Final campaigning in tight Japan election

Final campaigning in tight Japan election
Police officers regulate pedestrians before an election campaign speech by Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, in front of Shibuya station in Tokyo on Oct. 26, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 26 October 2024
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Final campaigning in tight Japan election

Final campaigning in tight Japan election
  • Opinion polls suggest the ruling coalition Liberal Democratic Party might fall short of a majority
  • Such a bombshell outcome could potentially be a knockout blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba

TOKYO: Candidates in Japan’s super-tight election made last-ditch appeals to voters on Saturday, with opinion polls suggesting the ruling coalition might fall short of a majority.
Such a bombshell outcome would be the worst result for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2009, and potentially a knockout blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Ishiba — a fan of trains, 1970s pop idols and making model ships and planes — only last month took the helm of the LDP, which has governed Japan for almost all of the past seven decades.
After a tough internal contest, the 67-year-old former defense minister became premier on October 1.
Days later, he called the snap parliamentary elections, promising a “new Japan.”
Ishiba pledged to revitalize depressed rural regions and to address the “quiet emergency” of Japan’s falling population through policies such as flexible working hours.
But he has since rowed back his position on issues including allowing married couples to take separate surnames.
He also named only two women ministers in his cabinet.
A poll on Friday by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily suggested that the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito might struggle to get the 233 lower house seats needed for a majority.
Ishiba has set this threshold as his objective, and missing it would undermine his position in the LDP and mean finding other coalition partners or leading a minority government.
Local media speculated that Ishiba could potentially even resign immediately to take responsibility, becoming Japan’s shortest-serving prime minister in the post-war period.
The current record is held by Naruhiko Higashikuni who served for 54 days — four days more than British leader Liz Truss in 2022 — just after Japan’s 1945 defeat in World War II.
“The situation is extremely severe,” Ishiba said on the stump Friday, Japanese media reported.
In many districts, LDP candidates are in neck-and-neck battles with those from the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) — the second-biggest in parliament — led by popular former prime minister Yoshihiko Noda.
“The LDP’s politics is all about quickly implementing policies for those who give them loads of cash,” Noda said at a rally on Saturday.
“But those in vulnerable positions, who can’t offer cash, have been ignored,” he added, referring to insufficient support by the LDP-led government for survivors of a huge New Year’s Day earthquake in central Japan.
“This kind of politics must be changed.”
Noda’s stance “is sort of similar to the LDP’s. He is basically a conservative,” Masato Kamikubo, a political scientist at Ritsumeikan University, said.
“The CDP or Noda can be an alternative to the LDP. Many voters think so,” Kamikubo said.
Also dogging Ishiba is the continuing fallout from a slush fund scandal within the LDP that angered voters and helped sink his predecessor, Fumio Kishida.
Ishiba promised to not actively support LDP politicians caught up in the scandal running in the election, although they are still standing.
According to media reports, the party has also provided 20 million yen ($132,000) each to district offices headed by these figures.
“It is truly frustrating that such reports come out at a time like this,” Ishiba said in a campaign speech on Thursday. “Those candidates will not use the money.”
“We cannot be defeated by those with biased views,” he added.
Hitomi Hisano, an undecided voter from the central Aichi region, said in Tokyo that the LDP’s funding scandal was a big factor for him.
“The LDP has sat in power for too long. I see hubris in there,” the 69-year-old said. “So part of me wants to punish them.”
“But there aren’t other parties that are reliable enough to win my vote.”
Rintaro Nishimura, of the think tank The Asia Group, said that win or lose, Ishiba’s position was tenuous.
“Regardless of what the election results are, Ishiba’s longevity as prime minister is in question.”


Zelensky moves on after Oval Office blowout with Trump

Zelensky moves on after Oval Office blowout with Trump
Updated 6 sec ago
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Zelensky moves on after Oval Office blowout with Trump

Zelensky moves on after Oval Office blowout with Trump
Zelensky on Saturday arrived in London for a summit organized by British PM
“If anyone is gambling with World War III, his name is Vladimir Putin,” Macron said

LONDON: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the American people and leadership and voiced hope for “strong relations,” a day after an astonishing Oval Office blowout with US President Donald Trump that left many uncertain where the once staunch allies stood.
Zelensky on Saturday arrived in London for a summit organized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer with other European leaders.
The summit on Sunday will also include leaders from France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkiye, Finland, Sweden, Czechia and Romania, as well as the NATO secretary-general and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council.
The shouting match that unfolded Friday in the final minutes of the highly anticipated meeting between Trump and Zelensky seemed to dash, at least for now, Ukrainian hopes that the United States could be locked in as a reliable partner in helping fend off, and conclude, Russia’s three-year onslaught.

