
French President Macron stressed that he will continue to crack down on Russia’s secret fleet that circumvents Western sanctions.
AI-generated summary
The Shadow Fleet refers to the secret fleet used by Russia to circumvent Western embargoes. The EU continues to tighten sanctions on Russian oil exports.
French President Macron said that the French navy boarded a ship involved in illegal smuggling of oil in the waters near Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean on the 12th, and emphasized that the force against the shadow fleet will not be relaxed. The Shadow Fleet refers to the secret fleet that Russia has used to circumvent Western embargoes since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to the "AFP" report, Macron pointed out on X that the French navy boarded the oil tanker "DF Peak" more than 833 kilometers south of Reunion Island and conducted an inspection. The "DF Peak" flies the Benin flag and is one of 700 ships on the EU sanctions list. Before 2024, the ship was named "Kaliningrad".
Macron's statement comes amid concerns in Europe over the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. U.S. President Trump announced on the 9th that he had negotiated to facilitate the export of Russian diesel to the United States and global markets. Ukrainian President Zelensky condemned Trump's move as a violation of U.S. sanctions and called Trump's behavior "shameful."
The EU has pledged to continue to strengthen sanctions against Russia. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas claimed on the 10th that lifting sanctions on Russian diesel would be tantamount to fueling the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
In addition, in order to crack down on Russia's sources of income, many companies in Europe have intercepted ships carrying Russian oil in violation of European sanctions. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed strong dissatisfaction with these measures and described these acts as "piracy and banditry."

The U.S. Embassy in Fiji stated that hackers associated with China invaded the network of a regional organization in Suva, the capital of Fiji, between July and August 2026 and continued to maintain access rights for several days. The embassy has informed the Fiji government and affected organizations and provided technical advice. The Fiji government has yet to respond.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sanctioned Paraguay’s Minister of Communications and Technology Billiat and Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Fonseca in accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law on the grounds that they stubbornly support maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Sanctions include freezing assets, banning transactions, not issuing visas, etc., and are effective from October 12. Taiwanese officials and a U.S. State Department spokesman criticized the move, saying China was interfering in other countries' internal affairs. Previously, Taiwan had just celebrated its National Day, and relevant officials had visited Taiwan or met with Taiwan’s foreign minister. Maritime units in many places in China issued navigation warnings and conducted military drills during the Double Ten Festival.

Hong Yingjie, secretary-general of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, said that Taiwan welcomes Japan's possible revision of the three security documents and the discussion of possessing nuclear submarines to cope with the regional security environment, and will deepen exchanges and cooperation with Japan in areas such as regional security and defense resilience. He also pointed out that the 7th Taiwan-Japan Maritime Affairs Cooperation Dialogue is under preparation and will be held by the Japanese side in Japan.

The Japan-Taiwan Parliamentary Federation, the largest cross-party pro-Taiwan group in the Japanese Diet, is led by Chairman Keiji Furuya to visit Taiwan to participate in the National Double Tenth Day. The 34 members of the delegation will meet with the President, the Legislative Yuan and other political dignitaries. Hong Yingjie pointed out that this visit reflects the importance that the Japanese Congress attaches to Taiwan-Japan relations and thanks Japan for its long-term support to Taiwan. He also reported on Taiwan's assistance to Japan's Kumamoto earthquake, which raised more than NT$300 million, and looked forward to deepening cooperation between the two sides in the field of disaster prevention and reduction. Regarding the Shuri Castle restoration ceremony, Hong Yingjie said that he would continue to follow up and learn more.

In response to China's sanctions on officials from Taiwan's friendly countries Paraguay and Belize, U.S. State Department spokesperson Piggott expressed opposition on behalf of the United States, condemned Beijing's use of coercion and aggression, and emphasized that the United States supports its friends and partners, including Taiwan.

On the evening of the 12th, Japan's Kyushu Shinkansen discovered an abnormality in the train's pantograph and damage to the elevated tram line in the Kumamoto-Shin Yatsushiro section, causing the entire line to be suspended on the 13th. JR Kyushu said it will inspect the equipment and expects to resume trains from Hakata to Kumamoto at 4 p.m. and Kumamoto to Kagoshima Chuo at 6 p.m. Stations were crowded with passengers and announcements were made calling for alternative modes of transport.