Editorial: Japan Cabinet's tenfold publicity budget hints at attempt to boost ratings

The Mainichi - Oct 13, 2026

The administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seeking a major increase in the budget for the Cabinet Public Affairs Office, which ha

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Oct 13, 2026

EU adds 3 individuals, 4 entities to N. Korea sanctions list

The European Union (EU) on Monday added three individuals and four entities to its sanctions list targeting North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs and ties with Russia. "The Council today adopted additional restrictive measures against three individuals and four entities under its autonomous sanctions list on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)," the European Council said in a statement. The DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name. The council said the individuals and entities were responsible for supporting, promoting or facilitating activities contributing to North Korea's nuclear weapons, ballistic missile and other weapons of mass destruction programs, as well as for violating and evading United Nations sanctions. With the latest additions, the EU's sanctions list on North Korea now covers 80 individuals and 25 entities.

Oct 13, 2026

Saudi warning system stayed silent before deadly airport attacks

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia stopped issuing public warnings of imminent military attacks days before a series of deadly strikes on Riyadh airport that killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 300. The government has not said why there were no alerts to the public before the four Riyadh attacks in the past week. The warnings had served to highlight the violence undermining the kingdom's efforts to project an image of calm to its people and the world during its war with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. Their absence during the airport strikes raised questions about Saudi Arabia's vulnerability to attack and about its ability to protect residents and visitors, four Western and Arab officials in the region and political analysts told Reuters. It also reflected efforts to maintain a sense of normalcy, they said. "They (the Saudi government) want to have it both ways: to launch a military operation and at the same time try to give confidence to the population and external stakeholders," said Sultan Alamer, a US-based Saudi academic and Senior Resident Fellow at the Middle East Policy Council th

Oct 13, 2026

US hopes diesel deal can 'soften' Moscow on peace talks, sources say

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON/KYIV — President Donald Trump's envoys told Ukrainian officials on Friday that a deal to allow Russian diesel exports is part of a bid to draw Russia back to negotiations after the failure of previous efforts to launch sustained talks to end the war, three people familiar with the meeting told Reuters. Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner told the Ukrainians in a meeting in Miami that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not prepared to negotiate an end to his 4 1/2-year-old war in Ukraine and that the deal announced last week could help restart trilateral talks, said two of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The third person said the US relayed to the Ukrainians that the diesel deal could help "soften" Moscow's position in part because it "sends a signal that Trump is open to do things" with Russia. That deal, under which Russia will supply more than 2.25 million barrels of diesel to US and global markets, has triggered a backlash from some US lawmakers, who say it will give Moscow cash to pursue its war without forc

Oct 13, 2026

US immigration authorities raid home of Democratic Trump critic Ilhan Omar

WASHINGTON — US authorities conducted a predawn raid on Monday on the Washington, DC, home of Democratic US Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump who has been the target of political insults by the Republican president, as part of an ongoing investigation, the Justice Department said. A person familiar with the investigation said it is related to alleged immigration fraud, and part of the probe concerns the Somali-born lawmaker's immigration paperwork filled out by her late father when she was a child. Omar wrote on social media that the US government is being weaponized to target a political enemy of the president. "For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns," Omar said. "This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced." Other Democrats accused Trump and his administration of abuse of power. Omar, 44, is seeking a fifth two-year term in the US House of Representatives in the midterm elections on November 3. In announcing the raid, a Justice Department spokesperson

Oct 13, 2026

Musk spent $276 mil. to boost Republicans in midterms: US media

WASHINGTON — Tech billionaire Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has contributed $276 million to organizations boosting the campaigns of right-wing American candidates ahead of upcoming midterm elections, US media reported Monday. The sum, all contributed since July, positions Musk as the largest single donor for the November 3 elections, according to the New York Times. He has spent a total of $366 million this election cycle. The largest funding recipient was the Republican's Senate Leadership Fund, receiving $158 million, aimed at maintaining the party's control of the upper house of Congress despite a slim margin. The SpaceX and Tesla boss is no stranger to massive US election spending, having contributed $290 million in 2024 to help US President Donald Trump win reelection. Trump allowed Musk to work in the White House for several months overseeing his cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) venture, but exited the role after a public falling out with the president. They've since reconciled, and Trump awarded Musk the National Medal of Science at an event in DC las

Oct 13, 2026

Hackers heat French supermarket fridges, sparking fires and spoiling food

PARIS — Hackers raised the temperature of refrigerators and freezers at hundreds of French supermarkets to as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, causing fires and spoiling food. The Paris prosecutor's office said on Monday that a "large-scale" attack was "affecting connected refrigerators in several major food retailers across France", leading to food losses and fires. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has instructed France's National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to investigate, a person in his office said. France was coordinating with European counterparts because other countries could also be affected, the person said, adding that authorities were assessing whether other French companies were at risk. Felix Aime, a senior cyber threat intelligence analyst at Sekoia Threat Detection and Research, said Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium had also been affected. Carrefour said 80 of its supermarkets were hit, while Monoprix, which operates about 490 stores in France, said 5% of its stores were affected. Les Mousquetaires, owner of retailer Intermarche,

Oct 13, 2026

Debt-Stricken Pakistan To Lead Borrowers' Platform On Sidelines Of World Bank-IMF Meetings In Bangkok

Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb formally took charge of the initiative, saying it was established to help countries cooperate with each other.

Oct 13, 2026

Police accused of using excessive force on journalists during India’s ‘cockroach’ protests

Nearly three dozen journalists were detained for hours before being released, according to Reuters interviews

Oct 13, 2026

$4 Billion American Money: What Russia Will Get From Trump's 'Energy Ceasefire'

US President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel to lower domestic fuel prices, providing billions to Moscow and pressuring Ukraine to halt refinery strikes.

Oct 13, 2026

Malaysia's Firefly extends flight cancellations due to haze

Firefly said the extension of flight suspensions between Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport and Singapore's Seletar Airport was a "proactive safety measure".

Oct 13, 2026

CJP Protest: Delhi Police seeks extension of CAPF deployment till Oct 20. Here's why

Delhi CJP Protest: Police sought the CAPF extension, citing the possibility of protests by the Cockroach Janta Party and other organisations, sources said on Tuesday.

Oct 13, 2026

Independent audit of voter deletions, suspension of SIR among key prayers in SC plea by Rahul, INDIA bloc leaders

The plea has sought the constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired apex court judge, and assisted by technical experts and other citizens of eminence, to conduct within a fixed time an independent audit of deletions and modifications made during the SIR.

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