Germany’s parliament votes on easing dual citizenship

Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, was on Friday set to vote on easing the law on naturalization and widening access to dual citizenship.

The German government says the law should help make Germany more attractive to skilled workers internationally, helping to ease stifling…[Read more]

Germany seeks Cologne Cathedral attack suspect’s deportation

German police said Saturday that they are pressing forward with deportation proceedings for a young man accused of planning a New Year’s Eve terror attack on Cologne Cathedral.

The Dortmund District Court had granted a deportation warrant for the 25-year-old man on Friday, according…[Read more]

Germany’s last major department store chain files for insolvency protection for third time

Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof is seeking a new owner, whose real estate group has made several insolvency filings.

Germany’s last remaining major department store chain has filed for insolvency protection, its third filing in less than four years, after its…[Read more]

What are the biggest challenges facing the German economy in 2024?

As we enter 2024, Europe’s largest economy is expected to continue to deal with the fallout of its recent economic crisis. Euronews Business highlights five key challenges for the German economy in 2024.

Germany is facing an uphill economic battle in 2024.

Its GDP growth is…[Read more]

Japan current account logs record surplus for second month

Japan logged its largest current account surplus for the second consecutive month in November, as the trade deficit narrowed while its service balance turned surplus due to increased inbound tourism after pandemic controls were lifted last year.

The current account data should offer…[Read more]

Japan lifts operational ban on world’s biggest nuclear plant

Japan’s nuclear power regulator on Wednesday lifted an operational ban imposed on Tokyo Electric Power’s (9501.T) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant two years ago, allowing it to work towards gaining local permission to restart.

Tepco has been eager to bring the world’s largest…[Read more]

Plummeting temperatures plague Ishikawa quake relief effort

lummeting temperatures, rain and continued aftershocks continued to plague relief efforts in earthquake-hit Ishikawa Prefecture on Wednesday as the death toll rose to 206, nine days after a massive temblor rocked the Noto Peninsula area.
The hard-hit cities of Suzu and Wajima accounted…[Read more]

Trash into treasure: Can fishing net waste be the future of fashion?

KUJUKURI, CHIBA PREF. – In 2021, Kotaro Seki was unsatisfied with his work at a major travel agency. He was good at his job, but he felt like something was missing.
Anyone could do the job he was doing at the agency, he thought. And few were bothered — as he was — by the fact…[Read more]

Japan should aim to maintain population of 80 million by 2100: panel

Amid concerns over rapid depopulation, a private panel has proposed that Japan should aim to have a stable population of 80 million by 2100 in order to maintain economic growth.
Last April, the government released an estimate that the population would be reduced by half to about…[Read more]

Why are German farmers so angry?

Tractors rumbling down the streets of the capital and jamming highway interchanges — scenes that are more familiar in neighboring France. But Germany’s farmers have been flexing their muscles again over the last few weeks.

Protesters began taking to the streets in late December after the center-left government a…[Read more]

Germany resumes weapons deliveries to Saudi Arabia

It was Germany’s conservative-led government under Chancellor Angela Merkel that restricted German weapons exports to Saudi Arabia in October 2018. This was in response to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war in…[Read more]

Germany: Police find missing woman’s body in woods

Police in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia say they have found the body of a woman reported missing on December 21, 2023.

Police and the Münster State Prosecutor’s Office said her body was found wrapped in a plastic bag near the Dutch border on Tuesday.

An autopsy will be performed…[Read more]

Japanese startup develops bug-repellent clothing

A startup in central Japan has been working on developing bug-repellent fabrics and clothing, with hopes of bringing finalized products to market by the end of March next year.
The company, Fibercraze, teamed up with firms across the country to develop textiles with microscopic holes that can be…[Read more]

Kishida looking to replace all Cabinet members from troubled faction

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is looking to remove all Cabinet members belonging to the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party from their posts amid the deepening political funds scandal, sources said Sunday.
Some members of the faction formerly led by the Prime…[Read more]

Japan hotel operators turn historical buildings into trendy stays

OSAKA — Japanese hotel operators are rushing to develop new types of accommodations from historical buildings in the Kansai region in anticipation of more foreign tourists.

The Kansai region in western Japan, which includes Osaka, Kyoto and several other prefectures, is rich in…[Read more]

Japan Plans to Subtract ‘Blue Carbon’ from CO2 Emissions; Seaweed Said to Lock Up Carbon for Longer than Land Plants

The government plans to subtract “blue carbon” when calculating Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions for annual reporting to the United Nations from next fiscal year. Blue carbon is carbon dioxide absorbed and stored by seaweed a…[Read more]

‘Unexpected’ South Korea Court Decision in Favor of ‘Comfort Women’ Puts Damper on Improving Ties with Japan

In contrast to a recent pattern of reasonable judgments by the South Korean judiciary, the Seoul High Court on Thursday overturned a lower court ruling and ordered the Japanese government to pay compensation to former wartime comfort…[Read more]

Japan, Southeast Asian Countries to Hold 1st Online Talks to Combat Disinformation

Japan plans to hold its first online talks with Southeast Asian countries to discuss measures against disinformation on Monday, government sources said.

The talks are to strengthen cooperation with other countries as tackling disinformation has become an urgent…[Read more]

Germany: AfD in Saxony classified as ‘extremist’

The domestic intelligence service in the eastern state of Saxony has designated the far right AfD party an extremist group. The move follows similar decisions in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.

The regional association of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony has been classified as a right-wing…[Read more]