Japanese prime minister's aide leaving over LGBTQ2S+ remarks
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida listens as he takes part in a press conference in Tokyo, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. (Richard A. Brooks/Pool Photo via AP)
TOKYO -
A senior aide to Japan's prime minister is being dismissed after making discriminatory remarks about LGBTQ2S+ people.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters Saturday that Masayoshi Arai, a secretary at his office, was being dismissed after Arai recently told Japanese media he did not like seeing LGBTQ2S+ people. Arai had retracted his comments and apologized on Friday.
Kishida said the remarks run counter to the administration's position on promoting diversity.
"Taking strong action is inevitable," Kishida said without providing further details, meaning Arai may leave voluntarily.
Arai's remarks prompted an outburst of protest and were the latest in a string of gaffes by Japanese officials that have landed them in trouble.
Saving face is important in conformist Japan, where prejudice against LGBTQ2S+ people, racial groups, women and other nationalities persist.
Japan is the only Group of Seven country that does not recognize same-sex marriage, but the movement toward recognition has been growing.
Kishida's administration has been hit by several scandals recently, and its popularity is shaky.
Various Japanese officials have resigned over the years over comments they made.
A justice minister stepped down last year after joking about capital punishment.
In 2021, Yoshiro Mori resigned as head of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee after saying women talked too much. Mori had been gaffe-prone when he earlier served as prime minister, about 20 years ago.
A minister in charge of cybersecurity who acknowledged he had hardly ever used a computer resigned in 2019.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
U.S. President Joe Biden touches down in Ottawa
U.S. President Joe Biden arrived Thursday evening in Ottawa for a whirlwind 27-hour visit expected to focus on both the friendly and thorny aspects of the Canada-U.S. relationship, including protectionism and migration on both sides of the border.
PM Trudeau, President Biden agree to end 'loophole' in Safe Third Country Agreement: sources
Canada and the United States are negotiating a deal that could see asylum seekers turned back at irregular border crossings across the border, including Roxham Road in Quebec.
Eastern Ont. mayor wants more help from feds to manage influx of asylum seekers, supports STCA renegotiation
As the federal government looks to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S., an eastern Ontario mayor says his city needs more help from Ottawa to deal with the influx of asylum seekers arriving through irregular crossings like Roxham Road.
Opposition parties affirm call for interference inquiry, amid questions over MP Han Dong
Amid renewed questions over the pervasiveness of alleged interference by China in Canadian elections and affairs broadly, opposition MPs voted Thursday afternoon to affirm a parliamentary committee's call for the federal government to strike a public inquiry.
'Scream as loud as you can': 5 boys rescued from NYC tunnel
Five mischievous boys had to be rescued after they crawled through a storm drain tunnel in New York City and got lost, authorities said.
Make sure to check your grocery bill otherwise you may pay more: Survey
A majority of Canadians have seen a mistake on their grocery receipts in the last year, according to a new survey conducted by Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
Asteroid to hurtle past Earth closer than the moon this weekend
An asteroid discovered just last week will pass closer to the Earth than the orbit of the moon this weekend, an occurrence so rare it happens only once in a decade, according to NASA.
Number of Canadians receiving EI at record lows, down 44 per cent from last year: StatCan
The number of Canadians receiving employment insurance benefits are at record lows and down 44 per cent from last year, new figures from Statistics Canada show.
Indigenous sisters developing video games to revitalize Mohawk language
Two Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk) sisters from Montreal are on a mission that is close to their hearts: to save their ancestors' first language by developing video games young and old can play.
Canada
-
Eastern Ont. mayor wants more help from feds to manage influx of asylum seekers, supports STCA renegotiation
As the federal government looks to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S., an eastern Ontario mayor says his city needs more help from Ottawa to deal with the influx of asylum seekers arriving through irregular crossings like Roxham Road.
