Japan’s premier hopefuls pledge more spending to support economy

Japan will likely see another stimulus package under a new prime minister, with several candidates running in the ruling party’s leadership race pledging fresh spending measures to boost growth and cushion the blow to households from rising inflation.

In announcing his int…[Read more]

Japan’s economy is growing, but political uncertainty is among the risks

Japan’s economy grew at an annual rate of 2.9%, slower than the earlier report for 3.1% growth, in the April-June period, boosted by better wages and spending, revised government data showed Monday.

That shows clear risks remain, including U.S. economic growth, which g…[Read more]

Japan’s Prince Hisahito turns 18, first male royal to reach adulthood in nearly 40 years

In a significant moment for Japan’s royal family, Prince Hisahito celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday, marking the first time in nearly four decades that a male royal has reached adulthood.

This milestone is especially crucial for Japan’s imperial fam…[Read more]

How to plan the ultimate trip to Japan

Tradition and ritual are still vital in the daily life of this pacific nation, whether exploring neon-lit metropolises and onsen spa towns or mountain trails and subtropical islands.

Known as Edo under the rule of the shoguns — Japan’s military rulers — until 1868, Tokyo sits at the centre of a histo…[Read more]

`Erdoğan receives Shell CEO after major BOTAŞ deal

The closed-door meeting at the presidential palace in the capital Ankara came after Turkish state energy company Botaş and Shell signed a 10-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply agreement starting from 2027 that will see Shell provide Türkiye with the gas.

Under the terms of the agr…[Read more]

US thanks Türkiye for ‘rapid response’ after attack on service members

“We can confirm reports that U.S. service members embarked aboard the USS Wasp were the victims of an assault in Izmir today and are now safe.”

“We thank the Turkish authorities for their rapid response and ongoing investigation,” the embassy stated on X.

Following the…[Read more]

US soldiers assaulted in Turkey’s Izmir, 15 nationalist Turkish youth arrested

A nationalist Turkish youth group on Monday physically assaulted two US soldiers in western Turkey, the US Embassy in Turkey and the local governor’s office said, adding that 15 assailants had been detained over the incident.

In a statement, the Izmir governor’s offic…[Read more]

Japan sees joint hottest summer on record

This summer tied with last year’s for Japan’s hottest on record, with the three months between June and August being 1.76 degrees Celsius hotter than average, the Meteorological Agency said Monday.
The second-hottest summer was in 2010, when it was 1.08 C higher than average, illustrating the extent of…[Read more]

Japan’s aging population crisis heightens as almost 40,000 died in 2024 so far

Japan’s National Police Agency recently released a report in which it revealed that nearly 40,000 individuals in the country died alone in their homes in the first half of 2024, the BBC reported.

According to the report, almost 4,000 of the dead were not discovered…[Read more]

Nearly 40,000 people died home alone in Japan this year, report says

Almost 40,000 people died alone in their homes in Japan during the first half of 2024, a report by the country’s police shows.
Of that number, nearly 4,000 people were discovered more than a month after they died, and 130 bodies went unmissed for a year before they were found, a…[Read more]

Typhoon Shanshan causes widespread Japan disruption

Trains and flights have been cancelled in Japan as one of the strongest typhoons to hit the country in decades drenches cities in its path.

At least six people have been killed and more than 100 injured after Typhoon Shanshan made landfall in the south-western Japan on Thursday.
Now downgraded…[Read more]

Japan rail disruption spreads as typhoon crawls eastward

Disruption to shinkansen bullet train services in Japan continued Saturday as slow-moving Typhoon Shanshan lingered in western Japan, causing heavy rain in wider parts of the country.

JR Central will continue suspending many trains on its Tokaido Shinkansen Line on Sunday, mainly affecting…[Read more]

Far-right AfD eyes big gains in German elections

Voters in Germany’s two eastern states are due to cast their ballots in elections in which the far right is expected to perform strongly.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been polling top in Thuringia ahead of Sunday’s vote, while the party has been running neck-and-neck for first place with…[Read more]

Austria to work with Germany on deportations of people with criminal records to Afghanistan

Austria’s Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum has said that deportations to Afghanistan are permissible on a case-by-case basis due to the changed security situation in the country.

Austria has fallen in line with Germany and said it intends to…[Read more]

Germany expels head of banned Muslim association

Germany has told the Iranian head of the recently banned Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH) that he is being expelled from the country and has two weeks to leave, authorities in Hamburg said on Thursday.
The interior ministry of the German city state of Hamburg said in a statement that it had informed…[Read more]

Germany deports 28 Afghans for first time since 2021 Taliban takeover

‘Our security counts,’ German interior minister says as government confirms those deported are convicted criminals.

Germany has deported 28 Afghan nationals charged with criminal acts, in the first such move since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 202…[Read more]

Deportation flight leaves Germany for Afghanistan

A flight has taken off from an airport in eastern Germany deporting individuals to Afghanistan. It is the first deportation of Afghans since the Taliban took power in Kabul in 2021.

A deportation flight to Afghanistan has left Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport, the Interior Ministry for the state…[Read more]

Israel kills 18 Gazans as attacks narrow space for displaced people

srael killed at least 18 Gazans on Tuesday as its continued attacks on the Palestinian territory further narrowed space for the internally displaced people there.

Cease-fire talks were continuing in Cairo with little sign of a concrete breakthrough over key issues separating the…[Read more]

Parents worry about exorbitant school bus fares

With summer break nearing its end and students preparing to return to school, parents are facing nail-biting concerns over bus fares, as some companies and institutions are raising costs by over 100 percent, disregarding the 16 percent official hike set by Istanbul Municipality’s Transportation…[Read more]

Turkey battling four wildfires as temperatures soar

The Turkish State Meteorological Service has said the country faced the hottest July for 53 years – leaving forests tinder-dry

Firefighters in Turkey have been battling four wildfires as temperatures in the country reach record-breaking levels.

Three wildfires broke out earlier this week in t…[Read more]