Japan

Saudi Arabia has boosted crude outputs to their highest levels since before the Iran war disrupted supplies in February, triggering a global energy and shipping crisis.

An OPEC report issued on Wednesday said the world’s biggest oil exporter pumped 10.563 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude in October, up by over two million bpd from its September output.

That is the highest level since the United States and Israel launched the war on Iran in late February, when Saudi Arabia produced 10.882 million bpd.

Rising oil production by Saudi Arabia and Russia helped increase outputs for the OPEC+ group, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other nations including Russia.

OPEC+ pumped 41.23 million bpd in October, up by about 2.04 million bpd from September, according to its monthly report. Russia’s output increased as US President Donald Trump lifted sanctions on Russian energy and announced an “energy ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia in mid-October.

Fuel prices ease

Riyadh sharply increased its production in February ahead of US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Saudi Arabia’s reported increase in oil production “could help ease some of the inflationary pressure facing American consumers”, Umud Shokri, an energy strategist and senior visiting fellow at George Mason University, told Al Jazeera.

“When more oil enters the global market, prices generally come under downward pressure, which can eventually translate into lower gasoline, transportation, and production costs in the United States,” he said. “However, higher Saudi production does not automatically mean lower prices at American gas stations.”

While US prices for petrol or gasoline fell below $4 a gallon for the first time in months this week, concerns over the stubbornly high cost of living drove the Democratic Party’s sweeping victories in US midterm elections last week.

Inflation has spiked since February, when it stood at 2.9 percent. Annual personal consumption expenditures (PCE) shot to a three-year high of 4.1 percent in May, when energy prices soared as the conflict closed off roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.

Other producers managed to regain their supply positions, including the US.

However, the report noted a decline in imports by one of the world’s largest economies – Japan – where “crude imports fell sharply in September amid renewed disruptions to trade flows”.

The report data, while based on secondary sources, indicate that Gulf oil producers are recovering exports by using workarounds such as ship-to-ship transfers to bypass disruptions caused by the conflict.

“The UAE regained its position as the top supplier in September with a share of 49 percent, compared with 25 percent the previous month. The US was second with 28 percent, followed by Saudi Arabia with 14 percent,” the OPEC report noted.

The report indicated that Saudi Arabia’s exports have stabilised despite a secondary oil supply route – Saudi’s East-West Pipeline – coming under attack by Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen. The Houthis, who are fighting the Saudi-backed internationally recognised government in Aden, continued to target the pipeline this week.

Shokri explained that “one reason Saudi Arabia has been able to recover some of its exports is its East-West Pipeline, which allows crude oil to move across the country to the Red Sea port of Yanbu without passing through the Strait of Hormuz”.

While no longer an OPEC member, the United Arab Emirates remains a major supplier and “has a similar advantage through its pipeline to Fujairah, located outside the strait”, he said.

“The bigger picture is that Gulf countries are learning how costly dependence on a single maritime chokepoint can be,” Shokri warned. “They are looking for ways to make their exports more resilient, but Hormuz remains too important to the global energy market to be easily bypassed.”

Oil forecasts unchanged

Oil output in October was equivalent to 97 percent of the 42.72 million bpd produced by OPEC+ in February, according to Reuters.

OPEC left its forecasts for global oil demand growth unchanged after cutting them for six straight months, and made no changes to its 2027 outlook.

The producer group expects global oil demand to rise by 2.55 million bpd next year to an average of 108.3 million bpd. It forecasts growth of 180,000 bpd in 2026.

The report also forecasted that Qatar, Canada, Brazil and Argentina will drive growth in energy-related liquids production in 2027.

The report offered an optimistic outlook for the Middle East’s economic performance in the near term.

“In 2027, the region’s economy is expected to rebound and economic activity to recover, supported by a resilient non-oil sector and robust domestic demand,” it said.

Management is investing in local original content, AI-powered products, and IP development, including anime co-productions and the Marvel app. It expects these initiatives to support longer-term growth, while noting that IP-adaptation revenue can fluctuate with production and release schedules.

Kozo Tashima believes he has a ’20 to 30 percent’ chance of winning the FIFA presidency election against Infantino.

The latest challenger to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s re-election bid, Kozo Tashima, believes he has a 20 to 30 percent chance of winning the coveted seat in global football.

Tashima, the honorary president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), said governance is FIFA’s biggest problem as he outlined his platform for next year’s presidential election on Sunday.

“I’ve received many messages saying, ‘Thank you for speaking out’…,” Tashima told Japanese daily Sports Nippon.

Tashima announced on Thursday that he intended to run in the March election, becoming the first Japanese candidate to seek world football’s top job.

The 68-year-old former Japan international has served on the FIFA Council since 2015 and became JFA president the following year before being succeeded by Tsuneyasu Miyamoto in 2024.

“I’ve been contacted by presidents and international department officials from eight countries, including some outside Asia,” he said.

“While I haven’t received any formal endorsements yet, I’m getting a positive response. Since time is short and I don’t want to be held up by incomplete paperwork, I want to secure support from at least six associations.”

