Extra Diet session begins with minority government eyeing budget, reforms

Japan's parliament convened an extraordinary session Thursday for deliberations on a supplementary budget to help inflation-hit households and a revision of the political funds law following a bruising scandal, in the first major test for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's minority government.The 24-day session through Dec. 21 will see Ishiba engage in substantive parliamentary debate for the first time since his ruling coalition lost its majority in the House of Representatives in late October.With opposition support critical for passing budgets and bills, Ishiba acknowledged in remarks to re…READ FULL ARTICLE