Japan to resume funding to UNRWA, following Sweden, Finland and Canada

Japan is planning to resume funding to the United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees after suspending assistance over Israeli claims that some of its staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attacks.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met UNRWA chief Philippe L…[Read more]

Japan, China hold ‘expert dialogue’ over Fukushima water releases

Japan and China held an “expert dialogue” on Saturday over the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in their latest effort to address the dispute about the issue.

During the talks in Dalian, northeastern China, the…[Read more]

Central Tokyo logs 28.1 C on Sunday; record-high temperature for March

Central Tokyo experienced a record-high temperature for March at 28.1 C on Sunday as a high-pressure system brought summer-like heat to parts of the Japanese archipelago, the country’s weather agency said.

The high was marked at 1:32 p.m. in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, according to…[Read more]

Record 63% of Japanese in financial stress, poll shows

A record 63.2 percent of respondents said they do not feel financially secure in Japan and have a negative outlook on their future, a recent government survey showed.

The proportion of people who experienced financial stress in 2023 rose 0.7 percentage point from a year earlier against the…[Read more]

Homes under threat as Perth bushfire sparked by caravan blaze

Homes are under threat after a caravan burst into flames and the fire spread to bushland Perth’s south.
A watch and act is in place for parts of Oakford.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services advised people to leave now if the way is clear.

There are two blazes burning, which…[Read more]

Smoke chokes Melbourne as grass fire burns close to homes

A grassfire emergency in Melbourne is adding to the smoke haze which is choking the city.
The flames came close to homes in Altona in the city’s south west.
The fire is burning out of control in swampland near Purnell Street.

It’s heading towards a train line, with services replaced by…[Read more]

Australian soldier on peacekeeping mission injured in blast near Lebanon-Israel border

An Australian solider is among three injured in an explosion near Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, as the warring Middle Eastern countries both deny responsibility. 
The trio were acting as military observers for the United Nations and were unarmed and o…[Read more]

The New Boy: Cate Blanchett film tackles faith and colonialism in Australia

It would take a remarkable acting performance to rival Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett on screen.

But that’s exactly what untried child prodigy Aswan Reid has done in her latest movie, critics say.

Barely 11 years old when The New Boy was shot in the dusty South…[Read more]

Australia Football League denies it has a cocaine problem after whistleblower claims

The Australian Football League (AFL) has denied it has a cocaine problem, after whistleblowers claimed abuse of the drug is widespread in the sport.

In a speech to parliament on Tuesday, an MP accused the Melbourne Demons club – and the AFL broadly – of covering…[Read more]

Australian freed from drain after 30 hours hiding from police

An Australian man has been freed after spending more than 30 hours in an underground drain network.

The 38-year-old originally told authorities he had entered the drain in Brisbane to “retrieve his phone”.

But Queensland police said he had “fled” there, after his car crashed into one…[Read more]

Molly the magpie: Australia debates seizure of Insta-famous bird

An Australian state premier has backed a campaign to return an Instagram-famous magpie to its human carers after it was seized by wildlife authorities.

The bird, dubbed Molly, was rescued as a chick by a Queensland couple and formed an unlikely bond with their bull terrier,…[Read more]

France’s Macron Dragging Country Into Conflict in Ukraine, Kremlin Warns

French President Emmanuel Macron is dragging his country into the conflict in Ukraine to the detriment of the French people, according to Moscow.

“Mr. Macron insists on his goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on our country ,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March…[Read more]

Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony to Start at 7.30 PM Local Time

PARIS—The Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony will start at 7.30 p.m. local time, organisers said on Friday as they gear up for the final straight before the Games.

“We chose that time to make the most of the light,” Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet told a press confe…[Read more]

Moscow Says France Priming Troops for Ukraine; Paris Slams ‘Disinformation’

Claims by Moscow that France is planning to send 2,000 troops to Ukraine are another example of Russian propaganda, according to the French Defense Ministry.

“The maneuver … once again illustrates Russia’s systematic use of disinformation,” the ministry said in a Marc…[Read more]

Western Troop Presence in Ukraine ‘Open Secret,’ Poland’s Top Diplomat Says

The presence of Western troops in Ukraine is an “open secret,” Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s foreign minister, said in recent remarks to the German press.

“As has said, there are already some troops from big countries in Ukraine,” he told the German Press Agency on March…[Read more]

Turkey raises interest rate to 50% amid soaring inflation

Turkey’s central bank has raised its key interest rate by 500 basis points to 50 percent from 45 percent following a deteriorating inflation outlook.

The move comes after monthly inflation was higher than expected in February, driven by services inflation, the monetary policy committee (…[Read more]

UK and Turkey open fresh trade negotiations

The UK and Turkey have launched fresh trade talks targeting the services sector as part of any new deal.

The two countries are planning to enhance their current trade deal, which was negotiated back in the 1990s and has remained despite the UK leaving the European Union in 2020.

Bilateral trade stood…[Read more]

Turkey and GCC to create $2.4trn free trade area

Turkey and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will begin negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA), to create one of the world’s largest free trade areas worth $2.4 trillion.

GCC secretary general Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi and Turkish trade minister Omer Bolat signed a pact to proceed with the t…[Read more]

Egypt and Turkey turn a corner but Lebanon flounders

The countries of the Eastern Mediterranean have faced significant and ongoing economic, financial and political crises.

But while Turkey and Egypt may have turned a corner, Lebanon’s economic recovery will be more protracted.

Following a $35 billion investment deal with UAE sovereign w…[Read more]

Turkish operator to invest in Saudi airport expansion

Turkish airport operator TAV Airports will invest $71.5 million as part of the $275 million expansion plan for Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, better known as Madinah Airport, in Saudi Arabia, according to a media report.

The new investment will increase Madinah…[Read more]