Briefly

JAPAN

Ruling bloc may lose hold in upper house

Japan's ruling coalition will likely lose its majority in the upper house election on July 20, media polls showed on Tuesday. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, with its coalition partner Komeito, will likely struggle to retain the 50 seats needed to defend its majority in the upper house of parliament, the Asahi newspaper said based on voter polls and nationwide reporting by its journalists. Japan's Jiji news agency also reported on Tuesday that the ruling coalition was struggling in the election campaign, and could lose its majority in the upper house. Ishiba's administration has seen approval ratings slide as the rising cost of living, including the soaring price of Japan's staple rice, hit households.

UNITED STATES

Blaze at facility for the elderly kills 9

A nighttime fire at an assisted living facility for the elderly in northeastern Massachusetts killed nine people and injured 30 others, authorities said on Monday. The fire, which broke out on Sunday at the Gabriel House facility in Fall River, was "an unspeakable tragedy", Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon told reporters. "Nine people lost their lives in this building last night," Bacon said. "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims." Around 70 people resided at the nursing home, and some 50 firefighters were mobilized to fight the blaze. The origin and cause of the fire are being investigated.

SPAIN

Heat causes 1,180 deaths in 2 months

High temperatures caused 1,180 deaths in Spain in the past two months, the Environment Ministry said on Monday. The vast majority of people who died were over 65 and more than half were women, the data it cited showed. The most affected regions were Galicia, La Rioja, Asturias and Cantabria — all located in the northern half of the country, where traditionally cooler summer temperatures have seen a significant rise in recent years. The 1,180 people died of heat-related causes between May 16 and July 13, compared with 114 in the corresponding period in 2024, the ministry said in a statement citing data from the Carlos III Health Institute.

Agencies Via Xinhua