Tashima requires nominations from five national associations, a prerequisite for standing in the election.

Candidates have until November 18 to submit nominations for the election, in which Infantino is seeking a fourth term as head of world football’s governing body.

Infantino came under scrutiny in July after an unsuccessful attempt to bring private investors into a new FIFA commercial entity holding rights linked to competitions including the World Cup.

Despite the criticism, Infantino’s candidacy received a significant boost in October when the head of Asian football publicly endorsed him, while support from several FIFA confederations has left him well placed among the organisation’s 211 member associations.

“I’ll keep what’s good and change what’s bad…,” Tashima added. “The biggest problem, however, remains governance…

“Selflessness is my motto… At this stage, I think my chances of winning are about 20 to 30 percent, but as the campaign progresses, I want to raise my confidence to 40 or 50 percent. I truly want to change FIFA.”

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega was the first candidate to publicly declare his intention to challenge fellow Swiss citizen Infantino last month.

Wales fans were looking for a statement performance against Japan. A marker to put down as the World Cup looms in under a year.

They were not provided with that but did witness a victory, however scratchy.

So Wales woke up on a Sunday morning with a Test victory to mark. That has not happened often in recent times.

Some of these Wales players will still remember the record-breaking 18-Test losing sequence between 2023 and 2025. If Wales players can take any positives this weekend, it will be victory.

As Tandy said afterwards, it is always easier to debrief a bonus-point victory.

Among the disjointed team performance, there were notable impressive individual displays from the usual suspects.

Back-row duo Aaron Wainwright and Jac Morgan excelled in attack and defence, full-back Blair Murray was a constant attacking threat and wing Josh Adams popped up with two tries.

Centre Eddie James showed glimpses of his power game in a new-look midfield partnership with Max Llewellyn.

While the centre combination did not set the world alight, it warrants further opportunites.

Tandy will not be content with Wales spending long periods defending and only having 40% in territory and possession.

This was emphasised in the tackle count as the hosts made 227 compared to Japan’s 115, with Wales finishing with the top eight tacklers in the game.

He will be encouraged by the resolve with Morgan topping the official Nations Championship charts with 24, followed by lock Dafydd Jenkins (23) and Wainwright (20).

Wales also forced 10 turnovers with Alex Mann gaining three, while there were crucial interventions from Lake, Adams and prop Nicky Smith when Japan seemed destined to score.

Takashi Yamazaki directs the best monster attacks in the multiplex: “Godzilla Minus Zero,” his follow-up to the 2023 period picture hit “Godzilla Minus One,” opens with a ground-eye view of the decimation of Matsumoto, a midsized mountain town that also happens to be where Yamazaki was born. One local calls its shellacking by winged, dragon-necked Ghidorah a “cruel twist of fate,” moaning that the village was never bombed during World War II. The moralistic film takes no pleasure in destroying Matsumoto; it’s pro-human to a fault. But boy, does the audience shiver with delight watching Ghidorah stomp buildings to rubble while the sound design rattles our seats.

The filmmaker François Truffaut once insisted that it’s impossible to make a truly anti-war film, since its images of combat simply pack too much of a visceral thrill. I’ll add to that: It’s impossible to make an anti-Godzilla film when we’ve all bought tickets to watch the big lizard smash.

Nevertheless, Yamazaki wants to try making a genuinely empathetic disaster movie and he’s earned the right. He’s the rare filmmaker to win his own Oscar for visual effects after Stanley Kubrick did so with “2001: A Space Odyssey.” This decent sequel works very hard to make us feel sad about its mass deaths; the only blood Yamazaki is willing to show is when the injured pack the hospitals. But he’s exponentially better at directing action sequences than he is at emotional ones, and as soon as composer Naoki Satô’s dynamic orchestral score crescendoes up, up, up into Godzilla’s theme music, I couldn’t wait to see the monster explode onto the screen to wreak more havoc.

It’s now 1949 and “Godzilla Minus One’s” core trio is back: reluctant former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and his family of an orphaned little girl, Akiko (Sae Nagatani), and the woman he’s teamed up with to raise her, Noriko (Minami Hamabe), a prickly urchin who fast pivots to a sweetie pie. Noriko, you may remember, miraculously survived Godzilla’s rampage through Tokyo. This script justifies that lame happy ending with a clever idea about the radiation sickness that results from suffering a blast of the creature’s atomic breath.

The now-married couple are too wan to take up as much of the running time as they do. While they’re meant to be in love, their screen chemistry feels closer to roommates. That would be a bracing statement on their need to cling to their hastily settled home life if Yamazaki was actually making it. Instead, there’s just an awful lot of tears — and young Nagatani is by far the best at sobbing. When the small girl wails, “Something scary is coming again!” the intensity of her terror shatters your heart.

Naval engineer Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka) also returns with a new promotion to director of the Large-Scale Disaster Response Bureau. There, he welcomes two more scientists: Aoyama (Masami Nagasawa), a plucky meteorologist, and Tanaka (Kanji Murakami), a vengeful biologist who comes with such a compelling backstory that the film would be more interesting if he was the lead. Tanaka also explains his reasoning behind Ghidorah’s name — it’s a Japanese portmanteau of the mythological Greek beasts Hydra and Chimera.

