have been nice to hang around with him, and we could have done a buddy show like he and Nikki are doing, but in the end, these voters are not going to be told by anybody who to vote for.” “I’m disappointed. I’m not going to be stupid about it. It’s disappointing not to get it but on the other hand, it doesn’t change my strategy here one bit,” he highlighted. CHRISTIE UPS HIS GAME IN A KEY PRIMARY STATE Asked after endorsing Haley on Tuesday if Christie should drop out of the race, Sununu told Fox News that “I’m behind Nikki Haley. I think they should all get out frankly, including former President Trump. I think everyone should kind of clear the way.” But he acknowledged “they’re going to keep campaigning.” A day later, Fox News Digital asked Christie about Sununu’s comments. “He should know better,” Christie responded. “It’s not his job to tell anybody when to get out. He can support whomever he likes, but it’s not his job to tell anybody when it’s time to get out of the race. That’s an individual choice to make and I’m not going anywhere, so let’s be really clear about that.” A night earlier, Sununu told Fox News that he had not given either Christie or DeSantis a heads-up that he was going to endorse Haley. “I learned about it on-line,” Christie told Fox News. “That’s not the way I would have done it but everybody has to account for their own sense of what represents integrity and what doesn’t.” Christie spoke with reporters after taking questions for more than an hour and a half from the crowd in a jam-packed American Legion post in this Republican-leaning town. The former New Jersey governor took aim at Haley early and often during the town hall, starting with what he called her “word salad” answers when it comes to the combustible issue of abortion. Later in the town hall he accused her of “political pandering.” “The voters in this state have a right to know where she stands. Not just her happy talk. They have a right to know where she stands,” Christie told reporters after the town hall. And he charged that Haley’s “unwilling to do it. She wants to be everything to everybody on that issue [abortion]. It’s too important an issue, it’s too personal an issue, and it’s too serious an issue to not answer it directly. I’ve answered it directly. She hasn’t.” Sununu’s much coveted endorsement was a disappointment for DeSantis, but he’s concentrating most of his time and resources in Iowa, whose Jan. 15 caucuses kick off the GOP nominating calendar. But it’s much more of a setback for Christie, who along with Haley is aiming for a strong finish in New Hampshire. Veteran Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett noted that “Christie is planting the flag in New Hampshire and to have the governor of the state, who clearly likes him and has an affinity for him, go with someone else and affirm that someone else has a much better pathway, if that’s your only state, it’s almost impossible, not just in New Hampshire but nationwide, to get the nomination.” “He’s got to look in the mirror,” Bartlett said of Christie. Neil Levesque, the executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, said that the Sununu endorsement “does not help Chris Christie, and it is certainly a blow to his campaign.” But he added that “I don’t think it changes the fact that he’s going to campaign here in New Hampshire and seek the votes, and you never know what’s going to happen.” State Rep. Wayne MacDonald, a former state GOP chair who heads Christie’s steering committee in New Hampshire, told Fox News that “certainly we would much prefer to have Gov. Sununu on board with us than with Gov. Haley.” But he emphasized that
Parliament security breach: 5th accused held, case under UAPA registered
The police said the four were part of a group of six people who planned the incident.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 659
As the war enters its 659th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Thursday, December 14, 2023. Fighting At least 53 people, including six children, were injured after Russia launched a missile attack on Kyiv, the second in a week. The city’s air defences shot down the missiles – Iskander-M and S-400s – but the falling debris blew out windows of apartment blocks as well as a children’s hospital and destroyed parked cars. Of the injured, 18 were taken to hospital. A group of hackers called Solntsepyok claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on Kyivstar, Ukraine’s biggest mobile phone network, after millions of people were left without phone access or air raid alerts. Kyiv believes the group is affiliated with Russian military intelligence. Kyivstar began restoring voice services to some people on Wednesday. Politics and diplomacy With European Union leaders due to meet on Thursday to decide whether to formally open Ukraine membership talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was on a visit to Norway after returning to Europe from the United States, said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had no reason to block Kyiv’s membership of the 27-member grouping. Zelenskyy said he had been “very direct” when he had a brief chat with Orban in Argentina on Sunday. Orban, a conservative nationalist who is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in the EU and is blocking 50 billion euros in financial aid for Kyiv, appeared unmoved. “Our stance is clear. We do not support Ukraine’s quick EU entry,” Orban wrote in a post on Facebook, claiming Ukrainian membership would not serve the interests of Hungary or the EU. Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, meanwhile, promised Zelenskyy they would “stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes”. The five countries have provided Ukraine with aid worth some 11 billion euros since Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and said they were ready to continue giving extensive military, economic and humanitarian support. “Russia must end its aggression and withdraw its forces immediately and unconditionally from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders,” they said in a joint statement. Other EU leaders, including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, reiterated their support for Ukraine, with Scholz suggesting the EU take enlargement decisions by majority vote rather than unanimity. Newly-elected Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he would try to persuade Orban to change course. “Apathy on Ukraine is unacceptable,” Tusk said, adding that he will try to convince “some member states”. A German court heard that Russia paid Carsten Linke, a former soldier working for Germany’s foreign intelligence agency (BND), at least 450,000 euros in return for information about weaponry with which the West was arming Ukraine. Linke and his accomplice, a Russian-born German diamond trader named Arthur Eller, are charged with high treason. Weapons Germany’s Scholz stressed that the aim of the West’s continuing military support for Ukraine was to strengthen Kyiv’s defence to such an extent that Russia would “never again dare to attack”. Adblock test (Why?)
West Bengal: 3 killed, 30 injured as brick kiln chimney collapses on workers
The incident happened on Wednesday evening at Dhaltitah village in Basirhat when the brick kiln was in operation, police said.
Latino Texas Democrats in U.S. House push back as White House entertains GOP border policy
To secure more aid for Ukraine, the White House is negotiating with Senate Republicans on a deal to revive Trump-era border policies. But some Democratic Texans in Congress say their party is giving up too much.
First lady Jill Biden blasted over ‘bizarre’ White House Christmas video: ‘United States of Bananas’
First lady Jill Biden was blasted Wednesday night after posting a video to X showing dancers tapping around the holiday-decorated White House, whose theme this year is “Magic, Wonder and Joy.” In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the first lady shared the video from the official @FLOTUS account, along with the caption. “A bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite. Enjoy!” the first lady’s post read. But social media observers didn’t seem to be enjoying the musical content. SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY GROWS WITH A NOTABLE LEVEL OF DEMOCRAT BACKING: POLL “The United States of Bananas,” one viewer posted. “Imagine thinking this gives America the Christmas spirit,” another wrote. “You are so strange. Bizarre. Freaky,” one said. One comment even shared Melania’s video when Donald Trump was in office, saying how it was tasteful, seasonal, appealed to everyone and was absolutely breathtaking and gorgeous, unlike Biden’s, which they said was “utterly tacky, tasteless, and ANTI Christmas.” “Looks like the WH switched from cocaine to acid,” one viewer posted, an apparent reference to the discovery of cocaine at the executive mansion earlier this year. The video was filled with smiling dancers in brightly colored costumes, prancing and tapping all over the White House, but many viewers described the video as nothing remotely close to a Christmas theme. POLL SHOWS BIDEN HITTING RECORD LOW APPROVALS, FALLING BEHIND AGAINST TRUMP IN 2024 MATCHUP “I wonder what that cost taxpayers,” another wrote. “ABSOLUTE GARBAGE,” another viewer said. Some asked if the video was a joke, adding it was embarrassing and inappropriate for children. Other viewers asked what the cost of the video was and how much it was costing taxpayers. ‘DEEP, DEEP TROUBLE’: DEMS REPORTEDLY BRINGING IN HILLARY CLINTON TO HELP WITH BIDEN’S RE-ELECTION The White House was not immediately available for comment on the video.
