Ukraine Agrees to Protect Kazakhstan Oil Exports via Black Sea 
U.S. Unseals Charges Against Five Alleged CJNG Leaders, Raises Reward for New Cartel Chief 
New Zealand MMP Electoral System Faces Fresh Referendum Debate 
Bezalel Smotrich Faces Election Battle as Israel’s Far-Right Vote Fractures 
Russian Strikes on Ukraine Kill Six, Wound Dozens in Balakliia and Sumy 
Joe Biden’s Prostate Cancer Has Spread Further, Hunter Biden Says 
Trump Faces Tough Choices as Iran War Drags On 
US Continues Ukraine Patriot Missile Production Talks Despite Trump Doubts 
Senate Majority Leader John Thune Moves to Advance Crypto Clarity Act 
Russia Intensifies Drone and Bomb Attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, Deepening Civilian Fear 
Colombia President Abelardo De La Espriella Pledges Drug Crackdown, Economic Reforms 
Trump Administration Weighs Executive Order on Vaccines and Autism Research 
North Korea May Deploy 120 Missiles to Russia 
ICE to Complete Nationwide Body Camera Rollout by End of August 
Taiwan President Lai Oversees Coastal Strike Drills in Han Kuang War Games 
Trump Orders Probe Into Pentagon Munitions Stockpile Leaks After Iran Conflict 
US Expects Iran-Oman Hormuz Shipping Deal Soon 
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced this week that he is dismissing his son from the position of executive secretary. The dismissal follows the backlash over the private party Kishida’s son held at his executive residence last year.
On Monday, Kishida told reporters that his son Shotaro Kishida will be stepping down as executive secretary for political affairs for “inappropriate behavior.” Kishida said Takayoshi Yamamoto will be replacing his son on Thursday. Kishida appointed his son to the post back in October.
“His behavior at a public space was inappropriate as someone who is in an official position as a political aide. I’ve decided to replace him for accountability,” said Kishida, who acknowledged that he greeted guests during the party but did not stay. Kishida also said he has reprimanded his son for the event.
The announcement of Shotaro Kishida’s dismissal follows a report by the Shukan Bunshun magazine that showed photos of Shotaro Kishida and his relatives at the prime minister’s official residence attending a year-end party on December 30. The photos showed the guests posing similarly to the group photos taken of newly appointed Cabinet members with Shotaro Kishida in the middle, where the prime minister is usually positioned. Other photos from the party showed guests standing at the podium as if holding a news conference.
The report sparked public outrage and criticism from opposition lawmakers. The senior lawmaker of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Seiji Osaka, said the dismissal should have been done earlier, according to Kyodo News.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno called Shotaro Kishida’s party at the official residence “inappropriate” and pledged to ensure proper management of the residence to prevent any future misuse.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Nagoya District Court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, making it the second court to rule similarly against the ban out of four cases in the past two years. The ruling also makes it likely to add pressure to change a law in the country where the constitution says that marriage is between a man and a woman. Japan is the only G7 country that has no legal protections for same-sex marriages.
Photo: Kantei.go.jp/Wikimedia Commons(CC by 2.0)
