Japan’s Takaichi Calls for Extra Budget Amid Mideast Shock

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she has called on the finance ministry to compile an extra budget in response to rising commodity prices driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict, backtracking after repeatedly insisting such a measure wasn’t necessary.

“I asked Finance Minister Katayama last week to consider ways of funding including compiling a supplementary budget,” Takaichi said at a ruling coalition meeting held on Monday.