Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday was evacuated unscathed after an object that appeared to be a smoke bomb was thrown at him during a public event in Wakayama City, local media reports said, adding that the suspect has been arrested.
The reports said that Kishida immediately took cover and left the scene at Saikazaki Port after the incident, adding there were no injuries or damage, reports Xinhua news agency.
The suspect has been arrested, national broadcaster NHK confirmed in a report citing police sources, without giving any further details.
NHK footage showed crowds of people running away as smoke filled the area where a loud explosion was heard, and police officers pressing the suspect to the ground.
The object, resembling a flare with smoke, was thrown at Kishida at around 11.30 a.m. (local time) while he was preparing to deliver an outdoor address supporting the by-election of the House of Representatives, Kyodo News said.
Kishida, currently at the Wakayama Prefecture main police headquarters, has cancelled the addressed, the news outlet added.
The incident occurred as Japan is hosting G7 ministerial meetings in Sapporo and the city of Karuizawa in Nagano ahead of the bloc's leaders' summit in Hiroshima next month.
The incident comes less than a year after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead during a campaign event in July 2022.
Bhavan’s Little Learners celebrate annual programme
The Bhavan’s Little Learners, Bordowali celebrated annual programme and organised prize distribution ceremony here at Agartala Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan on Wednesday.
Govt working to boost agricultural production to make Tripura self-reliant: Minister Ratan Lal Nath
The Tripura government is contemplating to make Tripura self-reliant in agricultural production, said agriculture minister Ratan Lal Nath on Wednesday.
Scholarship Fraud: Tribal Welfare Dept issues show cause to 34 students
In a major crackdown on scholarship fraud, the Tripura Tribal Welfare Department has issued show cause notices to 34 students for allegedly submitting fake income certificates to avail the Scheduled Tribe (ST) Post-Matric Scholarship for the academic year 2023-24.
Fall of Congress in Gujarat: Three decades of decline and struggle for relevance
The Congress party was once the dominant political force in Gujarat, shaping the state’s governance since independence. However, over the past 30 years, the party has witnessed a dramatic downfall, losing ground to the BJP’s aggressive electoral strategies, organisational strength, and ideological appeal.
‘Disempowering Muslims’: J&K political parties oppose Waqf (Amendment) Bill
All political parties of J&K, except the BJP, opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, saying that the Bill is intended to disempower Muslims and only target one religion.
Radical group founder wanted in Jaipur serial blast plot apprehended in Ratlam
The Madhya Pradesh Police in Ratlam achieved a significant breakthrough in apprehending Firoz, also known as Sabji, a fugitive implicated in a conspiracy to execute serial blasts aimed at creating panic and terrorising the Rajasthan capital city of Jaipur.
Amit Shah & Akhilesh Yadav’s lighter exchange in LS over party president
Amid the uproar and heated debate between the ruling party and the Opposition over the Waqf Amendment Bill on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha witnessed some lighter moments between Home Minister Amit Shah and SP President Akhilesh Yadav.
Waqf Bill weakens Constitution, defames minorities, divides society: Gaurav Gogoi
As Parliament debated the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, on Wednesday, deputy leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi came down heavily on the government.