California governor signs bill making insurance companies pay for IVF treatment

California’s governor signed into law Sunday legislation requiring certain insurance providers to cover costs for infertility treatment and in vitro fertilization, his office announced.

“California is a proud reproductive freedom state – and that includes inc…[Read more]

What Israel’s ground operation into Lebanon drives home about America

Israel’s expected ground incursion into Lebanon will drive home a new strategic reality of a year of war — the once-mighty US is powerless to rein in its ally or to influence other major belligerents in a fast-worsening regional crisis.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netan…[Read more]

Fifth time’s a charm as former defense minister finally wins Japan ruling party leadership contest and will become country’s next leader

Former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba will become Japan’s new prime minister after winning his party’s leadership contest on Friday, following a crowded race that ended in a runoff vote.

The 67-year…[Read more]

Shigeru Ishiba to become Japan’s next PM

Shigeru Ishiba, a veteran politician with a reputation for irking his conservative colleagues, is set to become Japan’s next prime minister after winning the leadership race for the Liberal Democratic Party Friday.

Ishiba, a 67-year-old former defense minister, defeated socially conservative foreign pol…[Read more]

Who’s in the running to be Japan’s next prime minister?

Japan’s governing party is choosing a new leader in a race analysts say is more unpredictable than usual.

Japan’s governing party will choose a new leader on Friday to replace Fumio Kishida who announced his resignation in August.

The winner of the contest for leadership of the Liberal…[Read more]

Japan’s Ex-Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba Set To Become PM Next Week

The 67-year-old train lover beat arch-nationalist Sanae Takaichi — who would have been the country’s first-ever woman leader — 215 votes to 194 in a run-off.

Former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba will become Japan’s prime minister next week after winning the conservative…[Read more]

Greece to continue to seek better ties with Türkiye: Mitsotakis

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has reaffirmed Athens’ commitment to exploring new avenues for improving bilateral relations with Türkiye, urging for greater collaboration on shared challenges between the two nations.

Reflecting on the unresolved continental shelf and e…[Read more]

Turkey detains 30 in crackdown on Kurdish language institutions

Turkey arrests 30 people, including Kurdish language educators, in Diyarbakır (Amed). Lawyers and activists say the arrests aim to suppress Kurdish language and demand their immediate release. PEN Norway describes the raids as “a serious violation of the Kurdish people’s li…[Read more]

ILO supports technical exchanges between Türkiye and France on eliminating child labour in agriculture

Key stakeholders met in Paris to discuss strategies for formalizing the agricultural labour force and eliminating child labour.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for Türkiye, in partnership with the ILO Office for France, o…[Read more]

Turkey’s President Erdogan says UN and Western values are ‘dying’ in Gaza

The Turkish president called on the UN General Assembly to take coercive measures against Israel.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lashed out at the United Nations for inaction on Gaza and accused Israel of turning the Palestinian territory into the “world’…[Read more]

Australian police infiltrate encrypted messaging app Ghost and arrest dozens

Australian police said Wednesday they have infiltrated Ghost, an encrypted global communications app developed for criminals, leading to dozens of arrests.

The app’s alleged administrator, Jay Je Yoon Jung, 32, appeared in a Sydney court Wednesday on charges including s…[Read more]

Student who confronted Woolworths CEO over prices slams ‘disgusting’ response

The student who confronted Woolworths CEO Amanda Bardwell over price gouging allegations wanted to express “the frustration and anger a lot of working class people are facing”.
Struggling university student Megan Guy and a friend approached Bardwell at Woolworths W…[Read more]

Australia: Inflation falls within the target range

The headline inflation rate has fallen within the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) target range for the first time since October 2021. We do not think this merits an immediate re-think of the rate outlook. There are a lot of moving parts to this set of data, any one of which could reverse in t…[Read more]

80 years on, French lake still polluted by World War II bombs

A French environmental group has found artillery shells dating back to World Wars I and II and even the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 in a lake in eastern France. Water samples from Gerardmer in the Vosges mountains show high levels of TNT explosive as well as metals like iron, titanium…[Read more]

Murder of Paris student fuels anger at failed deportation

The murder of a 19 year-old female student in an exclusive neighbourhood of Paris is fuelling new calls from the French right for tougher action on immigration.

The body of the young woman, named only as Philippine, was found on Saturday, half-buried in the Bois de Boulogne park on the…[Read more]

Charity cyclists find battlefield route quite tough

Cyclists travelling through France are facing an emotional test of endurance, as they pay their respects to thousands of men killed in World War One.

Team Blind Dave, led by West Bromwich fundraiser Dave Heeley, have completed four days of their seven-day challenge to cycle 1,000km (600 miles)…[Read more]

French champagne makers aim to protect grape harvesters from abuse

Champagne vineyards are taking steps to better protect seasonal workers from abuse, hoping to restore the iconic bubbly’s damaged reputation after reports emerged last year of migrant workers living in appalling conditions and other labour violations.

French champagne producers…[Read more]

US election polls: Who is ahead – Harris or Trump?

Voters in the US go to the polls on 5 November to elect their next president.

The election was initially a rematch of 2020 but it was upended in July when President Joe Biden ended his campaign and endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris.

The big question now is – will America get its first woman…[Read more]

Trump warned by US intelligence of Iran assassination threats – campaign

Donald Trump has been briefed by US intelligence on threats from Iran to assassinate him, his campaign said.

The Republican presidential candidate was briefed “regarding real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the…[Read more]

Storm Helene strengthens as it heads to Mexico and Florida

Tropical Storm Helene is strengthening in the Caribbean as it heads towards Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula.

Meteorologists warn Helene could turn into a category-three hurricane before hitting the US Gulf Coast in the coming days.

The US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that…[Read more]