International News
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida-the man who steered LDP to yet another victory

The Japanese ruling party Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its allies have come back to power with a comfortable win. This allows Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to work on his election pledges of making Japan militarily strong, revive the coronavirus-affected economy and restrengthen measures against Covid-19.
Kishida was elected as the prime minister by the LDP after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga decided to step down a couple of months back. Suga had lost the confidence of voters over his management of the coronavirus pandemic and organising the Olympics despite opposition.
Despite a comfortable win, LDP’s tally has come down from 276 to 259–a loss of 17 seats. Diet–the Japanese parliament has a Lower House with 465 seats.
Japan went to elections after four years on October 31 and the results were declared overnight. Exit polls by Japanese news agency Koyodo which had predicted that the ruling party would be voted back to power have come true.
Some of the important issues before the electorate were the handling of the Covid-19 infection, rising income inequality, kick-starting the pandemic-wrecked economy as well as geo-political tensions in the region.
Kishida as the new Prime Minister has heavily stressed upon building a stronger military for Japan due to threats from China and North Korea. He had said in the election campaign that his party may even double Japan’s defence spending.
On the other hand, the opposition parties have highlighted growing economic disparity between the rich and the poor as well as a poor economy due to the pandemic, says The Asahi Shimbun.
The main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), alleged that the government has mismanaged the Covid-19 response as well as supported the rich classes. It’s campaign issues included gender equality and separate surnames for married couples. The opposition promised lower taxes for the low and middle class and abandoning nuclear energy.
For Kishida, this win restores the party’s confidence in him as well as in his leadership. For the party it means that the LDP completes nine years of uninterrupted rule.
The soft-spoken 64-year-old Kishida comes from a family of politicians from Hiroshima. He followed his father and grandfather into politics and had been eyeing the position of the Prime Minister for a while.
Kishida is well aware of the national and regional challenges that lie before him–which he repeatedly discussed during the election campaign.
Kishida was earlier the LDP’s policy chief and the country’s foreign minister between 2012-17. During his tenure, he negotiated accords with Russia and South Korea, both nations with which Japan has continuing tussles in the region.
On the foreign policy front, he is known for his public stand over abolishing nuclear weapons. He was lauded for bringing the then-US President Barack Obama to Hiroshima on a historic visit.
In his personal life, Kishida enjoys baseball as well as drinks. A keen baseball player, he is known to be a big fan of the Hiroshima Carp baseball team. The Tokyo Weekender quotes Kishida as saying: “I love Hiroshima Carp. I love Hiroshima and sake (laughs). Other than that, I have some hobbies, but it’s not a big deal.”
Kishida is known to be a strong drinker. As the foreign minister, he particularly enjoyed holding a competition of vodka and sake with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov over diplomatic conversations.
His wife comes from a wealthy business family known for its sake-brewing business.
International News
PM Modi And UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed Reaffirm Commitment To Deepen Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reaffirmed their commitment to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the official statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
According to the release, PM Modi spoke yesterday with the President of the UAE over the telephone, and the two leaders reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further strengthening the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UAE.
“They positively assessed the remarkable progress made across various sectors of bilateral cooperation and laid emphasis on further developing and deepening collaboration for the shared benefit of the peoples of both countries,” the release said.
Moreover, the UAE President also extended congratulations to PM Modi on becoming the second longest-serving Prime Minister in India’s history and wished him continued success in his service to the nation, the press release added.
Similarly, PM Modi also thanked the UAE President for his gracious wishes and the affection he expressed for the people of India.
International News
Thailand, Cambodia Clash With Jets, Rockets, Artillery In Deadly Border Row

Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on Thursday as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing a civilian, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbours.
The neighbours are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples.
The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight.
The conflict blazed up on Thursday, with Cambodia firing rockets and artillery shells into Thailand and the Thai military scrambling F-16 jets to carry out air strikes.
Six jets were deployed from Ubon Ratchathani province, hitting two “Cambodian military targets on the ground”, according to Thai military deputy spokesperson Ritcha Suksuwanon.
The Thai prime minister’s office said a Cambodian artillery shell hit a house over the border, killing one civilian and wounding three others, including a five-year-old child.
Both sides blamed the other for starting the fighting, which erupted near two temples on the border between the Thai province of Surin and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey.
“The Thai military violated the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia by launching an armed assault on Cambodian forces stationed to defend the nation’s sovereign territory,” defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said in a statement.
“In response, the Cambodian armed forces exercised their legitimate right to self-defence, in full accordance with international law, to repel the Thai incursion and protect Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The Thai military blamed Cambodian soldiers for firing first, and later accused them of a “targeted attack on civilians”, saying two BM-21 rockets had hit a community in Surin’s Kap Choeng district, wounding three people.
According to the Thai military, the clashes began around 7:35 am (0035 GMT) when a unit guarding Ta Muen temple heard a Cambodian drone overhead.
Later, six armed Cambodian soldiers, including one carrying a rocket-propelled grenade, approached a barbed-wired fence in front of the Thai post, the army said.
Thai soldiers shouted to warn them, the army said, but around 8:20 am, Cambodian forces opened fire toward the eastern side of the temple, about 200 metres from the Thai base.
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said “the situation requires careful handling, and we must act in accordance with international law”.
“We will do our best to protect our sovereignty,” he said.
Thailand’s embassy in Phnom Penh urged its nationals to leave Cambodia “as soon as possible” unless they had urgent reasons to remain, in a Facebook post.
Long-Running Row
The violence came hours after Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own envoy in protest after five members of a Thai military patrol were wounded by a landmine.
Wechayachai said an investigation by the Thai military found evidence that Cambodia had laid new landmines in the disputed border area — a claim denied by Phnom Penh.
On Thursday morning, Cambodia announced it was downgrading ties to “the lowest level”, pulling out all but one of its diplomats and expelling their Thai equivalents from Phnom Penh.
Recent weeks have seen a series of tit-for-tat swipes by both sides, with Thailand restricting border crossings and Cambodia halting certain imports.
The border row also kicked off a domestic political crisis in Thailand, where prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended from office pending an ethics probe over her conduct.
A diplomatic call between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former longtime ruler and father of Prime Minister Hun Manet, was leaked from the Cambodian side, sparking a judicial investigation.
Last week, Hun Manet announced that Cambodia would start conscripting civilians next year, activating a long-dormant mandatory draft law.
International News
Mumbai Police Reach Kapil Sharma’s House After Kap’s Cafe Firing In Canada

Hours after shots were fired at comedian Kapil Sharma’s eatery, Kap’s Cafe, in Canada, the Mumbai Police on Friday reached his house in Mumbai to question him about the incident. Around 1 am on July 9 (Canada time), several rounds were fired at the cafe, located in Surrey.
Khalistani terrorist Harjeet Singh Laddi claimed the responsibility for the attack, and demanded an apology from Kapil for his alleged objectionable remarks.
the attackers felt that Nihang Sikhs were insulted on Kapil’s show. The report also mentioned that the attackers said the comedian ignored their calls seeking an apology, and that shots were fired at his eatery to warn him.
Kap’s Cafe team issues statement
Kapil is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The management of the eatery, however, took to their social media handles and wrote, “We opened Kap’s Cafe with hopes of bringing warmth, community, and joy through delicious coffee and friendly conversation. To have violence intersect with that dream is heartbreaking. We are processing this shock but we are not giving up (sic).”
It further stated, “Your kind words, prayers, and memories shared via DM mean more than you know. This cafe exists because of your belief in what we’re building together. Let’s stand firm against violence and ensure Kap’s Cafe remains a place of warmth and community. From all of us at Kap’s Cafe, thank you and see you soon, under better skies (sic).”
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