TOKYO — Japanese were voting Sunday for seats in the smaller of Japan’s two parliamentary houses in a key election with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his ruling coalition facing a possible defeat that could worsen the country’s political instability.
Voters were deciding half of the 248 seats in the upper house, the less powerful of the two chambers in Japan’s Diet. Early results were expected Sunday night.
Ishiba has set the bar low, wanting a simple majority of 125 seats, which means his Liberal Democratic Party and its Buddhist-backed junior coalition partner Komeito need to win 50 to add to the 75 seats they already have.
That is a big retreat from the 141 seats they had pre-election, but media surveys predict big setbacks for Ishiba.
A poor performance on Sunday would not immediately trigger a change of government because the upper house lacks the power to file no-confidence against a leader, but it would certainly deepen uncertainty over his fate and Japan’s political stability. Ishiba would 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 have also emerged as a key issue, with a surging right-wing populist party leading the campaign.
Sunday’s vote comes after Ishiba’s coalition lost a majority in the October 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 traditional staple of rice, and dwindling wages.
U.S. President Donald 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% tariff due to take effect Aug. 1 has been another blow for Ishiba.
Ishiba has 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 are rapidly turning to emerging populist parties. The eight main opposition groups, however, are too fractured to forge a common platform as a united front and gain voter support as a viable alternative.
The emerging populist party Sanseito stands out with the toughest anti-foreigner stance with its “Japanese First” platform that proposes a new agency to centralize policies related to foreigners. The party’s populist platform also includes anti-vaccine, anti-globalism and favors traditional gender roles.
Conservative to centrist opposition groups, including the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, or CDPJ, the DPP, and Sanseito have gained significant ground at the Liberal Democrats’ expense.
The spread of xenophobic rhetoric in the election campaign and on social media has triggered protests by human rights activists and alarmed foreign residents.
The LDP has almost continuously dominated Japan’s postwar politics, contributing to its political stability and social conformity.
Prince Al Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, the name that showed the world what ‘a life frozen in time’ looks like, has now passed away. The Prince, 36, had been in a coma for 20 years after a car accident. Intensive care, prayers, top-notch medical support, and medical boards stood witness to a 20-year journey of sleeping in silence-one of the longest coma cases in recent medical history, rightly earning him the title ‘The Sleeping Prince’.
Why the label ‘Sleeping Prince’?
Born into the Saudi royal family, Prince Alwaleed grew up with dreams of a bright future—but a short-lived one. At the age of 15, the prince was involved in a tragic car accident that left him unconscious ever since. The medical board confirmed that regaining full consciousness and living a ‘normal life’ like before was, in no way, a probable scenario. After intense brain injuries and internal bleeding, surviving even 20 hours seemed miraculous. But his family did not give hope. A life that could barely hold on for 20 hours endured for 20 years ,2005 to 2025, leaving people wondering how love can sustain even the frailest of links between life and death. This miracle gave rise to the title ‘Sleeping Prince’, as the world collectively waited for the day he might wake.
How social media saw this journey over the last 20 years:
Without having a social media account or posting algorithm-supported reels daily, Prince Alwaleed remained the talk of the town multiple times. The most recent instance came just a month ago, when a video went viral claiming the prince had woken up and reunited with his family. It turned out to be misleading—the video actually featured Saudi billionaire and motorsport personality Yazeed Mohamed Al-Rajhi, not Prince Alwaleed. Rumors of his recovery have repeatedly surfaced, but most were false. The truth is, over the past 20 years, his father explored every possible medical avenue—sometimes resulting in a finger movement, sometimes a brain response. These small signs kept the family going, backed by hope, until today.
Credit:X/@calm_933
A father’s tale to tell:
What began as a father’s dream to send his son to military school so he could return more prepared to carry forward the royal legacy ended on July 19, 2025, with the words:“With hearts that believe in God’s will and destiny, and with great sadness and sorrow, we mourn our dear son, Prince Alwaleed bin Khaled bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. May God have mercy on him, who passed away today.”After almost 20 years of emotional turmoil—facing the question countless times of whether to keep his son on life support or let him go—he chose the former. He dedicated his life to his son, showing the world what ‘hope’ truly looks like. His belief in divine healing kept him beside his son’s bedside for two decades.
Funeral arrangements:
The funeral prayer for men will be held at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh on July 20, following the Asr prayer. For women, the prayer will take place at King Faisal Specialist Hospital after the Dhuhr prayer. Condolences will be received over three days—Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (July 20th, 21st, and 22nd).
Air-to-air missiles (AAMs) are fundamental to air dominance. They are the primary weapons in air-to-air combat and have been so since the beginning of the Vietnam War. From close-range dog-fights to beyond visual range (BVR) air battles, AAMs have come a long distance.
