French postal service celebrates baguette with scratch-and-sniff stamp

The French Post Office on Friday rolled out a scratch-and-sniff postage stamp to celebrate the world-famous baguette, once described by President Emmanuel Macron as “250 grams of magic and perfection”.

But it was unveiled Thursday, the day of Saint-Honore, the patron saint of…[Read more]

Rat parts found in sliced white bread in Japan, sparking recall

A major Japanese food supplier has recalled more than 100,000 packs of a popular brand of sliced white bread after rat parts were found inside some loaves.

The latest scare adds to a raft of food safety scandals plaguing Asia’s second biggest economy, which has a longstanding r…[Read more]

Japan enacts revised law for swift removal of defamatory online posts

Japan’s parliament on Friday enacted an amended law aimed at facilitating the swift removal of defamatory content on social media platforms like Facebook and X with more transparency.

The revised provider liability limitation law mandates the operators of such platforms to set…[Read more]

Germany: Jewish and Muslim communities search for solidarity

Six months of Israeli retaliation in Gaza for the October 7 Hamas terror attacks have put Jewish-Muslim relations in particular peril. Germany’s hypersensitivity to antisemitism adds an extra layer of difficulty.

Violence in the Middle East brings with it a tragic predictability. For…[Read more]

Germany: COVID rule ‘armed resistance’ group to face trial

The Landgericht Koblenz court in western Germany announced on Friday that it had accepted the charges against the trio.

They are accused of forming a group they called “Paladin” that allegedly planned to offer armed resistance to COVID-related “lockdowns” and other restrictions in…[Read more]

Germany: Former Russian consulate targeted by protesters

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it would lodge an official complaint with the German government after six people threatened to take over a building that once served as a Russian consulate in the eastern city of Leipzig.

It said two staff members from the Russian Embassy had…[Read more]

Gaza updates: Germany joins US in hint at Israel arms pause

Germany’s defense minister, visiting the US, said he could “understand” President Biden mooting potential Israeli weapon exports changes. Netanyahu said the country would use its “fingernails” if necessary.

UN General Assembly backs Palestinian bid for membership in symbolic vote
The…[Read more]

Boeing 737: Plane skids off runway in Senegal, tyre bursts in Turkey

Two Boeing 737 passenger planes have been involved in accidents in Senegal and Turkey on takeoff and landing, raising further questions about the aircraft manufacturer’s safety record.

In Senegal, a chartered Air Senegal Boeing B737-300 plane skidded off a runway before t…[Read more]

Turkey says it is not easing Israel export ban

Israeli claims of Ankara easing its trade ban with Israel are “absolutely fictional and have nothing to do with reality,” Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said on Thursday, as Ankara introduced a three-month reprieve for companies with existing export deals to Israel.
Israel’s foreign minister said…[Read more]

Officials tout dialogue, will to enhance Türkiye-US economic ties

Officials underscored on Thursday the determination of Türkiye and the United States to enhance and deepen their economic ties, highlighting the significance of dialogue between the two NATO partners despite disagreements on a range of issues.

“In the economic field, the g…[Read more]

Turkish charity president, artist Haluk Levent challenges Netanyahu at UN

Rock star Haluk Levent, the president of the independent aid organization AHBAP, spoke out against Israel’s attacks on Gaza, addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “How can you justify the killing of more than 10,000 children?” at a United Nations Civil Society…[Read more]

Mexico authorities find three bodies in search for tourists

Mexican authorities have found three bodies in an area of Baja California where two Australian brothers and an American went missing.

The FBI said the bodies were found in the town of Santo Tomas and have not yet been identified, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reported.

Jake, 30, and…[Read more]

Church rioter arrested after unleashing on media and police outside court

A man who took part in a violent uprising at a western Sydney church has swung his arms and spat at journalists outside court.
Issa Haddad gestured both his middle fingers at waiting camera crews as he stepped out of Fairfield Local Court today.
He admitted taking part in…[Read more]

Police pull man from dumpster after alleged armed robbery in Sydney’s west

Police allege a man entered a premises on the Great Western Highway in Kingswood and threatened three staff members with a firearm before fleeing with cash at about 12.40am today.
Soon after, police stopped a rideshare vehicle and spoke to a male passenger, who a…[Read more]

Australian police shoot boy armed with knife dead

A 16-year-old boy has been shot dead by police in Western Australia’s capital Perth, after he stabbed a man in the back with a kitchen knife.

The boy was rushed to hospital but died. His victim, who was not known to him, is said to be in a serious but stable condition.

There were signs the boy…[Read more]

Surfer murders shock peaceful Mexico community

The tight-knit and peaceful surfing community in the Mexican port of Ensenada is in shock.

Three foreign surfers – two Australian brothers, Callum and Jake Robinson, and their American friend, Jack Carter Rhoad – had been in the town just a few days earlier, enjoying some of the finest surfing spots…[Read more]

Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ keeps baffling experts by waking up. It has shared images from its latest lunar ‘day’

Japan’s “Moon Sniper” lander has defied the odds for a third time, surviving yet another long, frigid lunar night despite not being designed to endure such harsh conditions, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Temper…[Read more]

Toyota posts record ¥4.94 tril net profit

Toyota said Wednesday that it achieved a record net profit of 4.94 trillion yen in the year to March on revenues of 45.1 trillion yen, which was also an all-time high.

But the world’s largest automaker by sales warned net income would fall 27.8 percent this financial year to 3.57 trillion yen because of…[Read more]

Environment minister apologizes for interruption of Minamata victims’ remarks

Japan’s environment minister apologized Wednesday after his officials interrupted remarks by some victims of the Minamata mercury-poisoning disease by muting their microphones at a meeting in Kumamoto Prefecture last week.

“It is regrettable that the microphones were…[Read more]

Japan, Philippines agree to work for early conclusion of defense pact

The Japanese and Philippine defense ministers have agreed to work toward the early conclusion of a reciprocal access agreement to boost security cooperation and facilitate joint drills, amid concern over China’s increasingly assertive actions in regional waters.

During their…[Read more]