Germany: Scholz open to new talks with CDU leader Merz

A party ally says Chancellor Scholz would be open to talks with Friedrich Merz on when to move toward new elections — but only after dealing with urgent business in parliament. Merz earlier said this wasn’t acceptable.

The standoff between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and opposition l…[Read more]

How a German football club is making refugees feel at home

Hertha Bonn, a football club in western Germany, has started the project “Football Connects” to help refugee children integrate into society. The initiative has drawn praise from Germany’s football association.

With just a few hand gestures, Salim Mehdaoui indicates what he wants from…[Read more]

Germany’s Habeck set to run for chancellor for the Greens

Green minister and Deputy Chancellor Robert Habeck is expected to announce candidacy as leader Olaf Scholz faces pressure to call early elections after the collapse of his governing coalition.

Germany’s Deputy Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck will announce his bid for the…[Read more]

Gaza truce talks hit major snag after Qatar suspends mediation role

Qatar has paused its mediation efforts for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement, stating Saturday that it will only resume when both Hamas and Israel demonstrate genuine commitment to negotiations, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The Gulf emirate, which has hosted…[Read more]

Turkey, Greece top diplomats meet to help mend ties between regional rivals

Athens and Ankara say no magical solution is reached in their latest talks but dialogue will continue.

Turkey’s top diplomat has agreed with his Greek counterpart in Athens to keep dialogue moving forward with the goal of resolving longstanding issues that have brought t…[Read more]

Türkiye expects Washington to ease, remove trade hurdles

Türkiye expects the new administration under Donald Trump’s presidency to remove some trade barriers, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat has said.

He noted that the bilateral trade volume almost doubled compared to five years ago to $35 billion.

Türkiye and the United States had set a target of re…[Read more]

Erdoğan calls for national unity to honor Atatürk’s legacy

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for national unity on the 86th death anniversary of modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, urging all segments of society to come together and strengthen Türkiye’s cohesion.

“Let us together face and overcome the threats before us t…[Read more]

World Bank’s IFC mobilized record $3.6B for Türkiye in FY 2024

The World Bank’s private investment arm implemented a record $3.6 billion investment package for Türkiye in its financial year to the end of June, according to a senior executive.

This confirms Türkiye’s position as the third largest country of activity of the International Fi…[Read more]

Erdoğan receives Iraqi Premier Al Sudani for talks in Istanbul

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday received Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al Sudani of Iraq in Istanbul, Erdoğan’s office said.

Erdoğan welcomed Al Sudani at the Vahdettin Mansion and gave him a tour of the historical landmark that overlooks the Bosporus from the city’…[Read more]

Witness to activist’s killing says getting justice crucial for all killed by Israel

ssuring justice for Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi and all those killed by Israel is crucial, according to one of the witnesses to the killing of the Turkish American activist in the occupied West Bank in early September.

Australian citizen Helen Maria O’Sullivan testified as…[Read more]

Hope still exists for Turkey-PKK detente, despite deadly attack

A push for a rapprochement, spearheaded by an unlikely source, could end a decades-long conflict.

The sight of Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) walking across the floor of the Turkish parliament on October 1 and shaking hands with politicians from a…[Read more]

How Japan’s youngest CEO transformed Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty, arguably Japan’s best loved creation, is celebrating her 50th anniversary.

But all has not always been well at Sanrio, the Japanese company behind the character. The business has been on a spectacular journey of financial peaks and valleys.

Hello Kitty has been ranked the…[Read more]

Japan, EU Officials Condemn N. Korea’s Latest ICBM Launch

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Josep Borrell, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, met in Tokyo on Friday and condemned North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile the previous day.

Nakatani criticized the ICBM…[Read more]

Japan, EU announce new defense pact

Japan and the European Union announced a sweeping new security and defense partnership in Tokyo on Friday. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hailed it as a historic and “very timely” step.

Borrell and his Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya, unveiled the pact to develop cooperation on joint military…[Read more]

Sekiguchi Eyed as Next Head of Japan’s Upper House

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is planning to push Masakazu Sekiguchi as the next president of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, several party sources said Friday.

Sekiguchi, 71, who currently leads LDP members in the Upper House, would succeed current Upper House…[Read more]

Japanese man convicted of creating malware using generative AI

A Japanese court has convicted a man for creating malware using generative conversational artificial intelligence.

The Tokyo District Court sentenced Ryuki Hayashi, 25, to three years imprisonment, suspended for four years, for producing code that could be used as ransomware in…[Read more]

Fujikyu Railway weighs legal action over foreign tourist dance video

Fujikyu Railway is considering taking legal action over a dance video posted on social media that features people who appear to be foreign tourists performing in the middle of a train.
“We will not tolerate any dangerous or disruptive behavior in our vehicles, or any behavior t…[Read more]

Japan’s parliamentary election: Why it matters

Japanese voters go to the polls after new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called a snap election. The outcome could strengthen him, or further weaken the governing LDP.

Voters in Japan head to the polls on Sunday to elect members of their House of Representatives in an election seen as a test for t…[Read more]

Japan’s ruling party loses its majority in blow to new PM

The coalition led by Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has lost its majority in parliament, its worst result for over a decade.

Opposition parties secured more than half the seats in the lower house, provisional election results showed.

With 22 seats left to declare, the L…[Read more]

Turkish prosecutor seeks 500 years in jail for gang behind infant deaths

Turkish prosecutors are pursuing over 500 years in prison for the alleged leaders of a gang accused of causing multiple infant deaths by placing newborns in intensive care units for financial gain. A comprehensive 494-page indictment against 47 suspects, including health…[Read more]