-
Indigenous sisters developing video games to revitalize Mohawk language
Two Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk) sisters from Montreal are on a mission that is close to their hearts: to save their ancestors' first language by developing video games young and old can play.
-
Ontario aims to balance budget in 2025 despite largest spending plan in province's history
The Ontario government says it is on track to balancing the budget by 2025 despite having the largest spending plan in the province’s history.
-
Restaurants and bars brace for biggest alcohol tax jump in 40 years
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
-
Largest recorded Alberta earthquake not natural, from oilsands wastewater: study
The largest recorded earthquake in Alberta's history was not a natural event, but most likely caused by disposal of oilsands wastewater, new research has concluded.
-
Victoria man's 85 convictions highlight links between brain injury, homelessness, crime
A Victoria man’s life of crime has turned into one of survival, hope and advocacy amid ongoing conversations in the community about how best to tackle public safety matters.
World
-
1 million march in France, unions call new pension protests
French unions called for new nationwide strikes and protests next week, coinciding with King Charles III's planned visit to France, after more than 1 million people demonstrated throughout the country Thursday against unpopular pension reforms.
-
Manhattan DA rejects GOP demand for info on Trump case
The Manhattan district attorney investigating Donald Trump rebuffed U.S. House Republicans' request Thursday for documents and testimony about the case, dismissing it as an "unprecedented inquiry" with no legitimate basis.
-
Russia's security chief blasts West, dangles nuclear threats
A top Russian security official warned Thursday about the rising threat of a nuclear war and blasted a German minister for threatening Russian President Vladimir Putin with arrest, saying that such action would amount to a declaration of war and trigger a Russian strike on Germany.
-
North Korea says it simulated nuke attacks with drone, missiles
North Korea said Friday its cruise missile launches this week were part of nuclear attack simulations that also involved a detonation by a purported underwater drone as leader Kim Jong Un vowed to make his rivals 'plunge into despair.'
-
Tourist survives bungee jump fall in Thailand after cord snaps
Some thrill seekers describe bungee jumping as a near-death experience, but few come quite as close as one man who managed to survive his cord snapping in Thailand.
-
Chinese diplomats oppose U.S. military presence in Philippines
Chinese diplomats expressed their strong opposition to an expanded United States military presence in the Philippines in closed-door talks with their Filipino counterparts Thursday in Manila, a Filipino official said, underscoring the intense U.S.-China rivalry in the region.
Politics
-
Biden has arrived in Canada: Here's what we know about his visit
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived in Canada, kicking off his short but long-awaited overnight official visit to Canada. The official itinerary has just been released; here's everything you need to know about what will be on the agenda, and what key players are saying about the upcoming visit.
-
Restaurants and bars brace for biggest alcohol tax jump in 40 years
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
-
Opposition parties affirm call for interference inquiry, amid questions over MP Han Dong
Amid renewed questions over the pervasiveness of alleged interference by China in Canadian elections and affairs broadly, opposition MPs voted Thursday afternoon to affirm a parliamentary committee's call for the federal government to strike a public inquiry.
Health
-
Victoria man's 85 convictions highlight links between brain injury, homelessness, crime
A Victoria man’s life of crime has turned into one of survival, hope and advocacy amid ongoing conversations in the community about how best to tackle public safety matters.
-
Autism now more common among Black, Hispanic kids in U.S.
For the first time, autism is being diagnosed more frequently in Black and Hispanic children than in white kids in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
-
Canada's stockpile of ventilators up from 500 to 27,000 after push to procure them
Canada's race to procure ventilators for COVID-19 patients in the early days of the pandemic had researchers, scientists, industry and a notable astrophysicist working 'night and day' to design machines that could be quickly manufactured domestically.
Sci-Tech
-
Utah bans kids from accessing social media during evening hours, without parent consent
Children and teens in Utah would lose access to social media apps such as TikTok if they don't have parental consent and face other restrictions under a first-in-the-nation law designed to shield young people from the addictive platforms.
