
Kazuo Yana steps down after vote-buying claims, marking the first cabinet exit for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi
Japanese Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana resigned following vote-buying and electoral law violation allegations, marking Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's first cabinet exit.
AI-generated summary
Japanese Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana faced allegations regarding electoral law violations and cutting roadworks funding.
Japanese Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana said he had tendered his resignation following allegations of possible vote-buying, lining him up to become the first senior minister in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government to quit over a scandal.
The prime minister had resisted calls to have Yana step down after local media reports said he claimed to have cut roadworks funding to municipalities that did not support him in February’s general election.
The tide turned after allegations surfaced that he infringed on Japan’s strict electoral laws by arranging free transport to an election kick-off rally, in what some media suggested was a vote-buying move.
Yana has denied breaking the law, saying that the transport was arranged as a venue cost and did not constitute a donation, but in recent days Takaichi appeared to be gradually cutting him loose. It was not immediately clear whether Takaichi had accepted his resignation.

KMT New Taipei City candidate Li Sichuan exchanged views on affordable housing policies with Taoyuan Mayor Zhang Shanzheng on the 14th. Regarding the election debate, Li Sichuan said that he had signed a consent form for the public debate and was willing to exchange political views with DPP candidate Su Qiaohui; he also talked about AI technology corridors and cross-city cooperation issues.

Pro-communist Hong Kong media and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council accused DPP Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Boyang of conniving his father, Shen Tucheng, to make red money in China, and announced sanctions on Shen's father's company. Writer Zhou Weihang complained about this, saying that Shen's father was purchasing goods from China for resale. It was basically the Chinese who were making money for Taiwan independence, which aroused heated discussions among netizens.

Shen Boyang, the Taipei mayoral candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party, went to Shilin Night Market on the evening of the 14th to sweep the streets to collect votes. Two hours before arrival, a large number of people queued up in the surrounding Chengde Park, triggering heated discussions among netizens.

The People's Party Legislative Yuan caucus questioned the Ministry of Digital Development's spending of 20 million yuan to create a digital clone of Queen Yehliu. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a three-point statement on this, emphasizing that the modeling scope covers about 3 hectares of landscape in the second area of Yehliu Geopark, and is not just the Queen's Head. Four companies have already invested in application development, but due to the complete deletion of the 2015 budget, follow-up work has been suspended.

Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Boyang of the Democratic Progressive Party kicked off the night market sweeps tonight, attracting a large number of people to Chengde Park next to the Shilin Night Market. There was a long queue for photos at the scene, showing his high popularity.

The Executive Yuan plans to distribute cash of NT$10,000, and President Lai Ching-te called on the Legislative Yuan to review the general budget as soon as possible and hope to distribute it before the Lunar New Year next year. The People's Caucus said that reviewing the budget is the bounden duty of legislators and will not be compromised due to the president's emotional blackmail. Everything will be handled in accordance with the budget law.