Briefly

JAPAN

PM's team accused of smear operation

More details have emerged about allegations that the team of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hired individuals to produce online smear videos targeting political rivals, with the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reporting on Sunday that it possesses evidence supporting these allegations. According to a report in the online edition of the magazine, Takaichi's camp focused much of its campaign attacks on rival politician Shinjiro Koizumi during last year's ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership race, portraying him as an "incompetent puppet" through videos online. Numerous videos praising Takaichi were disseminated online during the same period, the report said. Although Takaichi's side has denied involvement, the magazine said it had obtained substantial evidence supporting the allegations. The report identified Takaichi aide Takeshi Kinoshita as a central figure in this operation. Neither the Japanese prime minister's office nor Kinoshita had responded publicly to the latest allegations by press time.

SWITZERLAND

Suspected Ebola cases cross 900 in DRC: WHO

More than 900 suspected Ebola cases have been identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization chief has said. "As surveillance efforts have been scaled up in the DRC Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a Sunday social media post that gave no update on the death toll. Ebola is a deadly viral disease that spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. It can cause severe bleeding and organ failure. The country declared an outbreak on May 15 caused by the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine or treatment. Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa in the past half-century. This round of the outbreak has resulted in 220 suspected deaths, according to the WHO.

Xinhua - Agencies