Shigeru Ishiba Set to Become New Japanese PM

Please refresh the page to get the latest updates.

All Science & Technology Culture & Entertainment Economy & Business Health Travel & Lifestyle Language & Education Asia & Pacific USA & Americas Europe

Materials

Read Engoo Daily News articles with Engoo tutors

September 27, 2024

Advanced

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.

alliance

Noun

əˈlaɪəns

a deal between groups, countries, political parties, etc. to help each other reach their goals

The NATO alliance was established in 1949 to protect member states from the Soviet Union after WWII.

dog

Verb

dɔːɡ

to continuously cause someone difficulty or trouble over an extended period of time

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was dogged by numerous scandals during his time in office.

corruption

Noun

kəˈrʌpʃən

dishonest or illegal behavior carried out by powerful people

Supreme Court judge Clarence Thomas has been accused of corruption for accepting lavish gifts.

turmoil

Noun

ˈtərmɔɪl

a state of great disruption, uncertainty, or confusion

Millions of Venezuelans have fled the country in recent years due to ongoing political and economic turmoil.

succession

Noun

səkˈsɛʃən

a number of similar things or people following one another

A succession of political scandals forced British prime minister Boris Johnson to resign in July 2022.

momentum

Noun

məˈmɛntəm

the force or ability to continue increasing or developing

After Biden dropped out, Kamala Harris's campaign gained momentum, bringing in millions in donations.

Exercise 2

Article

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your tutor.

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

Shigeru Ishiba Set to Become New Japanese PM

Japan's ruling party has picked former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba as leader, setting him up to become prime minister on October 1.

It's the fifth time he's run to become party leader.

He defeated Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi in the final vote. Takaichi would have become the country's first female prime minister had she won.

The 67-year-old Ishiba is considered a defense policy expert. He has proposed an Asian version of the NATO military alliance and a more equal security alliance between Japan and the US.

A record nine lawmakers ran in a vote decided by Liberal Democratic Party members of parliament and about 1 million party members. That's only 1% of the country's voters.

When his victory was announced, Ishiba stood up, waved and bowed many times in a show of appreciation for the support he'd received.

He said: "I will devote all my body and soul to make Japan a safe and secure country where everyone can live smiling."

Outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been dogged by party corruption scandals, and the LDP wanted a fresh leader in hopes of regaining public trust before a likely general election next year.

Some experts believe party turmoil could mean that Japan will return to an era similar to the early 2000s, which saw the country's leader change a number of times.

A succession of short-lived governments hurts Japanese prime ministers' ability to set up long-term policy goals or develop trusted relations with other leaders.

On October 1, Kishida and his Cabinet ministers will resign. Ishiba, after being formally elected in a parliamentary vote, will then form a new Cabinet later in the day.

Kishida congratulated Ishiba on his victory. As Japan faces security challenges in the region and elsewhere, the country must step up its own defense power and ties with the US, "and help the world become a place of cooperation instead of divisions," Kishida said.