
Japanese PM's coalition loses majority in upper house election
Mr Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito needed to win 50 seats on top of the 75 seats they already had to reach the goal. With two more seats to be decided, the coalition had only 46 seats.
The loss is another blow to Mr Ishiba's coalition, making it a minority in both houses following its October defeat in the lower house election, and worsening Japan's political instability.
It was the first time the LDP had lost a majority in both houses of parliament since the party's foundation in 1955.
Despite the loss, Mr Ishiba expressed determination to stay on to tackle challenges such as US tariff threats, but he could face calls from within his party to step down or find another coalition partner.
'I will fulfil my responsibility as head of the number one party and work for the country,' he said.
Mr Ishiba had set the bar low, wanting a simple majority of 125 seats, which meant his LDP and its Buddhist-backed junior coalition partner Komeito needed to win 50 to add to the 75 seats they already had.
Exit poll results released seconds after the ballots closed on Sunday night mostly showed a major setback for Mr Ishiba's coalition.
The LDP alone won 38 seats, better than most exit poll projections of 32, and still the number one party in the parliament, known as the Diet.
'It's a tough situation. I take it humbly and sincerely,' Mr Ishiba told a live interview with NHK.
He said the poor showing was because his government's measures to combat price increases had yet to reach many people.
The poor performance in the election will not immediately trigger a change of government because the upper house lacks the power to file a no-confidence motion against a leader, but it will certainly deepen uncertainty over his fate and Japan's political stability.
Mr Ishiba could face calls from within the LDP party to step down or find another coalition partner.
Soaring prices, lagging incomes and burdensome social security payments are the top issues for frustrated, cash-strapped voters. Stricter measures targeting foreign residents and visitors also emerged as a key issue, with a surging right-wing populist party leading the campaign.
Sunday's vote comes after Mr Ishiba's coalition lost a majority in the October lower house election, stung by past corruption scandals, and his government has since been forced into making concessions to the opposition to get legislation through parliament.
It has been unable to quickly deliver effective measures to mitigate rising prices, including Japan's traditional staple of rice, and dwindling wages.
US president Donald Trump has added to the pressure, complaining about a lack of progress in trade negotiations and the lack of sales of US vehicles and American-grown rice to Japan despite a shortfall in domestic stocks of the grain.
A 25% tariff due to take effect on August 1 has been another blow for Mr Ishiba.
Mr Ishiba resisted any compromise before the election, but the prospect for a breakthrough after the election is just as unclear because the minority government would have difficulty forming a consensus with the opposition.
Frustrated voters were rapidly turning to emerging populist parties. But the eight main opposition groups were too fractured to forge a common platform as a united front and gain voter support as a viable alternative.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Metro
29 minutes ago
- Metro
How foreign tourists are charged 50% more in Paris than French customers
Americans holidaying in Paris are being charged an extra 50% more that French customers. Newspaper Le Parisien sent out one of their reporters dressed like a tourist from the USA as well as one of their local employees to a cafe near the Eiffel Tower. Both sat down and ordered the same dish – a lasagna, a Coke and water – but given drastically different prices when given the check. The obviously 'French' customer was charged €6.50 for their soft drink and given a carafe of water for free. But the 'American' was charged €9.50 for a large coke which was only half a litre. They were also made to spend €6 on bottled water with no offer of a carafe. The pair moved to a different establishment to test the tipping policy. The 'French' customer had a 10% service charge included, but the 'American' was told it 'isn't included'. When he agreed to add a 10% tip, the waiter discreetly raised it to 15%. Franck Trouet of the hotel and restaurant umbrella group GHR said: 'It's a disgrace to the profession. You can't even call these people waiters. 'You should know that in France, water and bread are free. One can refuse a bottle of water. The tip is to express thanks for the service if one is very satisfied. Above all, it is not compulsory. This is not the United States'. Parisian restaurants and bars were also found to be cheating tourists out of wine last month. A sommelier posing as a tourist ordered a glass of Chablis costing around €9, but instead was served the cheapest €5 sauvignon on the menu – and was still charged the higher amount. Wine merchant Marina Giuberti said: 'It's a pity for the customer and for the image of the wine appellation, for the winemaker and for the restaurant owners who do a good job.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: New £17 travel charge comes into force across popular Greek islands MORE: Lonely Planet founder reveals the Greek island tourists haven't destroyed yet MORE: Sunbed Wars 2025: Worst UK offenders revealed as mum-of-six sparks fury


NBC News
30 minutes ago
- NBC News
Taliban tortured and threatened Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran, U.N. report says
