
Myanmar military stages airstrikes after lifting emergency
An independent outlet says airstrikes hit two villages in Mandalay Region last Tuesday--killing 24 residents and injuring 30. On Saturday, the military reportedly launched more strikes--leaving at least 12 dead.
The junta made a surprise announcement on Thursday that it was lifting the state of emergency. The military is preparing for a general election in December. Such a vote can't take place under the emergency--declared after the generals seized power in 2021.
But the junta immediately reimposed the emergency in areas where fighting is ongoing, aiming to maintain control there.
The opposition says any vote organized by the junta will be illegitimate.
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NHK
6 hours ago
- NHK
Death toll continues to rise amid plan of expanding military operation in Gaza
Local authorities in Gaza say the death toll in the enclave has exceeded 61,000, as Israeli military operations and severe food shortages continue. Israeli forces issued evacuation orders for parts of Gaza on Wednesday, as they continue their attacks against the Islamic group Hamas. Local health officials said on Tuesday that 87 residents had died in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 61,020 since the conflict began in October 2023. They also said 188 people had died from famine and malnutrition as of Tuesday, with half of the dead being children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly decided on a plan to expand the military operation in Gaza to destroy Hamas. On Tuesday, the prime minister's office announced that the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces presented to Netanyahu the options for continuing the campaign in Gaza. Israeli media say the chief of staff expressed concerns over endangering hostages held in Gaza, but said the military is preparing to implement the decision once it is made. Media also say the Israeli security cabinet is scheduled to convene on Thursday. There are concerns that, if the military operation is actually expanded, it could lead to further casualties among Gaza residents.


Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
Maehara steps down as Nippon Ishin co-leader along with three others
Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara and three senior party leaders announced their resignations Tuesday, a move that shakes up an already-troubled party and leaves its future as an independent opposition force uncertain. In addition to Maehara, Nippon Ishin Secretary-General Ryohei Iwatani, General Affairs Chairman Tsukasa Abe, and Parliamentary Affairs Chief Joji Uruma will also resign, he said. The four are stepping down in order to take responsibility for Nippon Ishin's underwhelming performance in the July 20 Upper House election. 'When considering what Japan and Nippon Ishin must do to strengthen our position, I've concluded it's essential to renew public trust and reestablish a united party stance,' Maehara told party executives Tuesday afternoon. In the Upper House contest, Nippon Ishin won seven seats and is the third-largest opposition party in that chamber with a total of 19 seats. Nippon Ishin received only about 4.37 million proportional votes last month — down by almost 3.5 million from the roughly 7.84 million it received in the 2022 Upper House poll. How Tuesday's resignations might impact the party's relationship with other opposition parties and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is unclear. Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara (third from right) attends the party's plenary meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday. | JIJI Maehara and party executives have insisted on not joining the LDP-led ruling coalition, at least not as long as LDP President Shigeru Ishiba remains prime minister. But many Nippon Ishin members, especially those from the party's Kansai base, are more supportive of joining the coalition under certain conditions, such as if the LDP agrees to serious talks about designating Osaka as Japan's back-up capital city if a natural disaster were to strike Tokyo. At an Aug. 1 meeting of Nippon Ishin parliamentarians, no opinions were expressed against joining an LDP coalition, Maehara said. Asked Tuesday about joining a coalition, Maehara said Nippon Ishin will continue to push itself as a national party but did not view joining a ruling coalition as impossible. However, on whether Nippon Ishin would work with the ruling coalition or other opposition parties on policy implementation, Maehara said that was for new party executives to decide. The four Nippon Ishin leaders have conveyed their decision to step down to party chief Hirofumi Yoshimura, who is Osaka governor. In Nippon Ishin's unique leadership structure, a co-leader serves as the party's representative in parliament, while Yoshimura is in charge overall. An election to name a replacement for Maehara is likely to take place on Friday. Nippon Ishin is the second-largest opposition party in the Lower House, with 38 seats. But while it controls all 19 Lower House districts in Osaka Prefecture, it has always had difficulty building support outside the region. Six of the party's Upper House district seats are in the Kansai prefectures of Osaka, Hyogo and Kyoto. It has only one non-Kansai Upper House district seat, in Kanagawa. Staff writers Gabriele Ninivaggi and Himari Semans contributed to this report.


NHK
a day ago
- NHK
Australian minister stresses importance of warship deal with Japan
The Australian government has chosen Japan to partner on the development of a new ship for the country's navy. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles spoke to NHK about the deal's significance after its announcement. He said: "It is a really significant moment in our relationship with Japan. It's easily the biggest defense industry agreement that there will be between our two countries. I think it's one of the biggest defense exports in Japan's history. And it takes, really to the next level what is becoming a growing and deeply significant defense relationship between our two countries." Marles also said the frigates will help to upgrade his country's defenses amid China's growing maritime activities in nearby waters. He noted that China is engaging in the largest "conventional military buildup since the end of the Second World War." He added that "it's why we need to be doing everything within our power to be making sure that Australia is capable." Marles said that Australia is considering joint missile operations with the United States and Japan as part of an overall plan to strengthen cooperation between the three countries in the Indo-Pacific region.