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]

Turkish steel in the black but EU rules rankle

Turkey’s steel industry has rebounded strongly from a weak 2023, despite facing new emissions standards and competition for important markets.

Crude steel output rose 25 percent year on year to 3.2 million tonnes in January, with domestic consumption of finished steel reaching 3.5 million tonnes, a…[Read more]

Turkey offers to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks as Erdogan hosts Zelenskyy

Turkey is ready to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to end the war, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul.

Speaking after their meeting on Friday, Erdogan, who has balanced relations with…[Read more]

Far-left group claims attack on Tesla factory in Germany

Tesla has halted production at its German factory after power lines supplying the plant were set on fire in an act of “sabotage” claimed by a far-left group.

Emergency services were called early on Tuesday after reports of a burning electricity pylon southeast of Berlin close to the Tes…[Read more]

Strikes cripple air and rail travel across Germany

Massive industrial action has paralysed air and rail travel across Germany as striking workers walked off the job to demand better pay to cope with the rising cost of living.

Thursday’s walkouts by the train drivers coincided with a strike by ground staff at national airline Lufthansa that led t…[Read more]

Will a four-day work week solve Germany’s labour shortage?

Germany, Europe’s industrial powerhouse, is struggling with a critical labour shortage. By some estimates, two million jobs across the economy are vacant, and half of the country’s companies are unable to find enough workers.

Faced with this crisis, dozens of firms are testing a strat…[Read more]

Germany Looks to Stop the Far Right From Assuming Power

For Germany — a country that knows something about how extremists can hijack a government — the surging popularity of the far right has forced an awkward question.

How far should a democracy go in restricting a party that many believe is bent on undermining it?

It is a quandary that pol…[Read more]

Far-right firebrand Geert Wilders to forgo Dutch PM job

FRANKFURT, March 13 (Reuters) – Germany supports Thailand’s bid to become a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday with Thai Premier Srettha Thavisin at his side.
Scholz, speaking with Srettha to reporters…[Read more]

Germany promises to cut down paper bureaucracy

Germany’s government promised to slash the country’s notorious thicket of bureaucracy on Wednesday.

The cabinet agreed to draft a new law after a public campaign to cut red tape for German businesses, municipalities and citizens.

Under the changes, hotels would no longer be obliged to register…[Read more]

Australia: One dead, 29 rescued after gold mine collapse

One man has died and another has been seriously injured after rocks collapsed at a gold mine in Ballarat, Australia, on Thursday.

Authorities were called to the Ballarat Gold Mine, around 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Melbourne, on Wednesday night after reports of a rockfall.

“Two…[Read more]