The post-World War II geopolitical landscape is reconstructing itself faster than the Ginza district, which was devastated in the last film and continues to look like a battlefield. The U.S. military has pivoted from fighting against Japan to helping the county fight the kaiju, as long as the Japanese are the ones risking their necks on the front lines. The United States prefers to team with Japan against Russia; Japan, in turn, would rather ally with Godzilla over Ghidorah. However, when the film begins, its characters sincerely think that Godzilla, last seen crumbling to smithereens in the Pacific, is dead. What fun it is to see people realize for the first time that the monster is going to keep coming back.

This is a war film in style and substance, emphasizing the mental exhaustion of a country that cannot handle any more carnage. Kōichi even describes Ghidorah in war terms as “a bomber with guns everywhere and no blind spots” — and that’s before the flying creature sprouts two more heads. One aerial fight is a dazzler with long takes of planes swooping through the clouds accompanied by the teeth-rattling clatter of lightning bolts that crash against your ears like metal trashcan lids. (The muscular cinematography and sound design are, respectively, by Kôzô Shibasaki and Natsuko Inoue.)

Yet a fascinating element of “Godzilla Minus Zero” — as well as director Hideaki Anno’s 2016 “Shin Godzilla” — is how they make a point of featuring saviors who are adamantly dull. The people trying to save the day are never macho or quippy. They wear drab suits and work out of drab offices; the dramatic montages are of people working intently at their desks. When their plans go badly, they take full responsibility. When they succeed, they pause to honor everything sacrificed in the effort, and would find it barbaric if anyone dared to pump their fists.

The focus on shared burdens over individual heroics extends even to the civilians who are forever being told how to stifle their feelings for the common good, whether that’s young Akiko lectured not to hug her adopted daddy in front of other orphans, or, conversely, the parents of a dead child who are asked to cry quieter.

At its core, “Godzilla Minus Zero” drills at the core difference between King Kong and a kaiju: A King Kong movie is about respecting nature while a Godzilla film is about confronting cold and indiscriminate death. Fittingly, the showdown between Godzilla and Ghidorah plays like a ghastly cockfight.

Still, the movie’s tone is so guilt-inducing and grim that when one character insists that there will be time to grieve later, I wanted to blurt out that everyone onscreen has been grieving the whole time. At the risk of sounding monstrous, can we please get back to the smashing?

A tech stock rout that began overnight in the United States has persisted in Asian trading.

Market authorities in South Korea paused trading on Friday as prices plunged across the region. Global markets have been rattled by a sharp fall in the trading price of tech stocks, which is driven by fears that the Democrats’ victory in the US midterm elections will increase regulatory scrutiny of AI and slow the country’s data centre build-out.

Japan’s Nikkei index slumped 6 percent, its deepest one-day drop since April 2025. Indices in South Korea and Taiwan plunged more than 8 percent after the opening bell, before cutting losses as authorities scrambled to stem the selling.

Wall Street’s volatility “fear gauge” soared overnight on Thursday and the tech-focused Nasdaq sank 5.5 percent, wiping $3 trillion off S&P 500 firms, as investors fretted that the Democrats could put the brakes on the AI boom being encouraged by President Donald Trump.

“It was a brutal morning for many investors here in Asia. We saw that the AI sell-off continues here across many countries,” Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu reported from Beijing.

“Some of those major markets have fortunately recovered some of those losses, but all of them are still clearly in the red,” she said.

Analysts say the political jitters are hitting an AI trade already on shaky footing due to worries about returns on massive spending on related infrastructure.

“The selloff shows that AI stock prices had been built on rosy illusions about the future, and now that illusion is gone,” Dong Baozhen, chairman of asset manager Lingtong Shengtai, told the Reuters news agency.

“The US stock market has been the standard-bearer and backbone of the global AI bull run. Now that backbone has snapped. Can AI bull markets elsewhere hold up on their own?”

Authorities step in

Markets cut some of their losses by the time Asian markets closed, as authorities worked to stem the panic.

Trading on South Korea’s Kospi market was temporarily halted amid the sharp slide. Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il also eased rules on retail investors’ leveraged investments.

In China, state entities stepped in to buy up equities in a bid to stabilise the market, said Al Jazeera’s Yu.

The Taiwan stock market closed down 4.5 percent, recovering somewhat from its early morning slump. For the week, the index clocked a 12.2 percent decline, its biggest since 1991, LSEG data showed.

The government of the island state, a key producer of chips, sought to talk up the prospects for the sector.

Demand ⁠for emerging technologies like AI, ⁠high-performance computing and ⁠cloud services is expected to keep expanding, driving ‌demand for tech companies, the economy ministry said in a statement issued on Friday.

Korean AI chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell nearly 6 percent and 9.4 percent respectively, cutting steep losses from earlier. TSMC fell as much as 8.5 percent in Taiwan, before closing down 4.7 percent.

