2026年10月2日（金）ニュース

Land Minister Yamada Repeatedly Refuses to Comment on Road Budget Cut Allegations

At his post-cabinet press conference on the 2nd, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Yamada (山田) declined again and again to address allegations that he deliberately cut road budgets for municipalities that had not supported him in the previous general election, saying only that the matter involved "activities as an individual Diet member."

The allegations first surfaced in May of this year, when Yamada was reported to have stated that he had sharply reduced road allocations for several municipalities that had not backed him in the most recent House of Representatives election. The Chief Cabinet Secretary acknowledged that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is currently verifying the facts of the matter.

U.S. Military Dispatches Nuclear Carrier Theodore Roosevelt to the Middle East

The Wall Street Journal reported on the 1st that a carrier strike group centered on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, along with additional assets, had been dispatched toward the Middle East. Citing U.S. officials, the report said that troop reinforcements in Iran are expected to reach somewhere between 9,000 and 10,000 personnel.

Two carriers are currently operating in the Middle East. The arrival of the Theodore Roosevelt could bring the total to three, though it is also possible that the nuclear carrier George Washington — based at Yokosuka in Japan — may return to Japan as a result of the redeployment.

Putin Says Japan Changed Its Stance; Chief Cabinet Secretary Pushes Back

At the Valdai Discussion Club, an international affairs forum held in Moscow on the 1st, Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked about Japan-Russia relations. He asserted that Russia's stance toward Japan has not changed in two years and that it is Japan that altered its position toward Russia. While stating that "we are interested in cooperation with Japan," he added that bilateral relations "will become friendly and mutually beneficial once the current difficulties are overcome" — signalling an expectation that Japan should make the first move toward rapprochement.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary responded immediately, saying the government "cannot accept" any suggestion that Japan's sanctions against Russia and its protests are the cause of the deterioration in Japan-Russia relations.

UAE Airliner Makes Emergency Landing in Saudi Arabia

A passenger aircraft operated by a UAE airline, flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on the 30th of last month. According to Reuters, an Omani passenger attempted to bring down the aircraft using a blade, but other passengers on board managed to subdue him.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that the attacker had been influenced by Islamic extremism but offered no specific evidence to support the claim. Authorities are continuing their investigation, including efforts to establish the full picture of the incident.

New Testimony in Fukuoka Assembly Bribery Case; First Hearing in Tachibana Stabbing Trial

In the ongoing scandal over alleged cash payments tied to the speakership of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly, a group of prefectural assembly members — including a former speaker — belonging to the LDP's prefectural caucus held a joint press conference. They disclosed that before assuming the speakership in May 2017, senior figures in the LDP caucus demanded payments, and that at least 6 million yen in total was handed over to those leaders. The reason given for the payments was that it was "customary practice." This marks the third person to make the allegation under their real name, though the names of the senior members who demanded the money were not revealed.

Also on the 2nd, the Tokyo District Court held the first hearing in the trial of a defendant charged with attempted murder and other offenses for attacking NHK Party (NHKから国民を守る党) leader Tachibana Takashi (立花孝志) with a hatchet on a street in Tokyo. The defendant admitted to all charges. The prosecution contended that the defendant believed the death of a former Hyogo prefectural assembly member had been caused by Tachibana's defamatory conduct, and that the defendant — once a supporter of Tachibana — resolved to "settle the score" by killing him. The defense argued that autism spectrum disorder had prevented the defendant from correcting his line of thinking.