South Korean President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to consider establishing a dedicated cybersecurity task force and pan-government agency following hacking attacks on financial firms including Mirae Asset, Bithumb, and Daishin Securities, and the Binance theft of over US$6 billion attributed by the FBI to North Korea.
At a meeting in Berlin, around 160 CDU district chairmen sharply criticized the black-red coalition and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The background is election defeats and poor poll numbers. Merz announced a women's candidacy for the federal presidency, but was unable to dispel doubts about his leadership.
South Korea's foreign ministry is taking swift measures to reissue passports for all individuals affected by a leak of personal information belonging to the president and first lady, cabinet members, senior officials, security personnel, and reporters travelling with the presidential delegation. Police have opened a preliminary investigation into the leak.
Three staff members from the office of non-party legislator Gao Jin Sumei were involved in communist espionage cases one after another. Gao Jin was interviewed as a defendant for the first time, criticizing the prosecutor's large-scale investigation into the cross-strait exchanges that year, calling it a "political frame-up." The investigation found that she had been invited to give speeches in China many times, and the inviting institution, Xiamen University, listed "achieving the final and complete reunification of the country" as a strategic need. National security sources pointed out that China valued her ability to connect tribes.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a woman to succeed President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in March 2027, pushed digital sovereignty at an AI summit in Berlin, and addressed weekend youth protests and riots. Alexander Zverev reached No. 1 in men's tennis. The far-right AfD plans a Russia-US summit in Abu Dhabi, a Jewish Academy opened in Frankfurt, retailers condemned riots, IG Metall called strikes, and Education Minister Karin Prien linked unrest to integration challenges.
President Lee Jae-myung mentioned the controversy over the fairness of the preferential treatment system for multicultural families at a cabinet meeting and emphasized the principles of fairness and rationality. While acknowledging the need for a protection policy, he stated that irrational aspects should be improved and expressed concerns about far-right incitement.
The Trump administration, through the Justice Department, sought to sideline over 20,000 mail-in ballots in California on the eve of the US midterm elections, alleging non-US citizens are attempting to vote. The Supreme Court declined to stop California from counting votes, and a district judge had previously rejected the initial lawsuit, warning that singling out ballots would harm voters' trust in democracy.
Peaceful protests erupted in dozens of German cities to demand improved education, climate protection, and confronting the high cost of living, but riots in Frankfurt and other cities led to more than a hundred police officers being injured and stores vandalized, turning the discussion to security, immigration, and integration.
US President Trump gave speeches in Iowa and Kansas ahead of the midterm elections, making a series of ``verbal promises'' such as permanent year-round sales of ethanol-blended gasoline and a farmer support system. However, senior administration officials have said that aid will only come after the election, so it is unclear how it will affect voters. The NBC poll found that 53% of Republicans express dissatisfaction with the current state of the economy.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan accepted an exclusive interview with media personality Shen Chunhua and stated that he is "inclined to participate in the second TV debate, as long as any format and time can be negotiated." He emphasized that the team can coordinate time, details and format, and the opponent camp Shen Boyang had previously invited another debate.
The Ministry of Personnel Management is promoting the development of an AI general business system specialized in human resources work. The goal is to complete the initial version by the end of this year and make further improvements to transition to AI in all areas of personnel administration.
DPP Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Boyang said in an interview that 360,000 supporters have received "crew certificates", including nearly 180,000 Taipei citizens. He emphasized that attracting people who "have no feeling about elections" is the key to winning the election. Ye Yaoyuan believes that the election campaign needs to "break the circle" and "campaign head-on."
The Taipei mayoral election has entered its final stage. The current mayor of the Kuomintang, Chiang Wanan, accepted an exclusive interview with veteran media person Shen Chunhua. Talking about his performance in the first TV debate, he said that the citizens should give scores and emphasized that he would seize the final stage of the election to let the citizens understand the municipal achievements of the past four years and the future vision.
Media person Wu Jingyi analyzed that the "ocean current" effect of the Democratic Progressive Party's Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Boyang is forming political momentum in Taichung, and He Xinchun has reversed his lead in the support among young people aged 20 to 39. If the turnout rate in Taichung increases by 5% to 7%, there will be approximately 120,000 to 166,000 more votes, which will benefit He Xinchun.
Hillary Clinton told CNN on the eve of the midterm congressional elections that Democratic Representative Haley Stevens' announcement of her support for Republican candidate Mike Rogers in the Michigan race will have little impact, expecting the Democrats to vote in favor of Abdul Rahman Al-Sayyid by 50% to 45%, and stressed the Democrats' priority of addressing corruption and health care costs if they win a majority.
As the November 3 midterm elections approach, US election officials are preparing for potential federal interference, voter eligibility disputes, and security threats, following a series of administration-led initiatives that have sparked legal and administrative concerns.
Russia is facing economic turbulence calling into question its military growth model. At the same time, Donald Trump demands that Ukraine stop strikes on Russian refineries and suggests a change of direction in kyiv.
Political scientist Katharina von Schnurbein has been appointed as Germany's new commissioner for combating anti-Semitism, succeeding Felix Klein. Von Schnurbein stressed that combating hatred of Jews represents the protection of democracy, stressing the need to confront it in all its forms.
The US Justice Department has filed lawsuits challenging election procedures in California and Alaska, breaking with historical norms of non-interference. Critics argue the moves risk politicizing federal law enforcement ahead of midterm elections.
The U.S. midterm elections will be held on November 3. Voters will elect all seats in the House of Representatives, some seats in the Senate and governors of many states. The election is seen as a referendum on the president's governance. The Democratic Party is expected to regain the majority in the House of Representatives, while the Senate and key gubernatorial races have become the focus of victory.
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani has announced legal action against the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)'s unauthorized use of city-owned parking lots as a base of operations. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, refutes this, saying it is a legal practice under federal law, and the conflict between the two sides is increasing.
The National Tax Administration (KAS) audited 191 entities, detecting irregularities in the spending of public funds. The Commissioner for Public Finance Discipline received 133 notifications, including those regarding the National Broadcasting Council.
Violent riots broke out in Frankfurt over the weekend, leaving more than a hundred police officers injured. German political circles are fiercely debating the role of the far left and those with immigrant backgrounds in the violence, while the protest group Generation Z Calls has clearly distanced itself from the violence.