In Japan, Kioxia plunged 11 percent while AI investor SoftBank Group slid 11 percent.

New regulations

The selling indicates investors are starting to factor in increased opposition to data centres. Analysts say markets have yet to fully consider the cost such building work has imposed on communities.

Toby Walsh, the chief scientist for the AI Institute at Australia’s University of New South Wales, said he expected new regulations on data centres in many countries, including the US, Australia and the United Kingdom.

“The developers were building them in a way that wasn’t actually getting social licence,” Walsh told Al Jazeera.

“They were building them in places where they didn’t need to build. You don’t have to build data centres in urban areas. You can build them in the middle of nowhere.

“I think it’s actually for the good of the tech industry in the United States that this has happened,” he added. “We’re spending money a bit too quickly. And maybe this is the way to let that bubble deflate in a manageable way.”

Kozo Tashima second person to declare he will challenge Infantino, after former Spurs defender Ramon Vega.

Kozo Tashima, honorary president of the Japan Football Association, said on Thursday he will stand against Gianni Infantino in FIFA’s presidential election in March.

Tashima is the second person to declare he will challenge Infantino, following former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega.

The 68-year-old Tashima, who has served on the FIFA Council, said in a statement: “With the full support of the JFA I have decided to declare my candidacy in the FIFA presidential election.

“I believe it is important that the sincerity, integrity and high ethical standards that Japanese football has long valued and built up are clearly communicated to the global football community.

“In order to share these principles with the world and contribute to a better future for football, I have decided to run in the FIFA presidential election.”

Tashima, who was JFA president from 2016 to 2024, added, “Drawing on the experience I have gained over the years, I will take on this challenge with firm resolve so that I can contribute to the further development of world football.”

The deadline for candidates to declare for the election is November 18.

Incumbent Infantino, who is seeking to be re-elected to a fourth and final term as FIFA president, had faced stinging criticism and calls to quit after his aborted World Cup selloff plan.

But Infantino is now in a strong position to secure re-election after the Asian Football Confederation endorsed the 56-year-old last month.

Infantino earlier said he had the backing of the “vast, vast majority” of member associations, and dismissed calls for him to go.

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The joint statement comes as US President Donald Trump seeks a new meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The United States, South Korea and Japan have reiterated their longstanding call for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, a move  Pyongyang has repeatedly ruled out.

The three countries addressed the issue on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) meeting in the US city of Atlanta on Thursday, with their top diplomats reaffirming their “resolute commitment to the complete denuclearisation” of North Korea, according to a readout by the US Department of State.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also pledged the “full implementation” of United Nations Security Council resolutions, including a ban on supporting revenue for North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

The statement comes despite repeated overtures to North Korea by US President Donald Trump, who held a series of historic summits with its leader, Kim Jong Un, during his first term in office and has continued to call Kim a “friend”.

Last year, Trump bucked a long-held US policy by conceding that North Korea was already “sort of a nuclear power”.

More recently, he has played down concerns about North Korea’s nuclear programme and expressed a desire to meet Kim again. Speculation is mounting that the two leaders could reconnect at next month’s APEC summit in China, which Trump is due to attend.

Analysts and South Korea’s spy agency say Kim may have conveyed Pyongyang’s position on potential talks with Trump to Beijing during a recent visit to the Chinese border city of Dandong.

South Korea’s dovish President Lee Jae Myung – who has repeatedly offered Pyongyang talks without preconditions – suggested in September that Washington seek a freeze, rather than the immediate elimination, of the North’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

Critics have said such an approach risks tacitly accepting North Korea as a nuclear-armed state while allowing Pyongyang to win sanctions relief without giving up its arsenal.

Despite long-running UN sanctions, North Korea, which is backed by Russia and China, has enshrined its status as a nuclear-armed state in law. Pyongyang’s government has declared its atomic arsenal to be permanent and irreversible.

Pyongyang denounced a joint statement on Saturday by a group of nations monitoring sanctions implementation against it, pledging that “the stereotyped sanctions racket of the US and the West can neither influence the position of the DPRK (North Korea) as a nuclear weapons state.”

Japan: Imakugi; Tsunokawa, Langford, Kataoka, Havili Kagawa; Harada, Tsukui; Komaki, Nagaoka, Kitano, Kawamura, Sato, Asari, Jennifer, Bodman,

Replacements: Kuge, Mine, Fuji, M Nishimura, Korai, Seo, Ito, S Nishimura

Wales: Neumann; N Metcalfe, Cox, Keight, A Williams; George, Lockwood, Pyrs, K Jones, Tuipulotu, B Metcalfe, Crabb, K Williams (co-capt), Lewis, Callender (co-capt).

Replacements: Reardon, Davies, E Jones, Aiono, Evans, King, Bevan, De Vera.

Referee: Julianne Zussman (RC)

Assistants: Sunny Lee (HKCR), Hibiki Ikeda (JRFU)

TMO: Matt Rodden (HKCR)

FPRO: Koki Yamauchi (JRFU)

Oct. 29, 2026 7:49 AM PT

CEBU, Philippines — The United States and Japan have agreed to establish a Japanese facility for the joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, the Japanese defense chief said.

