Japan ruling bloc OKs campaigning on cash handouts in summer election

Japan's ruling parties agreed Tuesday to include cash handouts for households hit by rising prices in their platforms for this summer's House of Councillors election, senior lawmakers said.The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition force, unveiled its election pledges Tuesday, highlighting a proposal to suspend the 8 percent consumption tax on food for at least one year, in sharp contrast with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which opposes tax cuts.Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who leads the LDP, has rejected opposition calls for tax cuts, citing concerns about t…READ FULL ARTICLE