Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told lawmakers in Tokyo he would delay an increase in Japan’s sales tax until 2019. The move may help support consumer spending but complicates the government’s efforts to tame the world’s largest debt burden. The tax decision marks an about-face for Abe, who had previously said only an economic shock on the scale of the Lehman Brothers collapse or a major earthquake would prompt a delay. The tax hike to 10 percent from 8 percent, previously set to take effect April 2017, will be delayed for two and a half years, Abe said. While putting off the increase in the unpopular tax may ... (full story)