It is the latest move by the allies, which have repeatedly expressed alarm over China’s growing assertiveness in Asia.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi made the announcement in a news conference Wednesday night in the central Philippine province of Cebu, where he met U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of an annual meeting of Southeast Asian defense chiefs and their major Asian and Western counterparts.

Koizumi renews concern over China’s naval activity

Koizumi raised concern Thursday about China’s increasing naval activity in southwestern Japan. He said that three Chinese destroyers and a coast guard ship together crossed the Osumi Strait south of the southern main island of Kyushu and headed east to the Pacific Ocean this week. It was the first such fleet configuration his ministry has spotted, he said.

Koizumi said he cited the incident as “an example illustrating the challenging security environment in the region” in his remark at a session Thursday. His ministry will keep watching the Chinese activity with high level of interest, he said. Japan has been accelerating military buildup in southwestern Japan to deter China.

The annual meetings aim to avert a major regional conflict and strengthen defense cooperation. On the sidelines of the meetings, however, the U.S. and China and their allies have often traded criticisms.

Japan, US to bolster joint missile production capacity

The missiles that will be produced as part of a joint effort called “Operation Supercharge” are essential for the F-35 fighter jets, Koizumi said. The two sides agreed to build a final assembly and inspection plant for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, in Japan, he said. The U.S.-made F-35s are one of the world’s most advanced aircraft and are also used by the Japanese military.

During his brief meeting with Hegseth in Cebu, Koizumi said he “shared a sense of crisis … regarding the increasingly severe regional situation and we agreed to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance with greater speed and intensity than ever before.”

“We reaffirmed the importance of a free and open international order based on the rule of law, which rejects any attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo through the use of force, coercion or other means,” Koizumi said.

Hegseth reassures U.S. engagement in the region

Hegseth renewed the Trump administration’s repeated assurances of commitment to help deter aggression in the region in a separate meeting on Wednesday with ASEAN defense ministers, who were led by the host, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Like Koizumi, Hegseth did not mention China by name in expressing his security concerns in the region.

“The approach we’re taking, we describe as strong, quiet and clear,” Hegseth told the ASEAN defense chiefs. “Strong enough to deter coercion and aggression, quiet enough to avoid needless escalation or public theatrics to let our actions speak for themselves.”

His message is “clear enough that our friends, our partners and potential adversaries understand precisely where the United States stands and that we will defend our interests and the interests of our allies and partners,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth has assured the Philippines, the oldest treaty ally of Washington in Asia, that the Trump administration will build a robust deterrence against China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea. Beijing claims the busy waterway, a key global trade route, virtually in its entirety.

Australia shows commitment to defend the rule of law in the Pacific

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said his country’s forces, along with allies like the U.S., will press on with efforts to defend the rule of law despite China’s increasing assertiveness, including in the South China Sea. Australia protested last year after a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft released flares and passed within 100 feet of an Australian P-8 Poseidon surveillance jet over the disputed waters.

“That doesn’t deter us from doing what we need to do and that’s essentially asserting the rules-based order here in the end of the Pacific,” Marles told The Associated Press in Cebu on Wednesday. “Freedom of navigation on the high seas is profoundly important for Australia.”

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, all ASEAN member states, along with Taiwan, also have overlapping claims in the South China Sea. Confrontations have particularly escalated between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy vessels in disputed shoals and outlying waters.

Washington has warned that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

Beijing and Tokyo have a separate dispute over tiny Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea, with both sides often accusing the other of infringing on their maritime territory.

Gomez and Calupitan write for the Associated Press. AP journalists Aaron Favila in Cebu, Philippines, and Haruka Nuga in Bangkok and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Prince Ali bin Hussein said nobody was allowed to speak, question, debate or talk with the media at the AFC Congress.

The head of Jordan’s Football Association (JFA), Prince Ali bin Hussein, has accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of hijacking the Asian Football Confederation Congress for political purposes ahead of his re-election bid for a fourth term.

At the AFC’s extraordinary congress in Tokyo on Friday, its president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa endorsed Infantino’s bid for re-election as FIFA president.

Months after the confederation accused Infantino of a “fundamental breach of trust” over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, Sheikh Salman told the congress that Asia was now united behind Infantino.

But JFA’s Prince Ali, who has been a vocal critic of FIFA’s leadership, painted a starkly different picture of events in Tokyo.

“Having come back from Tokyo where the AFC Congress took place, the first two days were about football, which we all serve. The last day was pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino,” Prince Ali wrote on X.

“There were reports that Asia has a united position when it comes to electing the next FIFA President. In fact, nobody was allowed to speak, question, debate or talk with the media.

“Lack of transparency leads to lack of accountability. No amount of coercion, threats or bribes should be allowed.”

Prince Ali did not elaborate on his statement.

Al Jazeera reached out to FIFA and the AFC for a comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Infantino also addressed the AFC Congress, giving Sheikh Salman his backing for another term.

