France’s ex-president Sarkozy appeals 2012 campaign fraud conviction

A Paris court on Wednesday began hearing former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s appeal against his conviction for illegal campaign financing in a failed 2012 re-election bid.

The 68-year-old former French head of state appeared relaxed as he appeared for the hearing in a grey suit,…[Read more]

France’s political parties bitterly divided over Paris march against anti-Semitism

A call for a weekend march in Paris against anti-Semitism sparked bitter squabbling between political parties Wednesday despite a surge in anti-Semitic incidents in the country.

The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party said it would boycott the “great civic m…[Read more]

French court overturns government decree to disband ‘Earth Uprising’ climate group

France’s top administrative court overturned the government-ordered dissolution of a climate activist group, Les Soulèvements de la Terre (“Earth Uprising”, or SLT) on Thursday, ruling the group had not provoked violence.

“The dissolution of SLT did not…[Read more]

France to build polar research vessel as Macron sounds warning on melting glaciers

Addressing a conference on the polar regions and glaciers, he urged world powers to act in the face of the climate emergency despite raging geopolitical tensions.

He said mankind faced a “civilisational” challenge and called for “an unprecedented level of…[Read more]

France Deploys 7,000 Troops for Extra Security After Teacher Slain

PARIS—French President Emmanuel Macron on Oct. 14 deployed up to 7,000 soldiers for increased security patrols, as bomb alerts forced the evacuation of the Louvre museum a day after a teacher was killed in an Islamic attack.

France was put on its highest security alert on Oct. 1…[Read more]

Pacific island nations express concern over Japan’s tainted water release

Leaders of Pacific island nations expressed strong concerns over the release of treated radioactive water from Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean during a regional summit through Friday, according to Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark…[Read more]

Thousands sheltering at Gaza City’s hospitals flee as Israel-Hamas war closes in

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip
Thousands of Palestinians sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war at Gaza City’s main hospital fled south Friday after several reported strikes in and around the compound overnight. They joined a growing exodus of people escaping intense urb…[Read more]

Pacific island nations express concern over Japan’s tainted water release

AVARUA
Leaders of Pacific island nations expressed strong concerns over the release of treated radioactive water from Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean during a regional summit through Friday, according to Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark…[Read more]

Pressuring North Korea to Resolve Abductions Has International Support

In the United Nations, an online symposium was recently held on the issue of North Korea’s abductions of Japanese and citizens of other countries. It was aimed at finding a resolution to the issue.

Japan, Australia, South Korea, and the European Union jointly hosted the…[Read more]

Japan’s Kishida vows to prioritize economic steps to fight inflation

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sought to boost his flagging fortunes by pledging to prioritize an economic package to help combat inflation.

“What I have in my mind right now is one thing: ‘Never miss the flow of change, seize it,'” Kishida said Monday in a policy speech…[Read more]

Japan LDP heavyweight Hosoda dies after quitting as house speaker

Former Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda died Friday at age 79, his office said, less than a month after he left the post due to health reasons while insisting on running in the next general election.

Hosoda, who became lower house chief in November…[Read more]

Israel’s secret that everyone knows

Amichay Eliyahu, member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party and Israeli Heritage Minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, is an incorrigible fan of violence. We remember him with his remarks on a video sharing the attacks on Gaza City: “The north of Gaza is more beautiful than ever. Blow up eve…[Read more]

610 kilograms of cocaine seized at Türkiye’s Mersin int’l port

A significant anti-narcotics operation at Mersin International Port resulted in the seizure of some 610 kilograms (1,344.82 pounds) of cocaine, announced Internal Affairs Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Friday.

Speaking at a security meeting held in Konya, Yerlikaya stressed on their…[Read more]

Türkiye smashes int’l crime ring Comanchero, nab 37 suspects

Turkiye’s interior minister revealed on Thursday that the country had successfully disrupted the international criminal organization Comanchero, apprehending Hakan Ayık, a prominent fugitive wanted in Australia for drug smuggling, along with 36 other suspects in Istanbul.

The app…[Read more]

Water level in Istanbul’s dams drops below 20%

Water levels in the dams of Istanbul, Türkiye’s largest city, have dropped critically to 20%, according to recent data released by the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI).

The data indicated that the overall storage rate of Istanbul’s dams stood at a mere 20.36%, the lowest value…[Read more]

Turkish charity organizes march to NATO base to protest Gaza attacks

Turkish non-governmental organization Humanitarian Relief Fund (IHH) is organizing a convoy in solidarity with Palestine amid Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, heading to the U.S. base in the country’s south.

The “Freedom Convoy for Palestine,” departed from Istanbul en route…[Read more]

Erdoğan to attend Organization of Turkic States meeting in Astana

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will travel to Kazakhstan’s capital Astana Thursday to attend the 10th summit of the heads of state of the Organization of Turkic States, according to a statement made by the Presidential Communications Directorate Wednesday.

During the summit on F…[Read more]