The Taliban have tortured and threatened Afghans forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan because of their identity or personal history, a U.N. report said Thursday. Pakistan and Iran are expelling millions of Afghans who they say are living in their countries illegally. Afghan authorities have urged nationals to return, pledging amnesty for anyone who left after the Taliban seized power in 2021. But rights groups and the U.N. have repeatedly warned that some of those returning are at risk of persecution because of their gender, links to the former Western-backed administration or profession. Thursday's report from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said some people have experienced serious human rights violations, while others have gone into hiding or relocated for fear of Taliban reprisal. The violations include torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, and threats to personal security at the hands of the Taliban, according to the report. A former government official told the U.N. mission that, after his return to Afghanistan in 2023, he was detained and severely tortured with sticks and cables. He was waterboarded and subjected to a mock execution. A non-binary person said they were beaten severely, including with the back of a gun. Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said nobody should be sent back to a country where they faced the risk of persecution on account of their identity or personal history. This was even more pronounced for Afghan women and girls, who were subjected to a range of measures "amounting to persecution based on their gender alone," he added. The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Afghan girls and women, cutting off education beyond sixth grade, most employment and access to many public spaces. Responding to the report, Taliban authorities denied mistreating Afghan returnees and rejected allegations of arrest, violence, intimidation or retaliation against people because of their identity or personal history. Afghans returning from neighboring countries were provided with facilities related to documentation, transportation, resettlement, and other legal support, they said, while the Interior Ministry provides a "warm welcome." They called on the U.N. mission to prevent forced deportations, adding the United Nations as a whole "should not hesitate" in providing basic needs to refugees, such as food, medicine, shelter and education. Afghans who left their homeland in the millions over the decades are either being pushed out in expulsion campaigns, like those in Iran and Pakistan, or face an uncertain future because of reduced support for refugees. On Monday, thousands of Afghans in the U.S. lost protection from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone U.S. President Donald Trump administration's decision to end their legal status. Homeland Security officials said in their decision to end the Temporary Protected Status for Afghans that the situation in their home country was getting better. But groups helping Afghans with this status say the country is still extremely dangerous. The Trump administration's January suspension of a refugee program has left thousands of Afghans stranded, particularly in Pakistan, and a travel ban on Afghans has further diminished their hopes of resettlement in the U.S.


Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Donald Trump protests planned for Edinburgh and Aberdeen ahead of President's arrival
The US president is preparing to touch-down for a five-day private visit to his luxury golf resorts. Donald Trump is expected to be met with a wave of protests upon his arrival to Scotland tomorrow. The US president is preparing to touch-down for a five-day private visit to his luxury golf resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire. While it is not a formal trip, he will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Monday. There are also suggestions that there are plans for Trump to meet with First Minister John Swinney. The Stop Trump Coalition confirmed that it is organising events in Aberdeen in the city centre and outside the US consulate in Edinburgh on Saturday at midday. There is also planned activity around Turnberry and Menie, where Trump is expected to open a new 18-hole golf course named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, born on the Isle of Lewis. Earlier this week, Police Scotland's Assistant chief constable Emma Bond said the force will take a 'proportionate' approach to ensure people can protest safely. Activists will take to the streets upon Trump's arrival to express 'widespread anger' over the president's policies. Connor Dylan, the organiser of the anti-Trump protests in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, told the Guardian: 'The vast majority of people in Scotland were already opposed to everything Trump stood for when he first visited as president. "As we've learned more and more about him and the way he governs, that attitude has only hardened. 'His politics – and those of the people around him – have only become more extreme since then, with once fringe ideas like mass deportations now part of mainstream American politics and being effectively exported to the UK and other European countries by far-right allies.' Fellow organiser Alena Ivanova added: 'There's a widespread anger and determination to come out from people across Scotland and calling on our elected leaders not to give Trump the acknowledgement and welcome he wants.' Meanwhile, the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said policing will be 'seriously affected' during Trump's visit. The federation claimed workforce agreements previously agreed by Police Scotland bosses were being "breached in the days leading to the arrival of the President". David Kennedy, SPF general secretary, said: "The reality is, if we had more police officers, we could ask for less mutual aid. We have been saying this for years now. We've seen a cut in police numbers and a cut in real time funding. "We'll survive these events, but surviving is not as good as coping and being proactive when they are announced. The situation is not sustainable. It's destroying cops, they are absolutely shattered. It's not a good place to be at the moment." He added: "We currently have workforce agreements in place to protect police officers and provide minimum standards of Health and Safety at work. Sadly, we have seen these agreements breached in the days leading to the arrival of the president and as such we are seeking legal advice regarding potential legal action against the service."