TOKYO — Miho Kubota is a superfan of Japan’s newest and first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. So much so that the 28-year-old recently traveled four hours to visit Takaichi’s hometown, eat a Takaichi-themed lunch, check out the 1991 Toyota Supra that Takaichi drove in her 30s, and return home with a swag bag full of Takaichi-themed souvenirs. Source link
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house of parliament on Friday, paving the way for an early election on Feb. 8. The move is an attempt to capitalize on her popularity to help the governing party regain ground after major losses in recent years, but it will delay parliamentary approval for a budget that aims at boosting a struggling economy and addressing soaring prices. Takaichi, elected in October as Japan’s first female leader, has been in office only three months, but she has seen strong approval ratings of about 70%. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party could still face some challenges as it reels from a series of scandals about corruption and the party’s past ties to the Unification Church. But it’s not clear if the new opposition Centrist Reform Alliance can attract moderate voters, while opposition parties are still too splintered to a pose a serious threat to the LDP. Takaichi is also seeing rising animosity with China, since making remarks on Taiwan. And U.S. President Donald Trump wants her to …
Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Maury Povich has attributed the success of modern reality TV shows like The Kardashians and the Real Housewives franchises to his iconic talk show that rose to fame in the 1990s. Nearly four years after the former TV host retired, 86-year-old Povich is returning to television with a new three-part ABC docuseries exploring how his iconic talk show affected the landscape of modern television — and according to him, the sensationalism of his eponymous daytime talk show sparked a whole new era for reality television. Maury rose to popularity for its tabloid topics, often featuring paternity results and lie detector tests on the show that incited extreme drama from its guests. Povich, who started his career as a radio reporter, took a journalistic approach to his interviews, which regularly touched on topics including teen pregnancies, bizarre phobias, or infidelity. During his …
While the Chicken Club Sandwich remains the nation’s favourite main and the Protein Egg Pot is the favourite snack for a second year running, Red Bull is the favourite drink for the first time, according to the grocer’s annual Clubcard Unpacked report. Source link
