Germany has stopped approving war weapons exports to Israel: Report

Germany faces mounting pressure from legal cases arguing that German weapons exports to Israel breach humanitarian law.

Germany has put a hold on new exports of weapons of war to Israel while it deals with legal challenges, according to the Reuters news agency.

A source close…[Read more]

Australia’s population reaches 27 million with growth largely driven by overseas migration

Australia is now home to more than 27 million people but policies over the last decade have failed to deliver the housing needed, an expert warns.

New data issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the national population grew by 2.3 per cent to…[Read more]

Delays to Southwest Metro will cost taxpayers $3.6 million a day until resolution with Rail union, Minister says

The construction of Sydney’s Southwest Metro train line will be delayed after the union and government could not reach a bargaining agreement, costing taxpayers $3.6 million a day until it’s resolved.
The conversion of the T3 B…[Read more]

China pulls handbrake on Australian lobster imports

Negotiations to resume Australia’s lobster trade with China are proceeding at a crawling pace as Beijing makes more demands of the industry.

China alleged Australian lobsters were contaminated – which Canberra denied – and the hurdle remains a point of contention within the trading relat…[Read more]

Diabetic driver’s charges over five deaths at Daylesford pub thrown out

A diabetic driver who ploughed into a beer garden and killed three adults and two children will walk from court a free man after all charges against him were struck out.
William Swale, 66, faced a three-day committal hearing this week in Ballarat Magistrates Court as he…[Read more]

German far right hails ‘historic’ election victory in east

Germany’s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) is celebrating a “historic success”, with a big victory for the far-right party in the eastern state of Thuringia.
The AfD won almost a third of the vote, nine points ahead of the conservative CDU, and far in front of Germany’s…[Read more]

An ‘earthquake’ at Volkswagen – and a crisis for Germany?

The company is seen as crucial not just to local but national wellbeing – and never before have its workers been threatened in their own homeland like this

‘Earthquake at Volkswagen” ran the stark headline in the Wolfsburger Nachrichten, the newspaper serving the north German city that i…[Read more]

German Chancellor Scholz expands border checks to tackle immigration

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling coalition agreed to temporarily extend frontier controls to all nine of Germany’s land borders as part of a crackdown on irregular immigration and an effort to strengthen domestic security.

Germany already has temporary controls on its bor…[Read more]

Japan’s premier hopefuls pledge more spending to support economy

Japan will likely see another stimulus package under a new prime minister, with several candidates running in the ruling party’s leadership race pledging fresh spending measures to boost growth and cushion the blow to households from rising inflation.

In announcing his int…[Read more]

Japan’s economy is growing, but political uncertainty is among the risks

Japan’s economy grew at an annual rate of 2.9%, slower than the earlier report for 3.1% growth, in the April-June period, boosted by better wages and spending, revised government data showed Monday.

That shows clear risks remain, including U.S. economic growth, which g…[Read more]

Japan’s Prince Hisahito turns 18, first male royal to reach adulthood in nearly 40 years

In a significant moment for Japan’s royal family, Prince Hisahito celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday, marking the first time in nearly four decades that a male royal has reached adulthood.

This milestone is especially crucial for Japan’s imperial fam…[Read more]

How to plan the ultimate trip to Japan

Tradition and ritual are still vital in the daily life of this pacific nation, whether exploring neon-lit metropolises and onsen spa towns or mountain trails and subtropical islands.

Known as Edo under the rule of the shoguns — Japan’s military rulers — until 1868, Tokyo sits at the centre of a histo…[Read more]

Speed limit on vital Paris ring road falls to 50km per hour on October 1

The speed limit on the ring road that surrounds and delineates the city of Paris will be limited to 50 kilometres (30 miles) per hour starting on October 1, the city’s mayor announced on Monday. The decision, which immediately drew criticism for having been taken…[Read more]

France’s newest nuclear reactor shuts itself down

France’s newest nuclear reactor automatically shut itself down Wednesday, a day after starting up for the first time. The state-owned operator said there was no need for concern and that shutdowns can happen during such “long and complicated” startup processes. The European Pressurised Reactor…[Read more]

Paralympics closing ceremony has Paris partying

The Paris 2024 Paralympics concluded with a sparkling closing ceremony on Sunday to round off a fantastic summer of sport in the French capital.

Twenty-four artists from the French electronic music scene led a party atmosphere despite heavy rain at the Stade de France in front of 4,400 athletes…[Read more]

Mass protests erupt in France after Macron picks Barnier as PM

More than 100,000 take to the streets across France to protest President Macron’s decision to appoint centre-right Michel Barnier as prime minister.

More than 100,000 left-wing demonstrators were reported to have taken to the streets across France to protest President Emmanuel M…[Read more]

`Erdoğan receives Shell CEO after major BOTAŞ deal

The closed-door meeting at the presidential palace in the capital Ankara came after Turkish state energy company Botaş and Shell signed a 10-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply agreement starting from 2027 that will see Shell provide Türkiye with the gas.

Under the terms of the agr…[Read more]

US thanks Türkiye for ‘rapid response’ after attack on service members

“We can confirm reports that U.S. service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in Izmir today and are now safe.”

“We thank the Turkish authorities for their rapid response and ongoing investigation,” the embassy stated on X.

Following the…[Read more]

US soldiers assaulted in Turkey’s Izmir, 15 nationalist Turkish youth arrested

A nationalist Turkish youth group on Monday physically assaulted two US soldiers in western Turkey, the US Embassy in Turkey and the local governor’s office said, adding that 15 assailants had been detained over the incident.

In a statement, the Izmir governor’s offic…[Read more]

Japan sees joint hottest summer on record

This summer tied with last year’s for Japan’s hottest on record, with the three months between June and August being 1.76 degrees Celsius hotter than average, the Meteorological Agency said Monday.
The second-hottest summer was in 2010, when it was 1.08 C higher than average, illustrating the extent of…[Read more]