Macron suggests that Putin, not Zelensky, is gambling with World War III
French President Emmanuel Macron said if someone is gambling with World War III, it is not Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but more likely his Russian counterpart.
Macron reacted to Friday’s heated exchange between US President Donald Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office, during which Trump accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War III.”
“If anyone is gambling with World War III, his name is Vladimir Putin,” Macron told Portugal’s RTP news channel during a visit to Lisbon ahead of Sunday’s Ukraine summit of European leaders in London.
Macron said he still hopes that the United States will remain committed to the defense of democracy.
“My hope is that the United States of America will continue to stand by its history and its principles,” he said. “Whenever we have had major conflicts, the United States of America has been on the right side of history and freedom.”

Turkish foreign minister discusses Ukraine with Lavrov
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday spoke to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the war in Ukraine, officials said.
The phone call came a day before Fidan is due to attend a London summit of European leaders to discuss bringing the three-year conflict to an end.
Turkiye, which has close ties to both Ukraine and Russia, has previously offered to mediate talks. It hosted unsuccessful peace talks in 2022.

Zelensky expresses his thanks to the US people
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced thanks to the “American people” and leadership, and hope for “strong relations,” less than a day after an astonishing Oval Office blowout with Trump that left many uncertain where the once staunch allies stood.
Ukraine had walked into the meeting prepared to sign a mineral deal with the US, hoping it would be a step toward a just ceasefire, but left empty handed.
In a series of posts on X on Saturday, Zelensky said Ukrainians are “very grateful to the United States for all the support,” and specifically thanked Trump and Congress alongside the “American people.”
“Our relationship with the American President is more than just two leaders: It’s a historic and solid bond between our peoples. … American people helped save our people,” he said. “We want only strong relations with America and I really hope we will have them,” he added.
Zelensky arrives in the UK ahead of schedule to meet with Starmer
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to meet Saturday afternoon with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following the dramatic blowout with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Zelensky’s plane with the Ukrainian flag on its tail landed at London Stansted Airport the morning after the diplomatic spat on live TV.
Zelensky had been due to meet with Starmer on Sunday, hours before taking part in a London summit of European leaders to discuss how to ensure a peaceful end to the war and provide security across the continent.
But the timetable for their bilateral meeting was apparently sped up in the aftermath of the Washington visit.

US federal workers receive second email on justifying jobs: media

US federal workers receive second email on justifying jobs: media
Updated 01 March 2025
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US federal workers receive second email on justifying jobs: media

US federal workers receive second email on justifying jobs: media

WASHINGTON: A second email asking US federal workers to justify their jobs was sent on Friday, as part of President Donald Trump’s initiative to slash spending, media outlets reported.
It came a week after Elon Musk, the billionaire appointed by Trump to downsize the government, engineered a first mass email to the federal government’s two million employees, ordering them to justify their work or risk being fired.
The message, sent from the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the government’s HR department, had created confusion among an already anxious workforce, as multiple federal agencies told staff to ignore it.
Friday’s email once again asked staff to respond with around five bullet points describing what they accomplished in the past week and added that it would become a weekly task.
The second round of emails started going out late Friday, The New York Times, NPR and CBS News reported, stating that they had seen copies of the second message.
The email had the subject line, “What did you do last week? Part II” and went out to workers at various agencies, including the FBI, the Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security.
Musk, whom Trump put in charge of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) advisory body, tasking him with slashing public spending and tackling alleged waste and corruption, has not commented on X about the new emails.
Unlike with the first email, the second message also asked workers to send their list of accomplishments by the end of Monday on a weekly basis going forward.
It also said workers whose activities are classified or sensitive could simply respond with “All of my activities are sensitive.”
CBS reported that this time the OPM had tasked individual agencies to send the email themselves, adding that each department could decide whether to do so.
Musk had previously said the original email “was basically a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email.”
Trump in a message on his social media platform Truth Social had praised Musk for “doing a great job,” but said “I would like to see him get more aggressive.”


UN refugee chief warns of hunger in Rohingya camps amid dramatic aid cuts

UN refugee chief warns of hunger in Rohingya camps amid dramatic aid cuts
Updated 01 March 2025
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UN refugee chief warns of hunger in Rohingya camps amid dramatic aid cuts

UN refugee chief warns of hunger in Rohingya camps amid dramatic aid cuts
  • Filippo Grandi is on a visit to Bangladesh, where he met with Rohingya refugees
  • Looming US aid cuts would give rise to human trafficking in refugee camps, expert says

DHAKA: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has warned of impending hunger and disease among the Rohingya community sheltering in southeastern Bangladesh, amid a shift in US foreign aid policy.

