SNA (Tokyo) — The following stories were reported today by the Shingetsu News Agency.

The Top Headline

—Susumu Inamine and Taketoyo Toguchi took to the streets this morning to formally launch their campaigns for the post of Nago Mayor. This is one of the two big elections in 2018 regarding the Henoko base issue. The main appeal being used by Taketoyo Toguchi’s supporters is that Nago can receive a lot of financial support and development funds from the Abe government if they go along with the Henoko base building plans. Six opposition parties are supporting the reelection effort of Susumu Inamine, the anti-base incumbent. Four party leaders are personally out on the streets of Nago city campaigning for him today, including Ichiro Ozawa of the Liberal Party.

Politics

—Democratic Party set to unveil its electrifying appeal to create a “new, middle-road political party” that “takes seriously the value of the middle road.” They might as well just hang a sign around their necks that says, “We stand for nothing at all!”

International

—Abe government protests that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated that “we know that there’s more that needs to be done” about the Comfort Women issue… “NOOOO! Nothing more needs to be done!” Abe government furious at suggestion that the issue isn’t completely resolved.

Economy

—US President Donald Trump says the exact same thing about the Paris Agreement that he just said about TPP. He’d be happy to rejoin if it were made “better.” He doesn’t know what changes he wants or understand what he’s talking about, but just wants credit for whatever is done.

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