However, China’s recent claim of developing a hypersonic AAM with a staggering 1,000 km ‘kill range’ can practically redefine air warfare and compel the Air Forces of enemy countries to stay grounded during conflict situations.
For instance, when operationalized, Chinese combat jets can hit any airborne aircraft anywhere in Taiwan and even in some parts of Japan without even crossing the Chinese airspace.
For perspective, this range is around five times the range of Meteor, one of the most advanced AAMs in the world. This range is also more than double that of the longest-range AAMs in the US Navy, such as the AIM-174B, which has a reported range of 400 km, and the Russian R-37M, which also has a reported range of 400 km.
Even China’s longest-range AAM, as of now, is the PL-17, with a reported range of 400 km.
Thus, the under-development Chinese hypersonic AAM can not only transform aerial combat doctrines and operational planning, but also has the potential to decisively tilt the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific in Beijing’s favour.
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To understand how the capability of AAM can redefine aerial warfare and force adversary countries to modify their war doctrines, we must examine the evolution of AAMs over the last six decades.
The Evolution Of AAMs
Work on developing AAMs started shortly after the Second World War at the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) at Inyokern, California (now called the Naval Air Weapons Station).
The first AAMs became operational in the second half of the 1950s. In 1956, the US became the first country to induct an AAM, the AIM-9 (Air Interceptor Missile), into its Air Force. It used infrared (IR) homing, the missile’s seeker head detected and followed the heat signature from an aircraft’s engine exhaust.
The early version of AIM-9B used a lead sulfide (PbS) detector, which was sensitive to heat signatures. The missile operated in a fire-and-forget mode, which freed the launching aircraft, providing it with operational flexibility.
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Though revolutionary for its time, the AIM-9B still suffered from significant limitations.
For instance, since it detected and followed heat signatures from an aircraft engine’s exhaust, it could lock onto targets only from the rear aspect (tail-on), where the heat signatures of an aircraft were most prominent.
Furthermore, the missile did not work very well in humid or rainy conditions. It had an operational range of 2 to 4.8 km.
The Soviet Union followed quickly with its K-5, which entered service in 1957. It used a rudimentary form of radar guidance. The missile did not have its own onboard radar seeker; it relied on the aircraft’s radar to illuminate the target and follow it. This meant that the aircraft launching the missile had to keep the target locked even after launching the missile, making it vulnerable to counter-missile fire.
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The advent of AAMs quickly changed aerial warfare.
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A notable incident occurred in 1958, marking the first combat use of an AAM.
In 1958, during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, the Taiwanese (then the Republic of China) Air Force’s F-86 Sabre fighter jets shot multiple AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles. At least one Chinese MiG was shot down.
File Image: AIM-9X Sidewinder
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However, one Sidewinder hit an enemy jet but failed to explode. The pilot returned safely to base with the missile embedded in his fuselage and eventually turned it over to the Russians, who, after some careful study, released their own version of the AIM-9 in 1961 as the Vympel K-13.
How AAMs Dictated The 1965 Indo-Pak War
The Indian Air Force (IAF) started inducting MiG-21s into service in 1963. These MiGs were armed with the Soviet K-13 missiles.
Just two years later, in 1965, the India-Pakistan war broke out. At that time, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) operated the F-86 Sabre and the F-104 Starfighter, both of which were equipped with AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles.
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The PAF had a clear advantage in terms of AAMs. The Soviet K-13 was still in its evolutionary stages and was no match for AIM-9B.
MiG-21. Edited File Image.
“During the 1965 war, that difference proved decisive. The Pakistan Air Force scored at least three confirmed missile kills, fundamentally altering the tactical calculus. Even though some sources cite a smaller number of missile-equipped Sabres, Indian pilots had to assume every one did. The missile had introduced an element of doubt that no amount of pilot skill could entirely overcome,” writes IAF historian Angad Singh.
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The 1965 India-Pakistan War proved that an advantage in AAMs could prove decisive in an aerial battle.
The Advent Of BVRs
Gradually, longer-range AAMs made their presence felt. Most of the AAMs today are of the BVR category.
The European Meteor and the American AIM-120D have an operational range of nearly 200 km. The Chinese PL-15E (export variant) also has an operational range of 200 km. However, the PL-15’s domestic version has a claimed range of up to 300 km.
Furthermore, the Russian R-37M and KS-172, the Chinese PL-17, and the American AIM-174B all have ranges in the ballpark of 400 km.
The Russian R-37M has become a significant factor in the ongoing Ukraine War, where it has many kills to its name. In July 2024, a Russian Su-35 reportedly shot a Ukrainian MiG-29 at a record distance of 213 km, proving its worth in aerial combat.
