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Japan's ruling parties have agreed to put off a decision on when to raise income tax to help fund a planned defense spending increase, sources close to the matter said Friday. However, the government is expected to expand revenue from corporate and tobacco taxes starting April 2026, as part of efforts to nearly double the defense budget to 2 percent of gross domestic product, the sources said. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito party are expected to include the plan in their tax reform proposals for fiscal 2025 from April. The government has decided to allocate 43 trillion yen in defense-related spending to achieve its goal of doubling the defense budget over the five years through fiscal 2027. It aims to increase its annual tax revenue by 1 trillion yen through higher corporate, income, and tobacco levies to help cover the expanded defense expenditure. But it has yet to finalize a timeline for the plan, having only said the additional taxation will come at an appropriate time in fiscal 2024 or later. The LDP initially sought to introduce a new taxation item for income starting January 2027, but Komeito, a self-proclaimed "peace party" with many less-wealthy supporters, remained reluctant to accept the proposal, according to the sources. The ruling coalition will continue to discuss when to increase income tax for defense purposes, the sources added. During Friday's tax reform talks with an influential opposition party, the LDP and Komeito proposed to raise the tax-free income threshold from the current 1.03 million yen to 1.23 million starting next year. The ruling parties and the Democratic Party for the People have already agreed to lift the ceiling, viewed as a factor discouraging part-time employees from working longer hours despite the country's labor shortage. But the proposed level is far below the 1.78 million yen demanded by the DPP. Motohisa Furukawa, the DPP's acting president and chair of its research commission on the tax system, told reporters the proposal was "out of the question" and called for the level to be raised further. The ruling coalition needs the DPP's support in parliament after losing its majority in the House of Representatives in the general election late October.
Education reforms should reckon matters if connected to market by generating creative capitalA top US official sought to quell growing concern Sunday over reported drone sightings in the country's northeast, reiterating there was no known security threat as authorities monitor the situation. President Joe Biden's administration has faced mounting criticism for not clearly identifying origins of the objects seen hovering over parts of New York and New Jersey. The criticism has come even from Biden's own party, with top Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer calling Sunday for action to make it easier for federal, state and local authorities to work together to detect and if need be "bring down" any drone seen to pose a threat. Video footage of mysterious airborne phenomena recently has clogged social media, with spottings also reported in Maryland and Virginia. "Some of those drone sightings are, in fact, drones. Some are manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" program. "But there's no question that drones are being sighted," he said, noting there are more than one million registered across the United States. "I want to assure the American public that we are on it," he said. "If we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly. Right now, we are not aware of any." Even as Mayorkas sought to reassure the public, Boston police announced Sunday that two Massachusetts men had been arrested the previous night for allegedly conducting a "hazardous drone operation" near the city's Logan International Airport. State police were conducting a search for a third suspect, who authorities said fled the scene. Schumer, in a letter to Mayorkas Sunday, urged the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy special drone-detection technology across New York and New Jersey, since traditional radar struggles to detect such small objects. He also called for passage of legislation to explicitly authorize state and local law enforcement to work with federal agencies to detect and "bring down drones that threaten critical facilities or mass gatherings." Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, meanwhile expressed frustration at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over its communications around the issue. "The answer 'we don't know' is not a good enough answer," he told "Fox News Sunday." "When people are anxious... people will fill a vacuum with, you know, their fears and anxieties and conspiracy theories," he said, calling for the FAA to hold public briefings. White House national security spokesman John Kirby had previously said the aircraft could be lawfully operated planes or helicopters mistaken for drones. "While there is no known malicious activity occurring, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight a gap in authorities," he said Thursday, calling for Congress to pass new legislation to "extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities." New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Sunday that authorities had agreed to send a drone detection system to her state. "I am grateful for the support, but we need more. Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones," she said on X. On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump urged federal authorities to clearly identify the drones' origins. "Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!" he posted on social media. As the price of drones has fallen -- small quadcopter models with Wi-Fi camera capability can be purchased for as little as $40 -- their numbers and popularity have soared, making their presence in American skies a greater concern. acb/des/bbk/mlm
