Photos of 'Good Trouble' protests across the US, from Chicago to Mar-a-Lago
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Spectator
an hour ago
- Spectator
Japan's prime minister is on borrowed time
'It is a difficult situation and we have to take it very humbly and seriously'. This was the typically understated and solemnly delivered verdict of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after his party and their coalition partners lost their majority in the Upper House elections on Sunday. It is the kind of wording used by Japanese doctors to inform patients that their illness is terminal (they never tell you directly). Ishiba insists he will stay on as PM, but long-term, he is probably doomed. Ishiba's party, the Liberal Democrats (LDP), and their partners Komeito, needed fifty seats in yesterday's election to hang on to a majority, but managed only 47. They may need to reach out to the fragmented opposition parties for some sort of enlarged coalition or issue-by-issue cooperation agreement. It is a mess and there is no obvious solution, except a general election. The problem is that there is nothing that is both new and wholly credible available The timing is awful. Trade negotiations with America are at an acute stage – Trump's tariff deadline is 1 August and unless some sort of deal can be reached by then, a 25 per cent levy will be imposed on Japanese cars. The Japanese automobile industry employs 6 million people domestically and 1.7 million cars were sold in the States last year. The extent to which the Japanese automakers can absorb or work around the tariffs is unclear, but many here are understandably nervous. Time is running out. To be fair to Ishiba, he appears to have done what he could. His trade envoy, Ryosei Akazawa, has visited Washington seven times. And there is still time for a compromise – just (US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant is in Japan now). But Ishiba, who had a weak hand before the election, has an even weaker one now. His immediate options are either to step down (or be stepped down – he is vulnerable to the elder statesmen in his party) or cobble together a new coalition. Either scenario would make a last-minute trade deal with the US far more difficult. It probably wasn't the Trump tariffs that really hurt the LDP, though. Two issues dominated news coverage of this election. The cost of living (rising prices and stagnant wages) was a constant theme, with the various parties either calling for tax cuts or handouts as a response. The LDP favoured the latter, with a mooted 20,000 yen (£100) payment to each citizen. This backfired, being seen as gimmicky, likely to make no difference, or even tantamount to a bribe. Then there was the issue of foreigners in Japan. This has raised the eyebrows and heckles of many expats here and caught the attention and opprobrium of the wider world, but it is important to put it in context. Although Japan still has a relatively low level of immigration (only 3.8 million foreigners reside here out of a population of 127 million) that represents a 100 per cent increase on just 13 years ago. A feeling of nervousness among some, that Japan is heading in the direction of a western European style multiculturalism that nobody consented to, is perhaps understandable. That said, some of the rhetoric, especially from one of the election's winners, the Sanseito party (usually referred to as 'far right' or 'populist' but I refuse to use these prejudicial and increasingly meaningless terms – let's call them conservative) has been provocative. Sanseito's leader, a former supermarket manager and English teacher, Sohei Kamiya, has talked of a 'silent invasion'. Sanseito increased its Upper House presence from one to 14 seats. Sanseito describe themselves as a 'Japan first party' and Kamiya has vehemently denied that this means they are anti-foreigner, only that they wish to prioritise the Japanese and end what they call the 'preferential treatment of foreigners' without specifying where this supposedly occurs. With a record 37 million visitors in 2024, foreigners are a far more visible presence in the country, but a JNN (Japan News Network) TV poll found that only 6 per cent of citizens rated immigration as a key issue, so it is not clear that is where Sanseito's appeal really lies. Just as important, perhaps, was the continuing Japanese ennui with the LDP. Years of drift, a succession of uninspiring leaders, and many, many scandals (such as the revelation that most of the LDP were in cahoots with the exceedingly murky Unification church) seem to have finally induced at least some voters (it is important not to exaggerate, the LDP remain the largest party in Japan) to try something new. The problem is that there is nothing that is both new and wholly credible available. Sanseito may not quite deserve the demonisation of the establishment, but many see them as more of a highly energised protest party than a functioning vehicle for national renewal. They are not at the gonzo end of Japanese politics – they have a sophisticated membership and vote-gathering operation – but they are very much a work in progress. Much as with the Tories and Reform, at least when it first emerged, it is still entirely not clear if voters see Sanseito as the future, or as a way to send a message to the LDP, whose condition is difficult but perhaps not terminal, to get its act together. Japan does, however, need something new – or at least a significantly improved version of something old.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Ecuador extradites notorious drug kingpin ‘Fito' to US