The US is the largest donor of humanitarian aid for the Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Myanmar. Last year, it contributed $301 million, or 55 percent of all foreign aid, for more than 1.3 million Rohingya living in camps in Cox’s Bazar district on the southeast coast of Bangladesh.

The aid is feared to stop soon, as the Donald Trump administration announced in late January that it was eliminating most of US assistance globally.

The UNHCR chief, who arrived in Bangladesh earlier this week, visited the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar on Friday.

“If donor support decreases dramatically — which may happen — the huge work done by the Bangladesh government, aid agencies and refugees will be impacted, putting thousands at risk of hunger, disease and insecurity,” he said in an X post after the visit.

The Rohingya, a mostly Muslim ethnic minority, lived for centuries in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State but were stripped of their citizenship in the 1980s. Since then, many of them have fled to Bangladesh, with about 700,000 arriving in 2017 after a military crackdown that the UN has been referring to as a textbook case of ethnic cleansing by Myanmar.

Today, more than 1.3 million Rohingya are cramped inside 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar — the world’s largest refugee settlement.

Mizanur Rahman, the Bangladeshi government’s top refugee relief and repatriation official, told Arab News on Thursday that several hospitals in the camps had already scaled back their services and would be forced to close if there was no funding available by the end of March.

The health care crisis would be further exacerbated by limited access to food in the settlements, where the majority of refugees are already malnourished.

“Pregnant and lactating mothers, as well as newborn children, will be affected in the long term. The Rohingya refugees here in Bangladesh could face a massive rise in malnutrition, a high death-birth rate, and an increased rate of disability,” said Asif Munier, a rights and migration expert.

“Even if the funding cuts continue for a year, the impact will be long-lasting. The humanitarian losses could be irreparable, and it might take years to mitigate the effects.”

Among other basic services that will be affected is security.

“Human trafficking from the camps is expected to increase due to the desperation for income and the need for cash flow. This type of trafficking typically occurs during the dry season. Over the next two, three months, human trafficking trends may rise,” Munier told Arab News.

“I hope the US government will review and negotiate the areas of humanitarian aid. In the meantime, we should consider implementing a contingency plan ... If necessary, some services that are not of high priority could be reduced. Softer needs, such as education, can be postponed for a few months. This will help ensure the continuation of basic services.”


84 Indonesian workers from Myanmar scam centers return home

84 Indonesian workers from Myanmar scam centers return home
Updated 01 March 2025
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84 Indonesian workers from Myanmar scam centers return home

84 Indonesian workers from Myanmar scam centers return home
  • Eighty-four Indonesians returned home overnight on two flights from Thailand, Indonesian officials said Saturday, the latest group of alleged scam workers to be repatriated from the region

JAKARTA: Eighty-four Indonesians returned home overnight on two flights from Thailand, Indonesian officials said Saturday, the latest group of alleged scam workers to be repatriated from the region.
Cyberscam operations, which have thrived in Myanmar’s lawless border areas for several years, lure foreign workers with promises of high-paying jobs but hold them hostage and force them into committing online fraud.
Under pressure from key ally Beijing, Myanmar has cracked down on some of the compounds, freeing around 7,000 workers from more than two dozen countries.
The 69 Indonesian men and 15 women landed in capital Jakarta after negotiations between Indonesian officials and their Thai and Myanmar counterparts, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affair’s citizen protection director Judha Nugraha told AFP Saturday.
“They will be brought to the Social Affairs Ministry’s safehouse and trauma center. They will undergo a rehabilitation process,” he said.
Ministry spokesperson Rolliansyah Soemirat also confirmed their return.
The group, which included three pregnant women, were in “good condition and healthy” after their evacuation from Myanmar, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
They arrived in Jakarta on two AirAsia flights — one late Friday and one early Saturday.
The ministry said it had repatriated an early group of 46 Indonesians in February, bringing the total repatriated since last month to 140.
Thousands of Indonesians have been enticed abroad in recent years to other Southeast Asian countries for better-paying jobs, only to end up in the hands of transnational scam operators.
Between 2020 and September last year, Jakarta repatriated more than 4,700 Indonesians entangled in online scam operations from countries including Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, according to foreign ministry data.


Four dead in India avalanche, five still missing: army

Four dead in India avalanche, five still missing: army
Updated 01 March 2025
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Four dead in India avalanche, five still missing: army

Four dead in India avalanche, five still missing: army

DEHRADUN, India: At least four people were confirmed dead and five were still missing after an avalanche hit a remote border area in India, the army said Saturday.
A total of 55 workers were buried under snow and debris after the avalanche struck a construction camp near a village on the border with Tibet on Friday.