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Japanese PM reshuffles cabinet to win support for tax rises
Yoshihiko Noda says rises are needed to rein in public debt, which has risen after the tsunami recovery effortJapan’s prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, has sacked two gaffe-prone ministers in an attempt to win opposition support for tax rises he says are needed to rein in public debt, which has been compounded by the recovery effort following last year’s tsunami disaster. Noda replaced five cabinet members, including the defence minister, Yasuo Ichikawa, who drew criticism for describing the 1995 rape of a Japanese schoolgirl by three US servicemen on the southern island of Okinawa as an “orgy”.
published date:Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:36:47 GMT