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WORLD NEWS Saturday 1 december 2018

Japanese prince wants royals to fund Shinto rite, not public

By MARI YAMAGUCHI veyed his views about the
Associated Press upcoming event to palace
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's officials, but they "would
Prince Akishino said a high- not listen to me."
ly religious ritual that is part The constitutionality of gov-
of next year's succession ernment funding of the
ceremonies should be paid Daijosai ritual has long split
for privately by the Imperial legal experts and public
family, and questioned the opinion.
government's decision to Chief Cabinet Secretary
use public money. Yoshihide Suga said Fri-
Emperor Akihito's younger day that there will be no
son spoke about the con- change in the government
tentious issue in a news decision to fund the ritual.
conference that was re- The government, after an
corded for his 53rd birthday examination by a panel
on Friday. Akihito plans to of experts, concluded that
abdicate next year and will the rite is too religious to be
be succeeded by Crown considered an official duty
Prince Naruhito. Akishino of the emperor but is a key
would then become first in part of the succession cer-
line of succession. emony and therefore de-
Akishino said that using serves government fund-
public funds for the Dai- In this Nov. 22, 2018, photo provided by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japan's Prince ing.
josai, the first communion Akishino and his wife Princess Kiko attend a press conference ahead of his birthday at their The prince's rare expression
that the new emperor per- residence in Tokyo. of views opposing the gov-
forms with Shinto gods, is Associated Press ernment's position topped
questionable since Japan's of that rite alone was 2.25 could be scaled down to have been funded by the Japanese newspapers and
Constitution separates reli- billion yen ($20 million), reduce its cost. government, and that he television talk shows Fri-
gion and state. though the government is "It's a royal family event, still holds that view. day. They also highlighted
The ritual is expected in expected to spend slightly and it is highly religious," The government has al- the contrast between the
mid-November next year, less next year. The palace Akishino told reporters. "The ready decided to follow conservative and hawk-
and the government has budget this year for the Im- question is if it is appropriate the previous example, he ish stance of Prime Minister
announced that it would perial family's private ac- to use government funds to said. "Personally, I still feel Shinzo Abe's government
cover the cost, following tivities, including religious cover the cost of such a awkward ... I still believe and the Imperial family's
the precedent set at the ones, is about one-seventh highly religious event." He (the ritual) should be cov- views, seen as liberal and
time of Akihito's succes- of that amount, and Ak- said he thinks the ritual held ered by the Imperial family pacifist.q
sion 30 years ago. The cost ishino said the ceremony for his father should not budget." He said he con-

Vietnam jails 2 ex-police generals for role in gambling ring

Associated Press The ring made $200 million
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A in illegal profits, according
court in northern Vietnam to the government.
on Friday jailed two former They were among 92 de-
police generals for pro- fendants involved in the
tecting a multimillion-dollar case.
online gambling ring as the "Vinh's acts have caused
Communist government discontent among the
steps up its crackdown on public, reduced the repu-
graft. tation of the police force
Former national police and people's trust," state-
chief Phan Van Vinh and run Tuoi Tre newspaper
former head of hi-tech quoted the verdict as say-
crimes police department ing. "Vinh had intention-
Nguyen Thanh Hoa were ally covered up the crimes
sentenced to nine and 10 committed by Duong and
years respectively after be- his accomplices."
ing convicted of abuse of Vinh, who was general di-
power at the end of the rector of the General De-
three-week trial by the partment of Police under
People's Court in Phu Tho the Ministry of Public Secu-
province. rity until his retirement two
Two gambling ring lead- Former police generals Nguyen Thanh Hoa, center front row, and Phan Van Vinh, right second years ago, was arrested in
ers, Nguyen Van Duong, row, are escorted by police to a courtroom of People's Court in northern province of Phu Tho, July while Hoa was arrest-
former chairman of the Vietnam, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. Associated Press ed a month earlier. Follow-
private company CNC, ing their arrests, the ministry
and Phan San Nam, for- were sentenced to 10 and money laundering. ken up in August last year stripped both men of their
mer chairman of VTC On- five years respectively for The ring had operated from with some $425 million hav- ranks.q
line joint stock company, organizing gambling and April 2015 until it was bro- ing been gambled online.