荻上チキ・Session～発信型ニュース・プロジェクト · News
2026年10月19日（月）ニュース
French President Emmanuel Macron delivered an emergency address on October 18 after nationwide protests involving 550,000 people spread to 110 locations across France, resulting in roughly 2,400 arrests and around 1,000 injuries. In Japan, the Upper House debated the funding mechanism for a proposed consumption-tax cut bill, Prime Minister Takaichi opted against a direct visit to Yasukuni Shrine during its autumn festival, and a wave of unauthorized-access incidents hit multiple organizations including the JFA and Carsensor. On Ukraine, President Zelensky condemned President Trump's decision to shelve Russia sanctions, while the Wall Street Journal reported that President Putin has proposed a US-China-Russia trilateral summit on the sidelines of next month's APEC meeting.
Listen to this episode Go to the show page
What this episode answers
What was the scale of the protests in France, and what did they result in?
Protests that began on the 17th with high-school students demonstrating for education reform spread to 110 locations nationwide, drawing 550,000 participants; approximately 2,400 people were detained and around 1,000, including police officers, were injured. President Macron delivered an emergency address on the 18th calling for calm.
What arguments were made at the House of Councillors Budget Committee over the consumption-tax cut bill?
Democratic Party for the People lawmaker Hamano pressed Prime Minister Takaichi to consider issuing government bonds, and Takaichi responded that bond issuance would be 'appropriately controlled in the same way as in the regular annual budget process,' stopping short of ruling it out. The funding mechanism and the scope of cash benefits covering the remaining 1-percentage-point reduction remain unclear, and the opposition intends to keep pressing the government.
How did Prime Minister Takaichi respond to the Yasukuni Shrine autumn grand festival?
Prime Minister Takaichi made a personal monetary offering (tamagushiryo) through LDP General Council Chair Kajiyama and is expected to forgo a direct visit to the shrine during the festival period, having already offered a 'shogaki' votive item two days prior. More than 100 members of the cross-party parliamentary group also visited en masse, including the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Which organizations were affected by the string of unauthorized-access incidents around October 17, and what happened in each case?
The JFA's official app 'JFA Passport' was subjected to unauthorized access from approximately 3:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on October 17, with the impact still under investigation; Recruit's Carsensor suspended all services from 5:00 p.m. the same day. JETRO, the Saitama Prefectural Police's safety-confirmation system, and H2O Retailing — parent company of Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores — also reported breaches.
What were the respective moves by President Zelensky and President Putin regarding the situation in Ukraine?
President Zelensky told NBC on the 18th that Trump's decision to shelve implementation of Russia sanctions legislation means 'this will never stop the war.' The Wall Street Journal reported that President Putin has proposed to President Trump a trilateral summit with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of next month's APEC leaders' meeting in China to discuss the Ukraine situation.
France-Wide Protests Escalate; Macron Delivers Emergency Address
French President Emmanuel Macron delivered an emergency address on the 18th following large-scale demonstrations that swept across the country, urging the nation to restore calm.
The unrest began on the 17th with high-school students protesting education reform and quickly merged with broader anger over soaring living costs, including fuel prices, spreading to 110 locations across France. According to the Interior Ministry, 550,000 people took part nationwide. Some demonstrators clashed with security forces, resulting in approximately 2,400 arrests and roughly 1,000 injuries, including among police officers.
Consumption-Tax Cut Bill Sparks Debate in Upper House over Funding
The proposed legislation to cut the consumption tax was the subject of heated debate at the House of Councillors Budget Committee, with discussions centring on how the measure would be financed. Hamano (浜野), a lawmaker from the Democratic Party for the People (Kokumin Minshuto), pressed Prime Minister Takaichi (高市) to consider issuing government bonds to cover the cost.
Takaichi responded that funding would be "appropriately controlled in the same way as government bond issuance in the regular annual budget process," stopping short of ruling out new debt. The specific funding mechanism and the scope of the cash-benefit program covering the remaining 1-percentage-point reduction remain unclear, and the opposition has indicated it will continue pressing the government on both points.
Prime Minister Takaichi to Skip Direct Yasukuni Visit During Autumn Festival
Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine is holding its autumn grand festival (aki no reitaisai), and Prime Minister Takaichi made a personal monetary offering (tamagushiryo) through LDP General Council Chair Kajiyama (梶山). Sources close to the Prime Minister indicate she plans to forgo a direct visit to the shrine during the festival period; she had already offered a "shogaki" votive item two days earlier.
More than 100 members of the cross-party parliamentary group known as the Association of Parliamentarians Who All Visit Yasukuni Shrine Together also visited en masse during the festival, with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism among their number.
String of Unauthorized-Access Incidents Hits JFA, Carsensor, and Others
The Japan Football Association (JFA) reported that its official app, "JFA Passport," was subjected to unauthorized access by a third party from approximately 3:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on October 17. The scope of the impact is currently under investigation.
Recruit, which operates the major used-car search site Carsensor (カーセンサー), announced that it suspended all Carsensor services — including its website and app — from 5:00 p.m. on the 17th. Breaches were also reported by JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), the Saitama Prefectural Police's safety-confirmation system, and H2O Retailing, the parent company of Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, meaning the incidents have affected multiple organizations.
Ukraine: Zelensky Pushes Back on Sanctions Delay; Putin Proposes Trilateral Summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared on NBC on the 18th to voice strong objections to President Trump's announcement that the United States would shelve implementation of sanctions legislation against Russia. "This will never stop the war," Zelensky said.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported on the 18th that President Putin has proposed to President Trump a trilateral summit bringing together the leaders of the United States, China, and Russia — with President Xi Jinping — on the sidelines of next month's APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) leaders' meeting in China, to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
Takeaways
- Nationwide protests in France drew 550,000 participants across 110 locations, resulting in around 2,400 arrests and 1,000 injuries before President Macron called for calm in an emergency address on October 18.
- Japan's consumption-tax cut bill advanced through Upper House debate without clear answers on funding or the scope of cash benefits for the remaining 1-percentage-point reduction, with Prime Minister Takaichi declining to rule out new government bond issuance.
- A wave of unauthorized-access incidents struck multiple Japanese organizations around October 17, hitting the JFA's passport app, Carsensor, JETRO, the Saitama Prefectural Police's safety-confirmation system, and H2O Retailing in quick succession.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.