The Ecuadoran government has extradited the notorious drug trafficker Adolfo Macías to the US, more than a year after he escaped from a high-security prison. The flight transporting Macías, also known as 'Fito', landed in New York state on Sunday night, according to a tracking site. The US Attorney's Office filed charges in April against Macías, the head of the Los Choneros gang, on suspicion of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms violations, including weapons smuggling. A letter filed by the US Department of Justice on Sunday said Macías was due to appear in Brooklyn's federal court on Monday 'for an arraignment on the superseding indictment in this case'. His lawyer, Alexei Schacht, told news agencies he would plead not guilty. Macías was removed from custody at a maximum-security prison in south-west Ecuador on Sunday 'for the purposes that correspond to the extradition process', a spokesperson for the national prison authority, SNAI, told reporters. Macías, a former taxi driver, agreed in a Quito court last week to be extradited to the US to face the charges. He is the first Ecuadoran extradited by his country since a new measure was written into law last year, after a referendum in which President Daniel Noboa sought the approval of moves to boost his crackdown on criminal gangs. Ecuador, once a peaceful haven between the world's two top cocaine exporters, Colombia and Peru, has experienced a rise in violence in recent years as gangs with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control. Soon after Macías escaped from prison in January 2024, Noboa declared Ecuador to be in a state of internal armed conflict and ordered the military and tanks into the streets to 'neutralise' the gangs. The move has been criticised by human rights organisations. Macías's Los Choneros has ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, Colombia's Gulf Clan – the world's largest cocaine exporter – and Balkan mafias, according to the Ecuadorian Organized Crime Observatory. The crime boss's escape from prison prompted widespread violence and a large military and police recapture operation, including government posters offering $1m for information leading to his arrest. On 25 June, Macías was found hiding in a bunker concealed under floor tiles in a luxury home in the fishing port of Manta, the centre of Los Choneros operations. In an interview with CNN at the time, Noboa said Macías would be extradited, 'the sooner, the better … We will gladly send him and let him answer to the North American law.' More than 70% of cocaine produced in the world passes through Ecuador's ports, according to government data. In 2024, the country seized a record 294 tonnes of drugs, mainly cocaine.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Landmark review calls for Ofwat to be scrapped in favour of powerful single regulator
The water regulator should be scrapped and replaced with a single body to restore trust in the beleaguered industry, a landmark review has concluded. Ministers should ditch Ofwat and simplify the system with a powerful regulator looking at every area, according to the Independent Water Commission's final report. The report, led by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe, recommended far-reaching changes to the way the water system is regulated as it called the current landscape "fragmented and overlapping". In its 88 recommendations, scrapping Ofwat in favour of one powerful regulator is the most significant change to the sector. It also advised removing the regulatory roles of the Environment Agency and Natural England, which monitor the sector's impact on nature, such as companies illegally dumping sewage into waterways. The current system has faced intense criticism for overseeing water companies during the years they paid out shareholders and accrued large debts while ageing infrastructure crumbled and sewage spills skyrocketed. Following the publication of his report, Sir Jon warned water bills will rise by almost a third by the end of the decade. He told BBC Breakfast: "Bills are going to rise by 30% over the next five years. There are some inescapable facts here. The cost of producing water and dealing with our wastewater is going up. Climate change, higher environmental standards, demographic pressure, the population is going up. Just that need to renew ageing infrastructure. "The problem comes when you suddenly go from not investing for a long period, to massive investment, in order to catch up. That's really what's driven those huge bill increases that we've seen. "We need to help the most vulnerable, we also need to smooth that over a long period so that people can cope with the higher costs of water. And the regulators have a really important job in squeezing efficiency, incentivising the companies to be more efficient." Environment secretary Steve Reed on Sunday said Ofwat was 'clearly failing', in a sign he will accept the recommendation to axe it. He will also create a new, legally binding water ombudsman, expanding the role of the voluntary Consumer Council for Water and bringing the sector into line with other utilities. And over the weekend, Mr Reed committed to halving sewage pollution in England's rivers by 2030 thanks to a £104 billion investment from the sector in upgrading infrastructure. Other recommendations from the commission include stronger consumer advocacy, nine new regional water authorities to deliver on local priorities, significant improvements to environmental regulation and tighter oversight of company ownership and government. The regional authorities - eight in England and one national authority in Wales - would see current planning responsibilities devolved and resources from regulators transferred to ensure investments reflect local priorities and voices. It comes after nearly nine months of the commission analysing, researching and engaging with more than 50,000 responses to its call for evidence. Sir Jon said: "Restoring trust has been central to our work. Trust that bills are fair, that regulation is effective, that water companies will act in the public interest and that investors can get a fair return. "Our recommendations to achieve this are significant. They include the management of the whole water system, regulation of the water industry, the governance and financial resilience of water companies and a stronger voice for local communities and water customers. "In this report I have considered what is best for the long-term future of water. "This is a complex sector with a highly integrated system, responsible for the second-largest infrastructure programme in the UK. "Resetting this sector and restoring pride in the future of our waterways matters to us all."In countless conversations in the last nine months I have been struck by the urgent need and passion for change."Doing this will require hard work, strong leadership and sustained commitment. But it can and must be done." The report also shares recommendations on implementation, including which reforms can be delivered in the short term and which require new primary legislation. In a speech responding to Sir Jon's report later on Monday, the Environment Secretary is set to welcome the commission's recommendations to ensure "the failures of the past can never happen again".
