[TODAY'S TOP STORIES] from [The Japan Times]
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Friday, Dec. 25, 2009
Contrite Hatoyama refuses to resign over scandal
Prime minister sorry for 'sloppy' funding, says he will pay gift tax
By JUN HONGO and ALEX MARTIN
Staff writers
Following the indictment of his two former secretaries, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama apologized to the nation Thursday for his political funds scandal and promised to pay some \600 million in gift taxes on donations made to him by his mother that were first deemed as "loans."
"A large amount of falsified reports were brought to light today (by prosecutors). I take this judgment seriously and realize keenly my responsibility," Hatoyama, who had refused to comment on the issue, told reporters Thursday.
While refusing to quit over the scandal, the prime minister said he is ready to pay the gift taxes, including arrears.
Hatoyama's former secretary, Keiji Katsuba, 59, was indicted without arrest Thursday for falsifying reports of the prime minister's fund management body. Daisuke Haga, 55, a secretary in charge of accounting, also received a summary order of a \300,000 fine for failing to oversee the malpractice.
But the prosecutors decided not to indict Hatoyama due to lack of evidence to prove he was a party to the false entries.
Katsuba was indicted for allegedly violating the Political Funds Control Law, faking an accounting report for Hatoyama's fund management body, Yuai Seikei Konwakai. He listed approximately \400 million as coming from fictitious donors — including some who were deceased — which in fact derived partly from the more than ¥1 billion that Hatoyama's mother, Yasuko, provided to the fund management body between 2003 and 2008.
Hatoyama also admitted he may have paid Yuai Seikei Konwakai more than the \10 million individual limit he is allowed, but claimed it was his understanding that funds in excess of the limit constituted a loan that would later be repaid to him.
"I completely entrusted Katsuba with my assets," Hatoyama repeated Thursday, claiming he passed his own money to his former secretary without being aware of how it was being used.
"Accusations that things were handled far too sloppily can't be denied," he said.
Although Hatoyama revealed he handed a written statement on Dec. 18 denying his involvement in cooking the books, he said he avoided speaking in public because his comments would have interfered with the ongoing investigation. On Thursday, Hatoyama chose to face reporters at a Tokyo hotel instead of at the prime minister's office in an apparent effort to separate the scandal from his office.
"I felt impatient being unable to explain the details" during the investigation, he said.
Hatoyama's 87-year-old mother, heiress to tire maker Bridgestone Corp., submitted a statement to prosecutors earlier this month claiming she was not aware of how the money was going to be used.
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Kunio Hatoyama, the prime minister's younger brother, has already paid gift taxes and resigned from key party posts after it was revealed he also received shady donations from their mother.
Hatoyama chose to follow his brother in paying the gift tax but not in stepping down.
Resigning as prime minister "would be abandoning my responsibility to the nation, which has high expectations" for the Democratic Party of Japan-led administration, he said, repeating in the news conference that unlike past cases of bribery, his mismanagement was not intended to profit from the private sector.
"I will take criticism sincerely, correct what needs to be corrected and fulfill my mission as a lawmaker," he said.
While the prosecutors are likely to terminate the investigation into the falsified reports, opposition parties are ready to bring Hatoyama down going into January's ordinary Diet session. The indictment is an additional blow to the his administration, which is already seeing support rates dip below 50 percent after 100 days in office.
"I don't think (the two indictments) will not affect" the Diet proceedings, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said Thursday. But he backed Hatoyama, saying he does not need to step down.
The task of the Cabinet is to handle the economic downturn and provide social care for the nation, Hirano said, adding it is important for Hatoyama to "show his leadership and push forward the government."
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Friday, Dec. 25, 2009
Susan Boyle to sing on NHK's 'Kohaku'
Kyodo, staff report
Singer Susan Boyle, who made a sensational debut in April on popular TV contest "Britain's Got Talent," will sing on "Kohaku Uta Gassen" ("Red and White Singing Battle") on Dec. 31, NHK said Thursday.
Boyle, 48, stunned the British show's judges, including Simon Cowell, who had made fun of her age, with her ability when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables."
The video clip of her singing the song was soon uploaded to video-sharing Web site Youtube and became its most watched video this year, receiving more than 100 million page views.
[BUSINESS NEWS]
Friday, Dec. 25, 2009
Kirin-Suntory merger expected in 2011
Kyodo News
Kirin Holdings Co. and Suntory Holdings Ltd. are arranging to merge around April 2011 and are expected to make an official announcement of the basic agreement in January, sources said Thursday.
An asset management company, which owns about 90 percent of Suntory shares and is operated by Suntory's founding family members, is likely to be the top shareholder with more than 33 percent of shares in the new holding company the two firms plan to establish, the sources said.
In July, the two Japanese brewers said they entered talks for a merger, which would create one of the world's largest food and beverage makers, and are now close to ironing out the details on the integration ratio, believed to be the key to inking an accord.
They intend to maintain both of their Kirin and Suntory product brands and their top executives are likely to take either the position of chairman or president of the new holding company, the sources said.
The two firms have applied with the Fair Trade Commission for a preliminary investigation on whether their merger would face antitrust hurdles since they would dominate more than half of the share in the domestic beer market and more than 30 percent in the domestic soft drinks market, if they integrate.