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These are some of the longest-range operational BVR AAMs as of today. However, China is about to disrupt the very concept of air combat and air dominance with its 1000-km range AAM.
File Image: R-37 Missile
The 1000-km Range AAM
Earlier this year, Chinese scientists announced the final tests of a new hypersonic missile, with a range of 800-1000 km, an air-to-air missile with an unprecedented range.
According to Chinese media reports, heat-resistance testing has been conducted within an extreme Mars mission tunnel, testing its resistance under high friction and extreme temperatures.
Apart from the unprecedented range, the missile’s speed is another concerning factor, as it could travel at hypersonic speeds.
“In a simulated air combat exercise conducted in 2023, scientists with the Northwestern Polytechnical University armed a Chinese sixth-generation fighter with an ultra-long-range missile that was able to climb to the edge of the atmosphere and come down to an aircraft at hypervelocity,” the South China Morning Post reported.
The report warned that the speed of the under-development missile means that no US aircraft could escape it.
“In the US military, neither the B-21 nor widely used large air platforms such as warning aircraft and tankers can reach the speed of sound. Even the powerful F-22 can only accelerate to about Mach 2, making an escape difficult,” it said.
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Commenting on the new Chinese missile, well-known defense analyst Patrícia Marins said, “It seems that the Chinese missile will be a game-changer, not only due to its range—twice that of the Russian KS-172/K-100/R-37M missiles, which have ranges of up to 200-400 km—but also because it has a range four to five times greater than Western missiles.”
Marins further said that since most of the combat aircraft radars have a detection range of less than 400 km, it’s likely that the target acquisition for these missiles will be conducted by Chinese stealth and high-altitude drones, which can conduct continuous reconnaissance and surveillance over areas of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers at a time, performing wide-area searches for theater-level units.
The missile is still in the testing phase, and the Chinese have a habit of exaggerating the capabilities of their under-development platforms. However, if the Chinese claims are true, then this missile could give Beijing a significant capability advantage, putting both Russians and Americans in a difficult position.
Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from the University of Sheffield, UK.
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He can be reached at ahlawat.sumit85 (at) gmail.com
HA LONG BAY, Vietnam — A boat carrying tourists capsized during a sudden thunderstorm in Vietnam on Saturday afternoon during a sightseeing excursion, killing 37 people, state media reported. Five others remain missing.
The Wonder Sea boat was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members — all of them Vietnamese — on a tour of Ha Long Bay, a popular destination, according to the reports.
Rescue workers saved 11 people and recovered the dead near the site of the capsizing, VNExpress newspaper said. Authorities revised the figure after earlier reporting that 12 people had been rescued.
The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was rescued after four hours trapped in the overturned hull.
The newspaper said that most of the passengers were tourists from Hanoi, including about 20 children.
A tropical storm is also moving toward the area. A national weather forecast said that Storm Wipha is expected to hit Vietnam’s northern region next week, including Ha Long Bay’s coast.
This photo taken on July 20, 2025 shows a roadside tree blown down by wind in Hong Kong, south China. The Hong Kong Observatory issued hurricane signal No. 10, the top level warning, under the effect of typhoon Wipha at 9:20 a.m. local time on Sunday. (Photo by Lui Siu Wai/Xinhua)
HONG KONG, July 20 (Xinhua) — The Hong Kong Observatory issued hurricane signal No. 10, the top level warning, under the effect of typhoon Wipha at 9:20 a.m. local time on Sunday.
This means that winds with speeds of 118 km per hour or more are expected. Wipha will be closest to Hong Kong in the next couple of hours. The hurricane signal No. 10 is expected to remain in force for some time.
Due to the storm, many public services and activities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) have been suspended.
A significant number of flights are cancelled or rescheduled.
The Home Affairs Department of the HKSAR government has opened temporary shelters for needy people.
People have been urged to stay away from the shoreline during inclement weather.
The previous typhoon signal No. 10 was issued under the effect of super typhoon Saola in September 2023. ■
Pedestrians walk in the wind in Hong Kong, south China, on July 20, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory issued hurricane signal No. 10, the top level warning, under the effect of typhoon Wipha at 9:20 a.m. local time on Sunday. (Photo by Lui Siu Wai/Xinhua)
A pedestrian walks past a wind-broken umbrella in Hong Kong, south China, on July 20, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory issued hurricane signal No. 10, the top level warning, under the effect of typhoon Wipha at 9:20 a.m. local time on Sunday. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)
This photo taken on July 20, 2025 shows a view of the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, south China. The Hong Kong Observatory issued hurricane signal No. 10, the top level warning, under the effect of typhoon Wipha at 9:20 a.m. local time on Sunday. (Photo by Lui Siu Wai/Xinhua)
A pedestrian walks across a footbridge in Hong Kong, south China, July 20, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory issued hurricane signal No. 10, the top level warning, under the effect of typhoon Wipha at 9:20 a.m. local time on Sunday. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)
SEOUL, July 20 (Yonhap) — Ten people have been killed and nine have gone missing in the heavy rains and landslides that began across South Korea four days ago, the government said Sunday.
