Japan votes in a key election as Prime Minsiter Ishiba faces a loss and political uncertainty
Voters were deciding half of the 248 seats in the upper house, the less powerful of the two chambers in Japan's Diet. Early results were expected Sunday night.
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Hamilton Spectator
8 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Tax data suggests lethal Canadian arms still being exported to Israel
OTTAWA - Israeli customs data suggests lethal Canadian arms are still being exported regularly to that country, despite Ottawa's claim that it has halted such shipments. A coalition of Canadian advocates for Palestinians examined data published by the Israel Tax Authority showing shipments from Canada classified as bullets, guns and weapons arriving in Israel. Parliament voted in favour of a non-binding motion in March 2024 to halt new arms permits for Israel, and the government subsequently announced a review of existing export permits. That month, the office of then-foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly said none of the operating permits allowed for the export of 'lethal goods' to Israel. Yara Shoufani of the Palestinian Youth Movement says the Canadian government has not been transparent about what's reaching Israel, and she wonders if the federal government misled Parliament. Global Affairs Canada and the office of Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand did not immediately provide comment on the report. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025.
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Trump confirms possible China trip, but insists ‘not seeking' Xi summit
President Trump has revealed that he may jet over to China in the near future, but rebuffed suggestions that he is seeking a summit with Beijing counterpart Xi Jinping amid intense trade negotiations between the two economic superpowers. 'The Fake News is reporting that I am SEEKING a 'Summit' with President Xi of China. This is not correct, I am not SEEKING anything!' Trump wrote on Truth Social late Monday from Scotland, where he wrapped up a five-day visit Tuesday. 'I may go to China, but it would only be at the invitation of President Xi, which has been extended. Otherwise, no interest! Thank you for your attention to this matter.' Staffers for Trump and Xi have held discussions about setting up a meeting between the two leaders, potentially on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in South Korea, which takes place Oct. 30-Nov. 1, Reuters reported last week. It is unclear whether any discussions of Trump traveling to China directly have been broached. 3 President Trump confirmed ongoing talks with China about him meeting with leader Xi Jinping. Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images 3 President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping's last in-person meeting took place in 2019. XinhuaTrump and Xi last met face-to-face in June 2019 on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan. The US and China have until Aug. 12 to reach a full-fledged trade agreement following a months-long truce that has seen duties temporarily come down from up to 145% on Chinese exports to the US and 125% on American goods. Negotiators from Washington and Beijing are holding a third round of talks this week in Stockholm. 'We have a good relationship with China,' Trump told reporters Monday at his Turnberry club on the west coast of Scotland. 'China's tough.' In 2024, China was the third-largest US trading partner among individual nations — behind only Mexico and Canada — with trade between the two nations amounting to $582.4 billion. Further complicating negotiations is Trump's looming threat to impose secondary tariffs of 100% against countries that trade with Moscow until the Kremlin ends its invasion of Ukraine and agrees a peace deal. China and India, in particular, have continued to purchase energy from Russia throughout the 41-month-old war on Ukraine. China has also been accused of providing Moscow's arms industry with critical supplies. 3 The Trump administration is currently involved in trade negotiations with China. Getty Images Beyond trade tensions, US officials have repeatedly warned about Chinese cyber attacks, such as the Salt Typhoon operation that breached American telecommunications systems. On Monday, the Financial Times reported that the Trump administration blocked Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te from stopping in New York City during a planned diplomatic visit to Central America later this year. China has long claimed sovereignty over the island state of Taiwan, which has its own currency, military and government. The US adheres to the One China Policy on paper, which acknowledges Beijing's claim, but takes no position on it.
Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Associated Press
Trinidad and Tobago extends state of emergency as threats hatched in prison persist
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) — Legislators in Trinidad and Tobago have extended a state of emergency after the attorney general said the twin-island nation's prison system has been compromised. He blamed prison officers and even attorneys of helping inmates accused of plotting to kill high-ranking officials. Authorities recently moved high-risk prisoners to military bases as part of a recent crackdown on jailed gang leaders accused of using smuggled cellphones to plot a series of assassinations, robberies and kidnappings with help from criminal associates on the outside. Attorney General John Jeremie revealed to Parliament on Monday that some prison guards could openly be heard warning inmates when specialized police agents showed up to conduct prison raids, and he also accused some attorneys of illegally helping those behind bars. 'The system has been compromised, and it has been serving inmates as a protected criminal command center,' Jeremie said. The latest state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago was extended for three months after authorities warned that the threat of a plot to kill key government officials and attack public institutions still exists. The initial emergency was declared on July 18 and was expected to last 15 days. However, the Caribbean nation's Parliament convened an extraordinary sitting on Monday to extend the measure until late October. 'We are here for an extension, we are here because the threat exists,' Saddam Hosein, legal affairs minister, said during the sitting. Prisoners who were deemed 'high risk' were moved to military bases in west Trinidad, but that didn't deter attempts to interfere with their detention, according to the attorney general. 'Those locations that they were removed to were very recently also infiltrated by two drones,' Jeremie said, adding the military thwarted those attempts. Meanwhile, the Prison Officers' Association, which represents prison guards, has condemned the accusations against the guards. It's the second state of emergency that the twin-island republic implements in a matter of months. Last December, authorities took similar action, citing concerns about gang violence. That state of emergency lasted until mid-April. While members of Parliament from both the government and the opposition unanimously voted in favor of extending the emergency, the main opposition questioned whether there had been any major arrests in the first 10 days of the measure being in place. Government officials noted that police have arrested more than 340 people and launched over 800 operations so far. The extended emergency was approved a day after Trinidad and Tobago marked 35 years since the failed coup by the Islamist group Jamaat-al-Muslimeen, which left 24 people dead. The attorney general referenced that insurrection, saying the present circumstances are 'not dissimilar from those at that time.'