In August, Prince Ali launched a public attack on Infantino, accusing him of “blackmail” and saying FIFA had offered to help solve the kingdom’s problems in exchange for his endorsement.

Two days later, Prince Ali confirmed Jordan’s players and staff had received outstanding reward money for their participation in the 2025 Arab Cup.

The association had been waiting since December for prize money for reaching the Arab Cup final in Qatar.

On Saturday, Infantino laughed off questions about whether he had considered resigning in the wake of the failed FFE proposal, pointing to what he described as overwhelming support from member associations around the globe.

The Swiss-Italian administrator’s re-election prospects were strengthened significantly after the AFC endorsement, leaving Europe increasingly isolated and exposing the lack of a challenger.

Authorities warn of ‘destructive winds’ and urge residents to shelter as the storm passes the island’s northeast.

Typhoon Champi has struck Taiwan, killing one person and injuring at least 350 others, as authorities warned of “destructive winds” and instructed people to stay indoors.

The storm swept past the island’s northeast on Friday, toppling trees, shutting shops and schools, cutting power to thousands of households, and forcing more than 4,300 people to evacuate from their homes.

Champi is heading towards China and Japan, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights in the region.

“From tonight through tomorrow morning conditions will be very windy and stormy everywhere,” Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lin Ping-yu said in a briefing. “Please try to stay indoors.”

Champi was briefly a super typhoon with winds of nearly 300 kilometres per hour (186 miles per hour) but has since weakened. The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported maximum winds of 185km/h (115mph).

Worse is still expected to come on Saturday. Champi could drop up to 900mm (35 inches) of rain between Thursday and Saturday, with the northeast hit hardest, the CWA said. More than 400mm fell in Yilan County on Friday.

CWA forecaster Lu Kuo-chen said the typhoon could slow near the island’s northeastern tip, prolonging its impact.

About 8,400 households in Japan’s Okinawa islands were without power on Friday afternoon, according to the Okinawa Electric Power Company. Champi is forecast to hover near Okinawa and then China’s eastern coast before turning northeast towards mainland Japan.

Champi is the latest storm in a Pacific season supercharged by El Nino.

The United Nations said on Wednesday that El Nino, a natural cycle that warms the tropical Pacific, is heading off the charts.

“The current El Nino event could be unprecedented in strength. Literally off the monitoring charts that we have used for the past four decades,” said Celeste Saulo, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization.

It is expected to peak in December, with its impact lasting into 2027 and beyond.

Race walker Koki Ikeda returns to competition immediately; Ethiopia’s marathon runner Ruti Aga given 6-year doping ban.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld an appeal by Japanese race walker Koki Ikeda against World Athletics, clearing the Tokyo Olympic silver medallist of an anti-doping rule violation and making him immediately eligible to compete again.

The 28-year-old was provisionally suspended in November 2024 before receiving a four-year sanction from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in February 2025 for allegedly using or attempting to use a banned drug.

Ikeda was not allowed to participate in the Japan Race Walking Championships in February 2025, and all his competitive results between June 20, 2023 and November 1, 2024 were disqualified.

Ikeda challenged the ruling at CAS in March 2025, rejecting the doping allegations brought by World Athletics, which had alleged blood manipulation based on abnormalities in his Athlete Biological Passport.

The case was heard by a CAS panel in Lausanne in May. While the panel accepted that several readings in Ikeda’s biological profile were abnormal, it found there was a reasonable non-doping explanation for the findings.

CAS said Ikeda supported his case with substantial medical and expert evidence, providing a broader factual basis than was available during the proceedings before the World Athletics tribunal.

The appeal body overturned the four-year sanction, concluding that the anti-doping charge had not been established and that no ban should apply.

Ikeda placed second in the 20km event at the Tokyo Games as well as at the World Championships in Eugene in 2022. He finished seventh at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Ethiopia’s Aga handed six-year doping ban

Ethiopian marathon runner Ruti Aga, winner of the 2019 Tokyo Marathon, was given a six-year ban for the presence or use of the prohibited substance methylprednisolone and tampering with evidence, the AIU said on Thursday.

The AIU said Aga, 32, received a two-year ban after testing positive for methylprednisolone, a prohibited steroid that can reduce pain and fatigue and aid recovery, after winning a half marathon in China in March.

It added four years to the ban after finding she had misled investigators during an interview and submitted a fake prescription to justify her use of the substance.

Aga has been provisionally suspended since September 10, with the ban running from that date.

She has finished second three times and third twice at World Marathon Majors.

The immense pride which Kartal felt about becoming the British number one came shining through, describing it as being “up there” in her career achievements.

While she will only initially hold the status for a week, Kartal’s impressive comeback and Boulter’s decent run creates a fascinating subplot for the leading British women in the final throes of the season – and the start of 2027.

Boulter will have the chance to further improve her ranking when she plays in Tokyo and Hong Kong in the coming weeks, with Kartal’s plans for the rest of the season still uncertain as she sensibly manages her workload.