Kirin and Suntory had originally intended to ink an agreement before the year's end.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Friday, Dec. 25, 2009
Contrite Hatoyama refuses to resign over scandal
Prime minister sorry for 'sloppy' funding, says he will pay gift tax
By JUN HONGO and ALEX MARTIN
Staff writers
Following the indictment of his two former secretaries, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama apologized to the nation Thursday for his political funds scandal and promised to pay some \600 million in gift taxes on donations made to him by his mother that were first deemed as "loans."
"A large amount of falsified reports were brought to light today (by prosecutors). I take this judgment seriously and realize keenly my responsibility," Hatoyama, who had refused to comment on the issue, told reporters Thursday.
While refusing to quit over the scandal, the prime minister said he is ready to pay the gift taxes, including arrears.
Hatoyama's former secretary, Keiji Katsuba, 59, was indicted without arrest Thursday for falsifying reports of the prime minister's fund management body. Daisuke Haga, 55, a secretary in charge of accounting, also received a summary order of a \300,000 fine for failing to oversee the malpractice.
But the prosecutors decided not to indict Hatoyama due to lack of evidence to prove he was a party to the false entries.
Katsuba was indicted for allegedly violating the Political Funds Control Law, faking an accounting report for Hatoyama's fund management body, Yuai Seikei Konwakai. He listed approximately \400 million as coming from fictitious donors — including some who were deceased — which in fact derived partly from the more than ¥1 billion that Hatoyama's mother, Yasuko, provided to the fund management body between 2003 and 2008.
Hatoyama also admitted he may have paid Yuai Seikei Konwakai more than the \10 million individual limit he is allowed, but claimed it was his understanding that funds in excess of the limit constituted a loan that would later be repaid to him.
"I completely entrusted Katsuba with my assets," Hatoyama repeated Thursday, claiming he passed his own money to his former secretary without being aware of how it was being used.
"Accusations that things were handled far too sloppily can't be denied," he said.
Although Hatoyama revealed he handed a written statement on Dec. 18 denying his involvement in cooking the books, he said he avoided speaking in public because his comments would have interfered with the ongoing investigation. On Thursday, Hatoyama chose to face reporters at a Tokyo hotel instead of at the prime minister's office in an apparent effort to separate the scandal from his office.
"I felt impatient being unable to explain the details" during the investigation, he said.
Hatoyama's 87-year-old mother, heiress to tire maker Bridgestone Corp., submitted a statement to prosecutors earlier this month claiming she was not aware of how the money was going to be used.
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Kunio Hatoyama, the prime minister's younger brother, has already paid gift taxes and resigned from key party posts after it was revealed he also received shady donations from their mother.
Hatoyama chose to follow his brother in paying the gift tax but not in stepping down.
Resigning as prime minister "would be abandoning my responsibility to the nation, which has high expectations" for the Democratic Party of Japan-led administration, he said, repeating in the news conference that unlike past cases of bribery, his mismanagement was not intended to profit from the private sector.
"I will take criticism sincerely, correct what needs to be corrected and fulfill my mission as a lawmaker," he said.
While the prosecutors are likely to terminate the investigation into the falsified reports, opposition parties are ready to bring Hatoyama down going into January's ordinary Diet session. The indictment is an additional blow to the his administration, which is already seeing support rates dip below 50 percent after 100 days in office.
"I don't think (the two indictments) will not affect" the Diet proceedings, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said Thursday. But he backed Hatoyama, saying he does not need to step down.
The task of the Cabinet is to handle the economic downturn and provide social care for the nation, Hirano said, adding it is important for Hatoyama to "show his leadership and push forward the government."
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Friday, Dec. 25, 2009
Susan Boyle to sing on NHK's 'Kohaku'
Kyodo, staff report
Singer Susan Boyle, who made a sensational debut in April on popular TV contest "Britain's Got Talent," will sing on "Kohaku Uta Gassen" ("Red and White Singing Battle") on Dec. 31, NHK said Thursday.
Boyle, 48, stunned the British show's judges, including Simon Cowell, who had made fun of her age, with her ability when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables."
The video clip of her singing the song was soon uploaded to video-sharing Web site Youtube and became its most watched video this year, receiving more than 100 million page views.
[BUSINESS NEWS]
Friday, Dec. 25, 2009
Kirin-Suntory merger expected in 2011
Kyodo News
Kirin Holdings Co. and Suntory Holdings Ltd. are arranging to merge around April 2011 and are expected to make an official announcement of the basic agreement in January, sources said Thursday.
An asset management company, which owns about 90 percent of Suntory shares and is operated by Suntory's founding family members, is likely to be the top shareholder with more than 33 percent of shares in the new holding company the two firms plan to establish, the sources said.
In July, the two Japanese brewers said they entered talks for a merger, which would create one of the world's largest food and beverage makers, and are now close to ironing out the details on the integration ratio, believed to be the key to inking an accord.
They intend to maintain both of their Kirin and Suntory product brands and their top executives are likely to take either the position of chairman or president of the new holding company, the sources said.
The two firms have applied with the Fair Trade Commission for a preliminary investigation on whether their merger would face antitrust hurdles since they would dominate more than half of the share in the domestic beer market and more than 30 percent in the domestic soft drinks market, if they integrate.
Kirin and Suntory had originally intended to ink an agreement before the year's end.
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