Following a major defeat in last month’s upper house polls, PM Ishiba’s coalition faces pressure from opposition parties to raise spending and slash Japan’s sales tax.
With rising prices & immigration concerns threatening to weaken PM Shigeru Ishiba's grip on power, Japan's upper house election will be a tight contest.
The political uncertainty comes at a critical time for Japan, which must clinch a trade deal with the US before the 1 August deadline to avoid 25% tariffs.
Incumbent PM Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party & its ally acquired 215 seats, while the main opposition party, the CDJP, won 148 seats. However, both sides fell short of a majority.
One of the most difficult tasks for Shigeru Ishiba, apart from keeping together the divided LDP, will be implementing his foreign policy ideas—if he chooses to pursue them.
Japan PM Shigeru Ishiba’s proposal for an Asian NATO stems from his belief that the absence of a collective defence alliance could lead to wars. It’s a step too far for India.
The last time this matter flared up was when Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, in a very similar directive in April, called for the relocation of stray dogs in the capital.
Finance ministry says the proposed revamp will focus on structural reforms, rate rationalisation & ease of living, & will be deliberated upon in the coming weeks.
The project is meant to be a ‘protective shield that will keep expanding’, the PM said. It is on the lines of the ‘Golden Dome’ announced by Trump, it is learnt.
Now that both IAF and PAF have made formal claims of having shot down the other’s aircraft in the 87-hour war in May, we can ask a larger question: do such numbers really matter?
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