And don’t forget about Emma Raducanu. It seems increasingly unlikely she will play again this season because of the shin injury which ruled her out of Wimbledon, but is clearly too good a player not to be pushing back into the top 50 when she does return.

When all three are back competing on the WTA Tour at the same time, it promises to be an interesting tussle between them in the rankings.

Boulter and Raducanu both insisted they were not transfixed by the British number one spot when they exchanged positions in 2025, instead preferring to focus on their own career paths and the bigger picture of the world rankings.

But there is no doubt that Boulter, in particular, could see the opportunity to cement her place as the nation’s best player as an extra incentive to continue finishing 2026 strongly.

Tsuneyasu Miyamoto says it will be difficult for Saudi Arabia to host next year’s tournament as scheduled.

The ongoing security situation in Saudi Arabia makes it difficult for the country to host football’s 2027 Asian Cup as scheduled, Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto has warned.

Several major sporting events in Saudi Arabia have been cancelled or postponed amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, raising doubts over whether the continental tournament can take place as planned from January 7 to February 5 next year.

“Based on what I’ve learned from the news, the situation is still unsafe, so at this point, I don’t think it would be easy to hold the [Asian] Cup there,” Miyamoto told reporters at the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) extraordinary congress in Tokyo.

“I just had a meeting with the Saudi side and they said that their top priority is the safety of the players, the fans, and everyone who would be attending the tournament.”

“They said they would work with the AFC to decide whether the tournament can go ahead, so they did mention that it would take some time (to make that decision).”

Asian football chief Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa said last week a postponement until 2028 remained a possibility if necessary, but the local organising committee (LOC) later said it was sticking to the original schedule.

“Preparations across all organisational and operational areas are progressing according to the approved schedule, including work on venues, facilities and supporting services,” the LOC had said in a statement last week.

“(The LOC) will continue to monitor developments relevant to the tournament and ensure the appropriate conditions are in place for its successful delivery.”

Earlier this month, golf’s Asian Tour postponed the Saudi International indefinitely and cycling’s Urban World Championships were cancelled following a deadly attack on Riyadh’s international airport, which killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.

Other events have also been disrupted. The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament in Riyadh was moved from October to December, while FIFA postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026 video game competition in Jeddah until an unspecified date.

The Saudi government has invested heavily in sport through its Public Investment Fund (PIF) in recent years and the Asian Cup was pitched as an early rehearsal for hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

Until now, the virus was considered non-transferable to humans, making the patient the first documented human case.

French authorities have confirmed that a patient who died at a Lyon hospital earlier in October was infected with the Shamonda virus, the first such report of the virus in a human.

In a statement on Thursday, the French Ministry of Agriculture stressed that there were no identifiable health risks to the general population at this time.

Shamonda is an orthobunyavirus – a group of viruses primarily carried and spread by insects – transmitted to animals, mainly cattle, by biting midges of the genus Culicoides.

It was first detected in Nigeria in the 1960s, but has since been reported sporadically in East and Southern Africa, as well as Japan.

Until now, the virus was considered non-transmissible to humans, making the patient in France the first documented human case.

The French announcement said the leading hypothesis was that the patient was infected in eastern France, where the virus had circulated among animals this spring and summer.

“Clinical, biological and epidemiological investigations are continuing in conjunction with expertise in human, animal and environmental health,” the statement added.

Shamonda was first confirmed in Europe in late July after genomic tests on sick cattle in southern Germany, Switzerland and eastern France.

A report from France’s ‌weekly animal health surveillance bulletin said the virus had also been detected in Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom’s Jersey.

The Metcalfe sisters played for Wales together for the first time when lock Branwen came off the bench for her first cap against Canada at the 2025 World Cup.

They started the uncapped fixture against the Baa-Baas but join forces in the XV for the first time at Test level against Japan.

Branwen, 20, starts her sixth successive Test and has a new second-row partner in fellow bright prospect Aiono.

Nel, 21, returns on the wing rather than full-back for her first cap since the World Cup after a knee injury that forced her to sit out the Six Nations.

“She was a shining light at the World Cup, which was tough for us,” said Lynn.

“Every time that she gets the ball, something will happen. She has got fitter, stronger and faster, and she’s excited to go out there on Saturday.”

Wales are 11th in World Rugby’s rankings, a spot above Japan.

Last month the Sakura Fifteen lost 55-21 to Italy and were beaten twice by Ireland, 31-24 in the WXV Global Series and 43-19 in an extra Test.

“Japan ran Ireland close in the first Test and they are very efficient in what they do, very regimented,” said Lynn, who opts for six forwards on his bench.

“They’ve got a very good maul and we are not going to be taking them lightly at all.”

Katie Boulter moved into the quarter-finals of the Japan Open after she beat Viktorija Golubic in less than an hour.

The British number two defeated her Swiss opponent 6-2 6-1 in Osaka and will face either Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic or American Kayla Day in the next round.

Boulter saved a break point in the opening game but dominated from 2-2 in the first set, winning nine games in a row before Golubic took the penultimate game of the match.