House approves resolution demanding MIT, Harvard presidents resign after antisemitism testimony
The House of Representatives voted in favor of a resolution calling on the presidents of Harvard and MIT to resign following last week’s hearing on antisemitism. In a vote on Wednesday evening, representatives passed the resolution by a vote of 303-126. It required two-thirds to pass, or 290 votes. The bill was introduced by House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. “President Magill has resigned, and the other Presidents should follow suit,” the resolution states. HOUSE TO VOTE ON BIPARTISAN RESOLUTION DEMANDING HARVARD, MIT PRESIDENTS RESIGN OVER ANTISEMITISM TESTIMONY Stefanik commented on the resolution’s passage, calling it a “historic bipartisan effort to stand for moral truth.” “The world is watching as Members from both sides of the aisle stand resolutely with the Jewish people to condemn antisemitism on university campuses and the morally bankrupt testimony of the Harvard, MIT, and Penn university presidents during last week’s House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing,” Stefanik wrote on X. “It is disappointing and revealing that 128 Democrats chose to vote against condemning antisemitism on college campuses and the pathetic and abhorrent testimony of the university presidents.” During the hearing on antisemitism, then-University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, Harvard President Claudine Gay, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth all gave “evasive” answers when asked by Stefanik if calls for the genocide of Jews would violate their institution’s policies on bullying and harassment. STEFANIK SHREDS HARVARD OVER ‘COMPLETE MORAL FAILURE’ AFTER ALLOWING CLAUDINE GAY TO REMAIN PRESIDENT “If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment. Yes,” Magill responded, later adding, “It is a context-dependent decision.” “It can be, depending on the context,” Gay responded. Kornbluth responded to the question, saying it would be considered harassment only if it’s “targeted at individuals, not making public statements” and if it was “pervasive and severe.” In an earlier statement to Fox News Digital, an MIT spokesperson said that “MIT and our president, Sally Kornbluth, reject antisemitism in all its forms,” and pointed to a statement from the school’s governing board. “The MIT Corporation chose Sally to be our president for her outstanding academic leadership, her judgment, her integrity, her moral compass, and her ability to unite our community around MIT’s core values. She has done excellent work in leading our community, including in addressing antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate, which we reject utterly at MIT. She has our full and unreserved support,” the MIT Corporation wrote. The Harvard Corporation reaffirmed their support for Gay on Tuesday, hours after the resolution was introduced, stating she is the “right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing.” Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
No evidence but US Republicans approve Biden impeachment inquiry
Vote means investigation is likely to extend well into 2024 when Biden will be running for reelection, probably against Donald Trump. The United States House of Representatives has voted to launch a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, despite an ongoing investigation finding no evidence of wrongdoing by the Democrat. The Republican-controlled House voted 221-212 on Wednesday to approve the investigation, which is examining whether Biden improperly benefitted from his 53-year-old son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings. The vote came hours after the younger Biden refused a call to testify behind closed doors and three months after Republicans informally began the probe. “We do not take this responsibility lightly and will not prejudge the investigation’s outcome,” Speaker Mike Johnson and his team said in a statement after the vote. “But the evidentiary record is impossible to ignore.” Authorising the inquiry ensures that the impeachment investigation extends well into 2024 when Biden will be running for reelection and seems likely to be squaring off against former President Donald Trump who was twice impeached during his time in the White House, including for inciting the January 2021 assault on the Capitol. Trump, who also faces four criminal trials, has pushed his allies in Congress to move swiftly on impeaching Biden, part of his broader calls for retribution against his political enemies. The White House has dismissed the initiative as unsubstantiated by facts and politically motivated. Biden swiftly condemned the vote. “Instead of doing their job on the urgent work that needs to be done, they [Republicans] are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts,” Biden said in a statement following the vote. Hunter Biden offered to testify publicly to the Republican-led House Oversight Committee rather than in a closed-door session [Jack Gruber/USA Today Network via Reuters] The decision to hold a vote came as Johnson and his team faced growing pressure to show progress in their investigation, which has raised ethical questions but uncovered no evidence that Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes either in his current role or when he was vice president between 2009 and 2017. Congressional investigators have obtained nearly 40,000 pages of subpoenaed bank records and dozens of hours of testimony from key witnesses, including several high-ranking Justice Department officials currently investigating the president’s son, Hunter Biden, on firearms and tax charges. The effort will almost certainly fail to remove Biden from office. Even if the House backs impeachment, the Senate would then have to vote to convict him on the charges by a two-thirds vote – a near-impossibility in a chamber where Biden’s fellow Democrats hold a 51-49 majority. “By endorsing this impeachment inquiry, the Republican Conference is signing up for another year of a ‘Do Nothing’ Congress: No substantive legislation or policy progress, all political fantasy and conspiracy theory,” Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, said in a statement after the vote. Adblock test (Why?)