The results of the Jharkhand Assembly elections 2024 are set to be declared on Saturday, with Bagodar in Giridih district emerging as a key battleground. Known for its dynamic political contests, the constituency witnessed a voter turnout of 65.4% during polling on Wednesday, spread across 454 booths. The 2024 race in Bagodar features a mix of experienced contenders and new challengers. CPI(ML)'s Vinod Kumar Singh, the sitting MLA, is defending his seat against BJP’s Nagendra Mahto, who seeks to reclaim the constituency. Other candidates, including Md Salim of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha and Santosh Kumar of the Bahujan Samaj Party, add depth to the electoral fray. The campaign has been marked by sharp rhetoric, with BJP President Jagat Prasad Nadda accusing the JMM-led government of corruption, including allegations of a ₹5,000-crore mining scam and a ₹4,000-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam. Nadda also criticised tribal land mismanagement, linking it to the exploitation of tribal communities. Advocating for a “double-engine government,” Nadda credited the BJP-led central government with enhancing development and raising millions out of poverty. Bagodar has a history of fierce electoral contests. In 2019, Vinod Kumar Singh of CPI(ML) secured a decisive victory over BJP’s Nagendra Mahto by 14,545 votes, garnering 98,201 votes to Mahto’s 83,656. However, the BJP had claimed the seat in 2014, with Mahto edging out Singh by 4,339 votes. The 2019 elections saw a voter turnout of 67.1%, with over 2.08 lakh votes cast from 3.11 lakh registered voters. Exit polls have added to the anticipation, with mixed predictions on the outcome. Some polls favour the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes allies like AJSU, JD(U), and LJP(RV), while others suggest a continuation of the JMM-led coalition's rule. The latter alliance, comprising JMM, Congress, RJD, and CPI(ML), is tipped to put up a strong fight.
UK, Italy, Japan launch joint venture to develop next-generation fighter jetUndefeated Oregon and No. 23 Texas A&M will collide Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas in the second game of the new Players Era Festival. Both teams are in the "Power" group of the eight-team event. All eight teams are receiving $1 million for their name, image and likeness (NIL) collectives, but placing fourth or higher in the tourney in order will net them anywhere from $1.1 million to $1.5 million. The Aggies (4-1) opened the season with a three-point loss at UCF, but since then have won four straight, all in convincing fashion. Texas A&M upset then-No. 21 Ohio State 78-64 on Nov. 15 at home in College Station, Texas. Then the Aggies crushed Southern 71-54 last Wednesday, when Wade Taylor IV led the way with 17 points and six assists. All of Texas A&M's wins have been by double digits. The Aggies and Ducks (5-0) have split the two previous meetings against each other. Until March 2022 in an NIT second-round game, they had not met since the 1970-71 season. Texas A&M tied the overall series with a 75-60 win at home in 2022. The only player on the Ducks' current roster who played in that game was 7-foot senior Nate Bittle, who has been one of Oregon's best players so far this season. Bittle's 16.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game lead the Ducks so far this season, and the big man also averages two blocked shots per game. Texas A&M guard Zhuric Phelps, a transfer from SMU, leads the Aggies in scoring at 16 points per game. Taylor adds 14 points per game. The Aggies could be the best defensive team the Ducks will have seen this season. A&M is allowing teams to shoot only 36.6 percent in games. Head coach Buzz Williams and his staff are hoping the team gets better at taking charges on defense, as the Aggies have just one so far this season. "I guess the thing that you work on most is verticality around the rim," Texas A&M assistant coach Steve Roccaforte told KBTX television. "‘Hey, once you get there, if you try and take a charge, it's going to be a block. Just jump as high as you can, stay vertical, try to go chest-to-chest. Make it a hard shot.'" Oregon is coming off a 78-75 win at Oregon State, the Ducks' first road game of the season. The Ducks trailed by 10 points at halftime but, as they have in several games this season, they found a rhythm on offense in the second half and came up with a comeback win. Bittle's 23 points and 14 rebounds led the way. Jackson Shelstad had 15 points and Jadrian Tracey and Keeshawn Barthelemy both added 10. "We started rebounding the ball a little better. Nate really got it going inside and our guys got him the ball," Oregon head coach Dana Altman told the school's athletics website. "He had a heck of a game." --Field Level MediaNone
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