The 30-year-old lost the British number one spot to Sonny Kartal on Monday, but is set to retake the position following her run this week.

Boulter, who is seeded eighth in the competition, said she was pleased with how she handled “difficult conditions”, with a strong wind affecting play.

“I think one of the biggest things for me is staying patient in the wind,” she said.

“Sometimes I can get a little frustrated, and I’m very pleased that I didn’t allow that to affect me today and I think I ended up playing some really good tennis in the second set. I’m really pleased with the performance.”

IF you’re planning your 2027 holiday already, then you can get ahead of the curve with these 10 destinations.

A new report released by Expedia has revealed the trending hotspots for next year, which have seen a boom in searches.

Along with the soon-to-be-popular destinations, it also looked at other trends, such as set-jetting (destinations popular after being featured in films or TV shows) as well as ‘trip snacking’ which are shorter, sometimes only 24-hour, trips.

Called the Unpack ’27, Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin explained: “In 2027, travellers are being more intentional in choosing their next adventure, seeking experiences that are more personal and purposeful to them.

“We’re making it easier to discover, plan, and book the right trip, so travellers can spend less time managing the details and more time enjoying the moments that matter.”

Here are the 10 destinations set to be big next year.

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South Lake Tahoe, US

The destination that has seen the biggest jump in searches is South Lake Tahoe, up 195%.

This is one for the outdoor enthusiasts, thanks to its beautiful mountain ranges and huge lake.

It is a year-round resort, meaning it is great for hiking in the summer skiing in the winter.

Brits will need to fly to the main Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, which requires a layover at another US airport.

Hyogo, Japan

Japan is on everyone’s lips right now, but ditch Tokyo and Kyoto for Hyogo.

The prefecture in the Kansai region has seen searches increase by 95%.

It’s main attraction is Himeji Castle, as well as its hot springs too and world-famous Kobe beef.

To get there, Brits can fly to Tokyo or Osaka, then hop on a domestic flight or high speed train.

Punta del Este, Uruguay

Nicknamed the St Tropez or Monaco of South America, searches to Uruguay‘s Punta del Este are up 65%.

This is where the rich and the famous often visit, with luxury beach resorts lining the beach visited by celebs such as Shakira and Naomi Campbell.

While it is mainly known for its resort like, with yacht clubs, casinos and nightclubs, make sure to visit the unusual La Mano, a huge human hand sculpture from the 1980s.

Flights here from the UK will require a stopover, most likely in Madrid or Brazil.

Sedona, US

The desert city of Sedona in Arizona is also booming in popularity.

With searches up 55%, the destination is most known for its huge red rock formations, which have hundreds of walking and hiking trails.

It’s unique landscape means it was also used to film a number of movies (mainly Westerns between 1940 and 1960), leading to it’s nickname of Arizona’s Little Hollywood.

Brits wanting to visit should fly to Phoenix Airport, then rent a car to drive there.

Busan, South Korea

KPop Demon Hunters, KBeauty and new Virgin Atlantic flights from the UK – it’s safe to say Korea is having a moment.

But outside of Seoul, the city of Busan has seen searches up by 50 per cent.

The second-largest city in the country, it is known for its huge sandy beach (best seen from the Busan X the Sky observation deck on floor 100) and the huge Lotte World Adventure theme park.

To get there, fly to Seoul from the UK then take the high speed train to Busan.

Holbox, Mexico

The tiny, car-free island of Holbox has been a popular destination with backpackers wanting to get off the beaten track.

But the Mexican island has since seen a jump in searches, up 45%.

Beautiful soft sand beaches, clean blue waters and colorful streets of graffiti and cheap tacos – what more could you want?

Fly to Cancun Airport, then take a bus and a ferry to get to the island.

Perugia, Italy

The only mainland European destination to make the list, Perugia has seen searches increase by 35%.

Found on the hilltop, the Umbria capital is one for the foodies, being famous for its chocolate (and annual chocolate festival).

There is also Jazz festivals, historic fortresses and beautiful architecture to explore as well.

It is super easy to get to as well – Ryanair have direct flights from London Stansted from £20.

The Tweed, Australia

Most people won’t have heard of The Tweed in Australia,

But searches for the New South Wales region have gone up by 35%, according to Expedia.

It is known for its river trails and national parks, sharing a border with Queensland.

This makes it easier to get to, with Brits needing to fly to Sydney of Melbourne followed by an internal flight.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada

The Ontario town, Niagara-on-the-Lake, has seen searches 35% up.

It is often said to be one of the region’s prettiest towns, and is where Niagara River meets Lake Ontario.

Expect Victorian architecture – it was built by Brits as a military defence – and unique ice wines.

Brits need to fly to Toronto Pearson Airport, followed by a drive to get there.

Chichester, UK

Bizarrely, the English city of Chichester made the list as well.

With searches up 30, the city is known for its 1,000 year old cathedral as well as its even older 2,000 year old Roman history.

It is also the only city in West Sussex, although remains one of the UK’s smallest with just 29,000 locals.

Here are 10 other destinations set to be big next year.