-
Trump arrested? Putin jailed? Fake AI images spread online
Former U.S. president Donald Trump getting gang-tackled by riot-gear-clad New York City police officers. Russian President Vladimir Putin in prison greys behind the bars of a dimly lit concrete cell.
-
Skeptical U.S. lawmakers grill TikTok CEO over safety
U.S. lawmakers grilled the CEO of TikTok over data security and harmful content Thursday, responding skeptically during a tense committee hearing to his assurances that the hugely popular video-sharing app prioritizes user safety and should not be banned.
Entertainment
-
Gwyneth Paltrow expected to testify in ski collision trial
Gwyneth Paltrow and the man who broke four ribs after the two collided at a Utah ski resort seven years ago are both expected to testify on Friday in a trial over his claims that the movie star's recklessness caused his concussion and lasting physical injuries.
-
Gwyneth Paltrow's lawyer asks about missing GoPro video
Gwyneth Paltrow's attorneys asked the daughter of a man suing the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer over a 2016 ski collision about missing GoPro camera footage that they called 'the most important piece of evidence' at trial Thursday.
-
Gisele Bundchen is opening up about the end of her marriage to Tom Brady
Gisele Bundchen is opening up about the end of her marriage to Tom Brady, comparing it to a 'death and a rebirth.'
Business
-
Squamish, B.C., LNG facility plans to achieve net-zero emissions at operation's start
Proponents of a British Columbia liquefied natural gas export facility have unveiled plans to achieve net-zero emissions commitments in the construction phase and for its future operations.
-
Enbridge 'disappointed' as environmental review for Line 5 tunnel extended
Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge Inc. has been dealt another setback on its Line 5 replacement project in Michigan.
-
Make sure to check your grocery bill otherwise you may pay more: Survey
A majority of Canadians have seen a mistake on their grocery receipts in the last year, according to a new survey conducted by Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
Lifestyle
-
Do kitchen hacks seen online actually work?
Do kitchen hacks posted online actually work? An experiment puts three of them to the test.
-
Learning differently: How neurodivergent students can thrive in class
Neurodivergent education expert Mary Klovance says there are several approaches educators can take to help students with such conditions as ADHD and autism to flourish in the classroom.
-
Inside the 'Secret Life of Squirrels' with N.S. photographer Nancy Rose
Nancy Rose is the creator behind the "The Secret Life of Squirrels" – a series of children’s books and calendars capturing real-life squirrels engaging in human activities.
Sports
-
World Athletics bans transgender women athletes from female competitions
World Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in elite female competitions if they have gone through male puberty, the sport's governing body said on Thursday.
-
More than 50 Canadian fencers make plea to sport minister, citing maltreatment
More than 50 current and former Canadian fencers have joined a growing call for a Canadian judicial inquiry on maltreatment in sport, saying the fear of retribution has kept them silent for nearly 20 years on fencing's toxic culture and abusive practices.
-
Canada's Einarson drops 6-5 decision to Japan at women's world curling championship
Canada's Kerri Einarson dropped a 6-5 decision to Japan's Satsuki Fujisawa at the women's world curling championship on Thursday.
Autos
-
California may punish oil companies for high gas prices
California lawmakers on Thursday will vote on whether to allow penalties on oil companies for price gouging at the pump, a first-in-the-country proposal aimed at stopping the kind of spikes last summer that caused some drivers pay up to US$8 per gallon as the industry reaped super-sized profits.
-
GM to stop making the Camaro but a successor may be in works
The Chevrolet Camaro, for decades the dream car of many teenage American males, is going out of production. General Motors, which sells the brawny muscle car, said Wednesday it will stop making the current generation early next year.
-
U.S. probes reports of steering glitch on 2022, 2023 Honda Civics
U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints from Honda Civic drivers that their steering can stick, causing a momentary increase in effort and increasing the risk of a crash.
