KAKAMMPI News

TOKYO: Polls opened Sunday to elect a new Tokyo governor with incumbent Yuriko Koike challenged by opposition figure Renho, two prominent women in Japan’s male-dominated political sphere. Japan has never had a woman prime minister and a large majority of lawmakers are men, but Tokyo, accounting for a tenth of the national population and a fifth of the economy, has been run since 2016 by former television anchor Koike, 71. While few now tout the former defence and environment minister as a possible future prime minister, as many once did, polls suggest that the media-savvy conservative will win a third straight term in the metropolis of 14 million people. This will be some relief ahead of national elections due by late 2025 to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of deeply unpopular Prime Minister Fumio Kishida which backs Koike, even though she broke away from the LDP in 2017. Kishida, whose public support rate has been dwindling to around 20 percent, partly due to a political fun...

Zionist-Hezbollah clashes intensify • Hamas says talks possible without permanent truce GAZA: The Zionist entity launched deadly strikes Sunday on the Gaza Strip as its war against Hamas entered its 10th month, with diplomatic efforts underway to secure a ceasefire and captive release deal. Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, an ally of Palestinian militant group Hamas, fired rocket salvoes at the Zionist entity, in the latest cross-border clashes that have sparked fears of a full-scale war. Efforts towards a truce continued with US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators hoping to halt the Gaza war, which has caused mass civilian casualties and devastated swathes of the coastal territory. Egypt’s state-linked Al-Qahera News said Cairo was “hosting (Zionist) and American delegations to discuss the outstanding points”, citing an unnamed high-level official source. Mediators were in contact with Hamas amid “intensive Egyptian meetings this week with all parties”, said the news report late Saturday, ...

WASHINGTON: NATO’s 75th anniversary summit was meant to showcase the triumph of a larger, stronger alliance. Instead, leaders are coming together in Washington in the shadow of setbacks in Ukraine and electoral headwinds on both sides of the Atlantic. US President Joe Biden, fighting for his political life after a disastrous debate against NATO skeptic Donald Trump, will turn his attention away from campaigning to welcome leaders of the 32-nation transatlantic alliance for three days from Tuesday. Biden has also invited the leaders of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, a sign of NATO’s growing role in Asia in the face of a rising China. But the star of the summit is set to be Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is looking for firm signs of support although NATO will not be extending his country an invitation to join. Founded in 1949 to provide collective defense against the Soviet Union, NATO returned in some ways to its original mission when allies rallied to Ukra...

PRESS STATEMENT The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) congratulates Senator Angara on his appointment as the new Secretary of Education. Senator Angara will be taking over the Department from Vice-President Sara Duterte amidst the ongoing Education crisis in the Philippines. With his solid experience in public service and deep commitment to education, we are confident that Senator Angara will lead the Department of Education with integrity, compassion, and innovation. His leadership will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in addressing the current challenges faced by the education sector in our country. CEAP looks forward to working closely with Secretary Angara to elevate education quality and ensure equitable access to learning opportunities for all students. We believe that under his guidance, the Department of Education will continue to make strides toward providing a holistic and empowering educational experience for the youth of the Philippines. We congrat...

The Hamas militant group said Wednesday it had sent new "ideas" to Qatari mediators aimed at ending the nearly nine-month Gaza war with Israel. Israel confirmed that it was "evaluating" Hamas "comments" on a deal to free its hostages in the Palestinian territory and would reply. With the death toll mounting and conditions worsening daily for Gazans, both sides are under increased international pressure to agree to a ceasefire -- more recently based on a roadmap pushed by US President Joe Biden. Hamas has demanded "a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal" of Israeli troops from Gaza. Israel says there can be no end to hostilities until Hamas releases all hostages taken during the October 7 attacks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also repeatedly vowed that Israel's Gaza campaign will not cease until Hamas's military and governing capabilities are destroyed. Hamas said Wednesday evening it was communicating with officials f...

WASHINGTON, United States — The US Justice Department is offering Boeing a plea deal that will allow it to avoid a trial related to two deadly 737 MAX crashes, a lawyer for the victims' families said Sunday, expressing outrage. Details of the deal, which requires Boeing to pay a fine and submit to an outside supervisor, were given to the families in a two-hour presentation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Sunday, said Paul Cassell, a University of Utah law professor who represents the families. He said the families "will strenuously object" to the agreement, if Boeing ultimately accepts and it is presented to a judge. Contacted by AFP, Boeing declined to comment. The New York Times reported over a week ago that prosecutors were eying such an alternative settlement, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, or DPA, but the DOJ said it had not yet made a decision. In May, the DOJ concluded that Boeing could be prosecuted for violating a previous DPA reached follo...

JAPAN — Mount Fuji's summer climbing season began on Monday with new crowd control measures to combat overtourism on the Japanese volcano's most popular trail. An entry fee of 2,000 yen ($13) plus an optional donation is being charged for those taking on the Yoshida Trail, and numbers are capped at 4,000 per day. Online reservations have also been introduced this year by authorities concerned about safety and environmental damage on Japan's highest mountain. "I really like the idea because if you respect the mountain, you have to limit the people," hiker Chetna Joshi told AFP at the trail's Fifth Station -- a busy starting point for hikers that is reachable by car. The 47-year-old from India compared the crowds seen at Fuji in recent years to the "traffic jam" of climbers at the peak of Mount Everest. Although windy and drizzly weather on Monday prevented hikers from reaching the summit, Joshi said ascending part way was still a "great exp...