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WORLD NEWS Saturday 21 July 2018
India's Parliament rejects no confidence against motion

By ASHOK SHARMA of Modi's government fol- claiming that French Presi-
NEW DELHI (AP) — Con- lowing Modi's estrange- dent Emmanuel Macron
gress party leader Rahul ment with some of his allies. told him in March the pur-
Gandhi accused the gov- Two of them, Shiv Sena and chasing agreement had no
ernment of failing to live up Biju Janata Dal, decided secrecy clause.
to its promises as the Indian to abstain from voting to The French Embassy in New
Parliament on Friday de- express their unhappiness Delhi immediately issued
bated and defeated a no- with Modi's policies. a statement saying that a
confidence motion moved Opposition leaders, how- security agreement bound
by the opposition against ever, hope to reap political the two countries to pro-
Prime Minister Narendra gains ahead of national tect classified information
Modi's government. elections early next year. that could impact the de-
The motion was defeated They also accuse the gov- fense capabilities of either.
by 325-126 votes by the ernment of failing to check Modi in his speech ac-
lawmakers. rising violence against cused Gandhi of "trampling
Gandhi, the scion of the In this Tuesday, March 6, 2018 photo, Congress party lawmakers women, minority Muslims upon the truth to mislead
shout slogans as president Rahul Gandhi, watches during a
Nehru-Gandhi political dy- protest outside parliament house in India. and Dalits. Modi rejected the nation on security-re-
nasty, accused the gov- Associated Press the opposition charge and lated issues." He didn't go
ernment of creating only said the government was into details. Textiles Minister
400,000 new jobs against ting and shook hands and tion knew that it didn't have taking steps to protect all Smriti Irani accused Gandhi
the 20 million promised in a hugged him. enough support to defeat sections of the society. of indulging in rhetoric and
year. He accused Modi of Modi in his speech later his government. "It misused Gandhi accused the Modi asked him back up his ac-
favoring big business hous- had a dig at Gandhi's ges- the provision to destabilize government of buying 36 cusations with proof. An-
es in defense and business ture, accusing him of trying his government," he said. Rafael fighter aircraft from other minister, Kiran Rijijju,
deals at the expense of to unseat him as the prime Modi said his economic France at a highly inflated dismissed Gandhi's speech
poor people. minister. policies have lifted 50 mil- price - nearly triple the price as "a political stunt."
That angered lawmakers Seema Mustafa, a political lion people out of poverty being negotiated when As parliament debated
in Modi's Hindu national- analyst, said Rahul Gan- levels of less than $2 in- Congress was in power be- the no-confidence motion,
ist Bharatiya Janata Party, dhi's hugging of Modi was come a day in the past four fore Modi became prime farmers marched in the In-
leading the speaker to a reminder to him that he years. India has risen to be minister in 2014. Defense dian capital demanding
briefly adjourn the house was in the habit of embrac- the sixth major economy in Minister Nirmala Sithara- loan waivers and fair prices
proceedings to cool tem- ing "reluctant and willing the world and was heading man immediately refuted for their produce and other
pers. Gandhi later resumed leaders across the world toward a $5 trillion econo- his claim. government help as India's
his speech and at the end and today he was caught my. Gandhi asked the govern- agriculture sector struggles
of it unexpectedly walked off guard" by Gandhi. The opposition apparently ment to reveal the price from years of declining
to where Modi was sit- Modi said that the opposi- decided to test the strength of the Rafael aircraft deal, earnings.q

Japan Parliament OKs law to allow up to 3 casino resorts

By MARI YAMAGUCHI crime and compound tional, Wynn Resorts and
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's par- gambling addiction. Me- Las Vegas Sands Corp.,
liament on Friday approved dia surveys have showed have made proposals since
a contentious law allowing a majority of Japanese op- last year. MGM welcomed
up to three casino resorts to pose the plan. Projections the passage of the law,
open in this wealthy nation by experts show casino saying in a statement that
and possibly lure more for- visitors would be predomi- the development would
eign visitors. nantly Japanese, rather push forward its effort, to-
The bill was approved and than foreign tourists. Op- gether with its Japanese
enacted into law at the position lawmakers said business partners, to cre-
upper house after bulldoz- the casino law would only ate a "uniquely Japanese,
ing by the ruling bloc. The allow foreign operators to world-class integrated re-
lower house passed it last make money off Japanese. sort." The company, which
month. The approval Friday was set up a Japanese subsid-
It adds rules of operation to delayed for hours by op- iary in 2014 when Japan
a law on casino promotion position parties' protests. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers a speech during started discussing casinos,
a press conference at the prime minister's official residence in
passed in 2016. The enact- Constitutional Democratic Tokyo Friday, July 20, 2018. said it will launch an Osaka
ment of the "integrated Party of Japan leader Yukio Associated Press office in September.
resorts" law means casinos Edano criticized the casino Japan has a significantly
can operate at resorts that law and other policies of are unlikely to open until of the casino revenue they high gambling addiction
include hotels, conference Abe's government, filibus- the mid-2020s, after the To- collect as tax. rate among advanced na-
rooms and shopping malls tering at an earlier lower kyo 2020 Olympic Games. To address concerns about tions. A 2017 study by the
in the mid-2020s. house session for 2 hours Several cities, including addiction, the law limits lo- health ministry found that
Supporters say casinos can and 43 minutes, the longest Osaka and Wakayama in cal residents to three ca- about 3.2 million people,
attract more and wealthier known since 1972. Edano western Japan, Yokohama, sino visits per week and 10 or about 3.6 percent of
tourists. Opponents say Ja- condemned Abe for "priori- a southern port city of Sase- per month. Admission will the adult population, were
pan already has "pachinko" tizing gambling (law)"over bo, and a few cities on the be free for foreigners but a thought to be addicted to
pinball parlors and wager- support for victims of re- northern island of Hokkaido set price for residents in Ja- gambling, far higher than
ing on horse, auto, bicycle cent deadly floods in west- have expressed interests to pan. many other countries — 1.2
and boat racing, and ex- ern Japan. bid for casino licenses. Host Gaming operators, includ- percent in France, 0.4 per-
panding legalized gam- The law will allow up to three city and the central gov- ing major U.S. players such cent in Italy and 0.2 per-
bling would fuel organized casinos to operate but they ernment split 30 percent as MGM Resorts Interna- cent in Germany.q