12.47°C Vancouver

Jul 21, 2025 12:42 PM - The Associated Press

Japan's Ishiba says he'll stay in office to tackle inflation and US tariffs despite election loss

Share On
japans-ishiba-says-hell-stay-in-office-to-tackle-inflation-and-us-tariffs-despite-election-loss
Ishiba said he takes the result seriously but that his priority is to avoid creating a political vacuum and to tackle impending challenges, including the Aug. 1 deadline for a tariff deal with the U.S.(Photo - The Canadian Press)

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Monday he will stay in office to tackle challenges such as rising prices and high U.S. tariffs aftera weekend election defeatleft his coalition with a minority in both parliamentary chambers.

Ishiba’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito were short three seats to maintain a majority in the 248-seat upper house in Sunday’s vote. The coalition is now a minority in both houses of the Diet, or parliament, though the LDP is still the leading party.

Ishiba said he takes the result seriously but that his priority is to avoid creating a political vacuum and to tackle impending challenges, including the Aug. 1 deadline for a tariff deal with the U.S.

“While I painfully feel my serious responsibility over the election results, I believe I must also fulfill my responsibility I bear for the country and the people so as not to cause politics to stall or go adrift,” Ishiba said. “Challenges such as global situation and natural disaster won't wait for a better political situation."

The prime minister said he hopes to reach a mutually beneficial deal and meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Sunday’s vote comes after Ishiba’s coalition lost a majority in theOctober lower house election, stung by past corruption scandals, and his unpopular 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 traditionalstaple of rice, and dwindling wages.

Trump has added to the pressure, complaining about a lack of progress in trade negotiations and the lack of sales of U.S. autos and American-grown rice to Japan despite a shortfall in domestic stocks of the grain.A 25% tariffdue to take effect Aug. 1 has been another blow for Ishiba.

Latest news

trump-hits-canadian-lumber-producers-with-additional-10-per-cent-tariff
WorldOct 01, 2025

Trump hits Canadian lumber producers with additional 10 per cent tariff

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued new tariffs that could add further pressure on Canadian producers of softwood lumber and furniture. A presidential proclamation on Monday evening set out a 10 per cent duty on imports of softwood timber and lumber, along with a 25 per cent levy on imports of kitchen cabinets and vanities — both parts and completed models — and other upholstered wooden products. The tariffs are scheduled to take effect Oct. 14. The rate applied to kitchen cabinets and vanities is set to jump to 50 per cent on Jan. 1, with the levy on other upholstered wooden products r
AlbertaOct 01, 2025

Family of Alberta boy missing for a week won't stop searching until he's found

The family of a six-year-old Alberta boy missing for more than a week says they won't rest until he's brought home. A statement by the family of Darius Macdougall comes as the search for the boy enters its second week and hundreds comb through mountainous terrain in southern Alberta. It says the family is thankful to the searchers for their dedication and that the community's support has provided them strength and hope. Darius was reported missing after he didn't return from a walk with six young relatives in the Crowsnest Pass area, where the family had been camping. RCMP had
AlbertaOct 01, 2025

No talks planned as 51,000 Alberta teachers set to hit picket lines next week

The head of the Alberta Teachers' Association says no talks are scheduled and 51,000 teachers are set to hit picket lines Monday in a provincewide strike. Jason Schilling says teachers sent a clear message Monday night by overwhelming rejecting the latest contract offer from Premier Danielle Smith's government. Schilling, in an interview on Corus radio, says the government's offer of a 12-per-cent pay raise over four years and a promise to hire 3,000 more teachers is a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed to catch up on wages and reduce overcrowded classrooms. He says th
anand-taking-two-different-approaches-to-building-bridges-with-china-india
CanadaOct 01, 2025

Anand taking two different approaches to building 'bridges' with China, India

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is off to India and China in the coming weeks, where she plans to take two distinct approaches to mending frayed ties with the world's two most populous countries. "I do not think it is wise to group countries in one region of the world together, and certainly not those two countries," Anand told The Canadian Press. "Our relationship with each of these countries is separate and we are approaching them very differently." Anand spoke Monday after the United Nations General Assembly's high-level week in New York, where she spent several days meeting with forei
rescuers-in-desperate-search-after-a-powerful-earthquake-hit-the-philippines-killing-at-least-69
WorldOct 01, 2025

Rescuers in desperate search after a powerful earthquake hit the Philippines, killing at least 69

Rescuers are using backhoes and sniffer dogs to look for survivors in collapsed houses and other damaged buildings in the central Philippines, a day after an earthquake killed at least 69 people. Officials say the death toll is expected to rise from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit at about 10 p.m. Tuesday. The quake trapped an unspecified number of residents in the hard-hit city of Bogo and outlying rural towns in Cebu province. Army troops, police and civilian volunteers were deployed Wednesday to carry out house-to-house searches. Officials say tntermittment rain and damaged bridges

Related News