The data from the interior ministry and the National Fire Agency, as of 5 a.m. Sunday, also showed that a large portion of the toll — six dead and seven missing — occurred in the southern county of Sancheong.
A telephone pole leans above a road in the southern county of Sancheong on July 19, 2025, after heavy rains struck the area. (Yonhap)
The other deaths occurred in Osan, Gyeonggi Province; Seosan, South Chungcheong Province; and Dangjin, South Chungcheong. Two of the nine unaccounted for were reported missing in the southwestern city of Gwangju.
Firefighting officials said rescue work was still under way in Sancheong, which could lead to a change in the toll. A total of 58 people have been rescued from the county alone.
Torrential rains have slammed the nation since Wednesday, with Sancheong receiving an accumulated 793.5 millimeters of rain. The adjacent county of Hapcheon has received 699 mm, while the nearby county of Hadong has received 621.5 mm.
Authorities have registered 1,920 cases of flooded roads, soil loss and destroyed public facilities, and 2,234 other cases of damage to private property, such as buildings and farmland.
A total of 12,921 people have taken shelter across 14 major cities and provinces.
More heavy rainfall is forecast in the capital area and Gangwon Province through Sunday morning.
Trees and debris are scattered along a road following heavy rain in the southern county of Sancheong on July 19, 2025, in this photo provided by a reader. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, known as the “Sleeping Prince,” has died at the age of 36, after spending 20 years in a coma
Prince Al-Waleed was 15 years old when he sustained severe brain injuries in a car accident in 2005 while studying at a military college in London
After the accident, his father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, declined to take him off life support and moved him to a specialized medical facility
Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, known as the “Sleeping Prince,” has died after spending two decades in a coma. He was 36.
On Saturday, July 19, the prince’s father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud — a well-known Saudi royal and nephew of billionaire Prince Al Waleed bin Talal — announced that his son died at a medical facility in Saudi Arabia.
“With hearts believing in Allah will and decree, and with deep sorrow and sadness, we mourn our beloved son: Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah have mercy on him, who passed away today,” the mourning dad wrote in Arabic on X.
Alongside a black-and-white photo of his son lying in a hospital bed with his eyes closed, Prince Khaled added that the funeral service would be held on Sunday, July 20.
Born in April 1990, Prince Al-Waleed — who was nicknamed Dede by his family — was injured in a car accident in 2005 while studying at a military college in London, per Gulf News and the Mirror. He was 15 years old at the time.
The prince sustained several severe brain injuries and internal bleeding, and eventually fell into a coma. He was later transported to King Abdulaziz Medical City in the Saudi city of Riyadh, where he remained in a coma until his death.
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Over the two decades that Al-Waleed was in a coma, his father opted to keep him on life support and often shared social media footage of himself and other family members praying for his son’s recovery.
Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud and his father.
Khaled bin Talal/X
Several of Khaled’s posts over the years went viral, garnering millions of views as he prayed for his son and continued to celebrate special occasions by decorating the prince’s hospital room for holidays, including Ramadan, Eid and Saudi National Day.
Al-Waleed never regained full consciousness, but his father often shared footage of his minor physical responses, such as lifting his hands and fingers.
Over the years, the prince also drew many in-person visitors, who would visit his hospital room and pray alongside his father and brothers, per the Mirror.
HANOI: A tourist boat ferrying families around Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay capsized in a storm on Saturday afternoon, leaving at least 34 people dead, according to state media reports, as rescuers scrambled to locate the missing.
The vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized in the Unesco World Heritage site because of sudden heavy rain, the VNExpress news site said. Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, it said.
“Border guards rescued 11 people and recovered 34 bodies,” it added. Rescue efforts were set to continue into the night to find the eight still missing.
Ha Long Bay office worker Tran Trong Hung said the storm started in the afternoon.
“The sky turned dark at around 2 pm (0700 GMT),” he said. There were “hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning”, he said.
One of the rescued, a 10-year-old boy, told state media outlet VietnamNet: “I took a deep breath, swam through a gap, dived, then swam up. I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat with soldiers.”
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences to the families of the deceased and called on the defence and public security ministries to conduct urgent search and rescue.
Authorities would “investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations”, a statement on the government website said. Torrential rain also lashed northern Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh provinces on Saturday.
