Mount Nemrut: Turkey’s mystical stone monoliths

Huge statues of gods, kings, and creatures can be found at Mount Nemrut, a Unesco site in southeastern Turkey.

Christa Larwood climbs Mount Nemrut to learn more about a group of mystical stone monoliths that give clues to the country’s ancient past.

Turkey’s Erdogan scraps Israel trip over ‘inhumane’ Gaza war

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called off a planned visit to Israel over its “inhumane” war in Gaza, saying relations between the two states would not improve.

“We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled; we will not go,” he told governing party lawmakers in…[Read more]

Japan SDF planes fly to Djibouti to ready for Israel’s evacuation

Three Air Self-Defense Force airplanes left Japan for Djibouti in East Africa on Saturday to prepare for the possible airlifting of Japanese nationals from Israel, where tensions are rising following Palestinian militant group Hamas’s massive attack a week ago.

The ASDF’s KC767…[Read more]

Japan firms should not ‘miss bus’ on India, commerce chief says

India’s vast economic potential has much to offer Japanese companies that move quickly to invest in the market, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal told Nikkei.

“I do hope Japanese companies will take faster decisions and not miss the bus,” Goyal said in an interview…[Read more]

Germany: Arrest warrant issued for far-right politician

Daniel Halemba, who recently won a seat in Bavaria’s state parliament, is being sought for an undisclosed reason. However, the 22-year-old was part of a student fraternity being investigated for displaying Nazi symbols.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the newly-elected far-right…[Read more]

UN General Assembly calls for humanitarian truce in Gaza

The United Nations General Assembly has voted in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza. The nonbinding resolution was backed by 120 countries, while 45 abstained and 14 voted against it.

One year after France’s Gironde wildfires, bark beetles attack forests

One year on from the historic wildfires that decimated the woodlands of Gironde in south-western France, the bark beetle is adding insult to injury. Bark beetle larvae usually feed off the sap of dead trees, but after the fires left so many trees weakened, it’s been a field…[Read more]

Foresters race against time as tree parasites destroy French woods

“The year 2023 is as cruel and dramatic as the wildfires,” said Matthieu Cabaussel, one of the trustees managing the private forest of La Teste-de-Buch. “It’s a double punishment.”

The stenographer bark beetle, a brown, airborne insect measuring half-a-centimetre, primarily…[Read more]

Discovering the beauty of Corsica from the sea

The French Mediterranean island of Corsica attracts two million holidaymakers every summer. To properly discover the so-called Isle of Beauty, what better way than on a cruise ship? Aboard a week-long cruise on La Belle des Océans, passengers explore Corsica’s most beautiful beaches, as well as the…[Read more]

Paris court charges two suspects over Brussels football knife attack

A Paris judge has charged two men suspected of links with the Islamist gunman who killed two Swedish football fans in Brussels this month, French anti-terror prosecutors told AFP on Tuesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested that the international coalition brought together to fight ISIL should be broadened to include the fight against the Palestinian group Hamas.

In a press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Macron offered “solidarity” in the aftermath of a deadly attack by Ham…[Read more]

Germany risks falling back into recession as car industry sputters

Industrial production in Europe’s biggest economy fell 1.5% in June compared with May, driven by a 3.5% drop in Germany’s vast automotive sector.

The decline in German industrial output, much steeper than forecast by economists, raises the risk that the manufacturing hea…[Read more]

Germany spends big to win $11 billion TSMC chip plant

Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC on Tuesday committed 3.5 billion euros ($3.8 billion) to a factory in Germany, its first in Europe, taking advantage of huge state support for the $11 billion plant as the continent seeks to bring supply chains closer to home.

The plant, which will be TSMC’s third o…[Read more]

Germany’s Day of Libraries tries to keep book interest alive

Though 21st century youngsters may be more likely to have cell phones in their hands instead of books, or turn to a YouTube influencer for inspiration rather than to Shakespeare, Germany is keen to preserve local reading culture.

While most of the gadgets teenagers use nowadays have…[Read more]

Moment bridge brought down in controlled explosion in Germany

A motorway bridge was blown up in a controlled explosion near the town of Beselich in Germany.

The 135m (443ft) long Kerkerbachtal bridge collapsed within seconds after explosives placed on its pillars were detonated.

The bridge, built in 1960, was part of the old route now being…[Read more]

Escape to Turkey’s otherworldly landscape

Erosion shaped the incredible landscape of Turkey’s Göreme valley, but thousands of years ago humans took a cue from Mother Nature and began carving an incredible chamber and tunnel complex into the soft rock. Beginning in the fourth century A.D., an urbanized—but underground—cultural landscape was crea…[Read more]

Envoys in Ankara celebrate 100th year of Turkish republic

Ambassadors of several countries in Ankara celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.

Italy’s ambassador, Giorgio Marrapodi, said the Oct. 29 centennial celebrations in Türkiye is a commemoration that fills the entire country with joy, pride, and a sense of ide…[Read more]

Istanbul’s consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

Welcome to our exclusive interview series featuring consul generals residing in the vibrant city of Istanbul. From the historical and cultural richness of Istanbul to the diplomatic intricacies they navigate daily, join us as we uncover the fascinating stories and insights…[Read more]

Türkiye ramps up investor diplomacy as economy chief starts Gulf tour

Turkiye’s economy chief along with Turkish officials kicked off Monday the Gulf tour during which he is engaging with investors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Saudi Arabia to attract foreign capital and bolster the country’s policy overhaul.

Starting with the…[Read more]

Israel is clear about its intentions in Gaza – world leaders cannot plead ignorance of what is coming

If I knew then what I know now. For many of the guilty men and women who plunged Iraq into blood and chaos, this became something of a stock phrase. When, in 2004, the then Tory leader, Michael Howard, was asked if he would still have supported t…[Read more]