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A plainclothes policeman catches a woman during a police crackdown on prostitution in Quanzhou, Fujian province, October 29, 2011. China should remove criminal and administrative penalties against sex workers which often lead to serious police abuses, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on May 14, 2013. The abuses include torture, beatings, physical assaults, fines and arbitrary detentions of up to two years, as well as a failure to investigate crimes against sex workers by clients, bosses and state agents, according to the report. Prostitution is not permitted under Chinese law, although the industry has boomed since the country launched economic reforms in 1978. REUTERS/Stringer

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Japan to hold general election on Dec 16: lawmaker

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1 of 2. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda speaks at a parliamentary debate with main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Shinzo Abe in Tokyo November 14, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon

TOKYO | Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:25am EST

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government and ruling Democrats have decided to hold a general election on December 16, a senior ruling party lawmaker said on Wednesday.

The decision was made hours after Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said he would dissolve the lower house on Friday for a snap election next month, which his party looks certain to lose.

Jun Azumi, acting secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, made the comments to reporters after meeting senior government officials.

(Reporting by Sumio Ito; Writing by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
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