Sudan: German foreign minister demands solution to the conflict

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called for greater “pressure” to be applied to both sides to find a negotiated solution to the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

Setting off on a multi-day trip to Djibouti, Kenya and South Sudan, Baerbock said in a statement that she wanted to…[Read more]

Germany’s train services halted in longest strike yet

Train drivers in Germany on Wednesday began their longest strike yet in an ongoing labor dispute with Deutsche Bahn (DB) that is set to impact thousands of passengers and could dent the economy with a loss of up to €1 billion ($1.1 billion).

On Monday, the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) h…[Read more]

Germany cracks down on ‘pro-life’ protests

Family Minister Lisa Paus (Green Party) announced on January 24 a draft law to prevent demonstrators from approaching or harassing visitors within a 100-meter (320 ft) radius of abortion clinics and family planning centers. Posters or flyers aimed at intimidating women will also be banned. Anyone…[Read more]

The week Germany woke up to the far-right AfD

A grey Saturday at the end of November 2024. Thin rain drops into Lehnitz lake. Limousines drive into the parking lot of the luxury Landhotel Adlon. Who is coming?

Two dozen German politicians, businesspeople and wealthy, middle-class, men. Some of them are from the extremist party Alternative for…[Read more]

NATO allies Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria sign deal to clear Black Sea mines

Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria have signed an agreement to clear mines drifting in the Black Sea that have posed a threat to shipping since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

On Thursday, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said the deal establishes a Mine C…[Read more]

Princess Aiko to work at Japanese Red Cross Society from April

Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, is set to work at the Japanese Red Cross Society from April after graduating from university, the Imperial Household Agency said Monday.

While planning to continue engaging in her official duties as an imperial…[Read more]

Japan says there is possibility moon lander power can be restored

Japan switched off its moon lander almost three hours after a historic touchdown to allow for a possible recovery of the craft when the sun hits its solar panels, the space agency said Monday.

With its unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission — dubbed “Moon…[Read more]

Japan lawmakers seek security talks with Taiwan and U.S.

Japanese lawmakers look to arrange face-to-face strategic dialogue with their American and Taiwanese counterparts, seeking to bring the incoming administration of Taiwanese President-elect Lai Ching-te into discussions of cross-strait tensions.

The Japan-Republic of China Diet Members’…[Read more]

France temporarily bans Bay of Biscay fishing to protect dolphins

The month-long ban off the country’s West coast – the first since the end of World War II – is set to begin Monday and applies to both French and foreign fishermen. It follows calls by environmental activists to protect the marine mammals, pointing to a surge in dolphin deaths on…[Read more]

Macron urges French defence firms to boost production to support Ukraine

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Macron has pushed the defence industry to switch to “war economy mode”, reiterating his call during a visit to the Cherbourg naval base in northwestern France.

“We must amplify the transformation we have begun” to respond…[Read more]

French farmers threaten to intensify protests over taxes, regulation

France’s largest farm union FNSEA is considering nationwide protests in the coming weeks, a spokesperson said on Friday, potentially expanding action by farmers in the southwest who have blocked a highway and dumped manure on public buildings.

Like their German counterparts w…[Read more]

French court annuls extradition of Italian mafia hitman-turned-pizza chef

In April 2023, the Lyon Court of Appeal had backed Greco’s extradition but the decision was suspended by an appeal to the Cour de Cassation.

The Cour de Cassation, basing its decision on a procedural flaw tied to the composition of the investigating chamber of the Lyon…[Read more]

Football star Benzema files defamation complaint against French minister

A tough-talking right-winger with designs on the French presidency, criticised Benzema after the former France striker and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner posted on X (formerly Twitter) in mid-October in support of the inhabitants of Gaza, who, he claimed, were victims of “…[Read more]

‘Natalist injunctions’: Macron sparks uproar with call to revive France’s birth rate

During a press conference on Tuesday, Macron said France needed to pursue what he called “demographic rearmament”.

The president pledged to offer better parental leave and combat infertility – which he called “the taboo of the century”.

“Leave our uteruses a…[Read more]

Turkey frees Israeli footballer detained over Gaza war reference in match

A Turkish court has released pending trial an Israeli footballer who was detained after displaying a message apparently marking 100 days since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7.

Sagiv Jehezkel, 28, displayed a bandage on his wrist reading “100 days. 07/10” next to th…[Read more]

$900 fine for a delivery rider’s death: Do couriers have any rights?

The death of a motorcycle courier in an Istanbul road accident and the light sentencing of the man who allegedly killed him have sparked a debate about the conditions of gig workers at a time when they are an increasingly crucial engine of the global economy.

Mohammed Hassan S…[Read more]

Turkey court fines Somali president’s son for car crash that killed courier

A court in Turkey has convicted the son of Somalia’s president for the death of a motorcycle courier but commuted his sentence of two-and-a-half years in prison to a fine.

Prosecutors had requested that Mohammed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the son of Somali President Has…[Read more]

Mandurah teenagers charged with allegedly abducting three kids, abandoning them on remote beach

Three teenagers have been arrested after allegedly abducting three boys and abandoning them in remote bushland at night near Mandurah, south of Perth.

The three boys – 11, 12, and 14-years-old – were walking to a service station in the suburb of Ers…[Read more]