Foreign ministers of S Korea, China, Japan to meet on Sunday

The foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan will meet for talks in South Korea on Sunday, South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Friday, as the three countries seek to hold their first leaders’ summit in four years.

The neighbors had agreed to hold a summit every year…[Read more]

Japan’s Sojitz buys Vietnam food wholesaler amid modernization push

HANOI — Japanese trading company Sojitz will purchase Dai Tan Viet, Vietnam’s largest wholesale distributor of food to businesses, Nikkei has learned, joining the rush of multinationals investing in a market primed for modernization and growth.

Sojitz intends to convert Dai Tan…[Read more]

Japan Gets New Island After Undersea Volcano Erupts

A new island has been discovered near the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. Composed mostly of rock masses, it could continue to grow if volcanic activity persists.

A new island has formed after a volcanic eruption occurred approximately 1 kilometer (0.6 mi) offshore near Iwo Jima in the Ogasawara…[Read more]

German economy shrinks as household spending falls

Household spending dropped by 0.3%, driving the Germany economy into contraction in the three months to September.

The German economy shrank slightly by 0.1% in the three months to September, reversing the same level of growth seen in the previous quarter, according to the country’s statistics…[Read more]

German rail union warns of fresh strikes after talks fail

Germany’s train drivers’ union GDL on Friday announced further strike action after the breakdown of talks with national rail operator Deutsche Bahn.

The two sides have been trying to agree on a deal on working hours, with GDL wanting hours cut from 38 to 35 per week without affecting…[Read more]

Erdogan in tense talks in Germany as divisions over Gaza war deepen

Turkey’s president stresses need for ceasefire, while Germany’s Scholz backs Israel’s right to defend itself.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on a brief and tense visit to Germany amid deep differences between the two NATO allies over the war in Gaza.

Erdogan has c…[Read more]

Some French ski resorts open ahead of schedule, but only at high altitude

A few French high-altitude ski resorts opened ahead of schedule Saturday, just days after storms in the northern Alps wiped out some early snows.

Tignes and Val Thorens, which have many runs above 2,000 metres, were the first downhill resorts to open. Cross country trails…[Read more]

Macron tells Netanyahu ‘too many civilian losses’ in Israel’s war on Gaza

French President Emmanuel Macron has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu there were “too many civilian losses” in Israel’s war in Gaza, as Paris readied more humanitarian aid for the besieged enclave.

Israel has said it wants to destroy the Palestinian…[Read more]

The migrant families camping in front of a Paris school

Right in the center of the French capital, a dozen migrant families set up tents every night and dismantle them at dawn, before the pupils arrive. Paris’s emergency shelter hotline is overwhelmed, as winter arrives.

The colorful tents were packed so tightly that they were touching. On the…[Read more]

France test-fires long-range ballistic missile to boost nuclear deterrence

France has successfully test-fired an M51.3 long-range ballistic missile, boosting the credibility of France’s nuclear deterrence capabilities, the defence ministry said on Sunday.

The missile, which did not carry a nuclear weapon, was fired from the French army’s Bis…[Read more]

Napoleon hat fetches record $2.1m at Paris auction

A hat belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte when he was French emperor has sold for a record of nearly two million euros at a French auction.

The black beaver felt hat went for 1.932 million euros ($2.1 million) on Sunday at the Drouot auction house, breaking the previous record for a Napoleonic hat…[Read more]

French Senate debates compensation for gay men jailed under homophobic laws

An estimated 60,000 gay men were convicted by French courts between 1942 and 1982 under homophobic laws that were repealed just four decades ago. On Wednesday, French senators will discuss a bill acknowledging France’s role in the persecution of homosexuals and offering c…[Read more]

What we know about the French senator accused of drugging an MP in attempted sex assault

French Senator Joël Guerriau is facing preliminary charges of drugging a fellow lawmaker with the intent to commit “rape or sexual assault”, prosecutors confirmed Friday, in a case that has shocked France. Guerriau was suspended from both his Horizons part…[Read more]

Israel-Hamas war live: Palestinians buried in mass grave as truce nears

At least 100 Palestinians were killed in attacks overnight and this morning around hospitals and refugee camps in Gaza.

Israel and Hamas agreed on a Qatar-mediated deal for a four-day truce in Gaza and the release of 50 captives held in the enclave.

About 150 Palestinian…[Read more]

Moderniser, war-monger, despot: Napoléon’s complicated legacy

The historical French leader has captivated imaginations around the globe for centuries as the subject of books, films, songs and poems. As a new biopic directed by Ridley Scott is set to further embellish Napoléon Bonaparte’s legend, the reality of his legacy is more com…[Read more]

Palestine, world powers welcome Gaza cease-fire, swap deal

Major world powers, including U.S., U.K. and China, as well as the Palestinian president, have all welcomed the humanitarian truce and temporary cease-fire in Gaza.

“President Abbas and the leadership welcome the humanitarian truce agreement,” Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the…[Read more]

Nigeria and Germany sign $500 mln renewable energy and gas deal

ABUJA, Nov 21 (Reuters) – Nigerian and German companies on Tuesday signed two accords in Berlin that include a $500 million renewable energy pact and a gas export deal, further strengthening economic ties between the two nations, a presidential spokesperson said.

Union Bank of…[Read more]

Why Germany can’t square a €60 billion circle

As Germany’s divided coalition government grapples with how to plug a €60 billion hole in the federal budget following a bombshell ruling by the country’s top court, more financial trouble may be looming.

A ruling by the constitutional court last week is already forcing German leaders to reevaluat…[Read more]

Germany and Italy agree on joint ‘action plan’ including energy, technology, climate protection

BERLIN (AP) — Germany and Italy agreed Wednesday to work closer together in the fields of energy, technology, climate protection, security and cultural cooperation among other issues.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Premier Giorgia Melon…[Read more]

Germany freezes new spending as budget crisis deepens

Germany’s finance ministry has imposed a spending freeze on all federal ministries, deepening a budget crisis that has rocked the ruling coalition since a bombshell ruling by the country’s top court last week.

The finance ministry decision, which halts most new spending authorizations, f…[Read more]