High-profile opposition figure Renho to run for Tokyo governor

High-profile opposition lawmaker Renho said Monday she will run in Tokyo’s gubernatorial election in July, setting the stage for a likely showdown with incumbent Yuriko Koike, who is seeking reelection for her third term.

The bid to run for governor by the 56-year-old House of…[Read more]

North Korea fires apparent ballistic missile, not to reach Japan

North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile on Monday, the Japanese government said, with Japan’s J-Alert early warning system indicating the projectile was unlikely to reach Japan.

The incident came after North Korea notified Japan of a plan to launch a…[Read more]

‘In a mess’: Evacuees from New Caledonia tell of relief

Australians evacuated from New Caledonia after being stranded during more than a week of violent protests have been expressing their relief at returning home.
Two Royal Australian Air Force planes landed in Brisbane on Tuesday night, carrying 108 Australians and other tourists stranded by…[Read more]

Sydney mall attacker may have targeted women, police say, as more details emerge of his six victims

Australian police said Monday that the attacker who fatally stabbed six people at a busy shopping mall in Sydney’s beach suburb of Bondi may have been targeting women, as heartbreaking details emerged of those who lost their lives, plunging a n…[Read more]

Ex-US Marines fighter pilot loses bid to block extradition to the United States over China training allegations

Brisbane, Australia
CNN
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The fate of former US Marines pilot Daniel Duggan now rests with Australia’s attorney general after a magistrate ruled he was eligible to be extradited to the United States to face charges related to the all…[Read more]

Australian abolitionist, Grace Forrest, receives coveted ‘Freedom from Fear’ award

Grace Forrest is the founding director of Walk Free, the Australian-based anti-slavery organization responsible for publishing the Global Slavery Index (GSI).

The GSI provides national estimates of modern slavery for 167 countries, drawn from thousands of int…[Read more]

Police shoot man dead in New Caledonia after protesters attack

A police officer and his colleague were “physically attacked by a group of around fifteen individuals” in Dumbea just outside the capital Noumea, forcing him to draw his weapon, said prosecutor Yves Dupas.

The total death toll from over a week of riots now stands at seven.

“In…[Read more]

Paris Orly air controller strike sparks mass flight cancellations over weekend

The cancellations will affect commercial flights from 0400 GMT Saturday through to late Sunday, the DGAC authority said.

The strike comes as France’s second busiest airport prepares for a massive influx for the Paris Olympics, that start July 26. It is the second…[Read more]

Giroud to retire from France duty after Euro 2024

Olivier Giroud intends to step down from international duty with France after Euro 2024.

The AC Milan striker is France’s all-time top scorer, with 57 goals in 131 appearances and won the World Cup in 2018.

The former Arsenal and Chelsea forward has been named in Didier Deschamps’ provisional…[Read more]

Talks on new Turkish constitution could begin in October

Turkish political parties could begin negotiations on the contents of a new constitution in October when Parliament reopens, according to Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş.

“Türkiye must get rid of its coup-era Constitution,” Kurtulmuş told reporters in Ankara on Thursday after comple…[Read more]

Türkiye celebrates historic anniversary on May 19

A tatürk Memorial, Youth and Sports Day” is the official holiday of Türkiye, celebrated annually on May 19. It commemorates the nation’s founding leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s landing in the northern city of Samsun on May 19, 1919, which marked the start of the Turkish War of Independence. Ata…[Read more]

Turkey’s Erdogan meets Greek PM, sees ‘no unsolvable problems’ in ties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitotakis that there were “no unsolvable problems” between their countries as the leaders met in Ankara.

Turkey and Greece have long been at odds over issues including maritime boundaries, energy re…[Read more]

Heavy rains trigger floods in parts of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands

Heavy rains caused flooding in parts of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands overnight into Saturday, swamping streets and buildings and sparking evacuations.

In the southwestern German state of Saarland, streets were deep underwater and images on social media showed…[Read more]

Court confirms German intelligence surveillance of ‘extremist’ AfD

A German court has ruled that domestic security services can continue to treat the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a potentially “extremist” party.

The ruling, delivered on Monday, means that intelligence services retain the right to keep the party under surveil…[Read more]

The statistics behind Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten Bundesliga title win

Bayer Leverkusen sealed a historic unbeaten Bundesliga season as they lifted the title with a 2-1 win against Augsburg on Saturday.

Here are the numbers behind the remarkable run of manager Xabi Alonso’s team in the 2023-24 season:

0: Bayer Leverkusen did not lose onc…[Read more]

Saudi crown prince seeks soft power in game hub Japan

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits Japan this week, where he will hold talks on energy while hunting more opportunities in gaming as he seeks to improve Saudi Arabia’s image.

The reputed “Call of Duty” fan has launched a multi-billion-dollar push into the gaming sector — from tiny…[Read more]

Japanese foreign minister retracts controversial childbirth remark

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on Sunday retracted her remarks the previous day about the importance of women giving birth, saying her choice of words was liable to cause misunderstanding.

In a campaign speech in support of a Shizuoka gubernatorial election candidate…[Read more]

Locals in central Japan near Mount Fuji count on UFO craze for tourism

Local residents in Yamanashi Prefecture, at the foot of Mount Fuji, are striving to make their city Kofu a tourist magnet with extraterrestrial help from an alien.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of an incident in which two elementary school children claimed to have…[Read more]

Lewisham woman, 82, bikes up Mont Ventoux to raise Gaza aid funds

An 82-year-old grandmother has taken on one of the Tour de France’s most famous mountains to raise funds for aid to Gaza.

Anne Jones, from Lewisham, south London, rode 20km (12 miles) up Mont Ventoux in southern France to support Amos Trust’s Gaza appeal.

“I would rather use my…[Read more]

France to declare state of emergency in New Caledonia as unrest turns deadly

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office on Wednesday said a state of emergency would be declared after at least three people were killed in New Caledonia amid violent protests that erupted over the passage of a constitutional reform that angered pro-independence…[Read more]