Japan should aim to maintain population of 80 million by 2100: panel

Amid concerns over rapid depopulation, a private panel has proposed that Japan should aim to have a stable population of 80 million by 2100 in order to maintain economic growth.
Last April, the government released an estimate that the population would be reduced by half to about…[Read more]

US diplomat Blinken meets Turkey’s Erdogan, kicking off Gaza diplomacy tour

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken met senior Turkish officials in Istanbul before heading to Greece, his first stops on a week-long trip aimed at calming tensions that have spiked across the Middle East since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October.

In his…[Read more]

Turkey Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia called off amid Ataturk T-shirt row

The Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce scheduled to be played in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh was called off over an apparent disagreement about the players’ jerseys.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and the two teams – who returned to Istan…[Read more]

Turkey arrests dozens suspected of spying for Israel

Turkey has reportedly detained 33 people suspected of spying on behalf of Israel.

The authorities are still searching for 13 other people believed to have links to Israel’s Mossad security service, the Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday. Ankara has previously warned that it will not allow I…[Read more]

Turkey arrests dozens suspected of spying for Israel

Turkey has reportedly detained 33 people suspected of spying on behalf of Israel.

The authorities are still searching for 13 other people believed to have links to Israel’s Mossad security service, the Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday. Ankara has previously warned that it will not allow I…[Read more]

Why are German farmers so angry?

Tractors rumbling down the streets of the capital and jamming highway interchanges — scenes that are more familiar in neighboring France. But Germany’s farmers have been flexing their muscles again over the last few weeks.

Protesters began taking to the streets in late December after the center-left government a…[Read more]

Germany resumes weapons deliveries to Saudi Arabia

It was Germany’s conservative-led government under Chancellor Angela Merkel that restricted German weapons exports to Saudi Arabia in October 2018. This was in response to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war in…[Read more]

Germany: Police find missing woman’s body in woods

Police in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia say they have found the body of a woman reported missing on December 21, 2023.

Police and the Münster State Prosecutor’s Office said her body was found wrapped in a plastic bag near the Dutch border on Tuesday.

An autopsy will be performed…[Read more]

Japanese startup develops bug-repellent clothing

A startup in central Japan has been working on developing bug-repellent fabrics and clothing, with hopes of bringing finalized products to market by the end of March next year.
The company, Fibercraze, teamed up with firms across the country to develop textiles with microscopic holes that can be…[Read more]

Kishida looking to replace all Cabinet members from troubled faction

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is looking to remove all Cabinet members belonging to the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party from their posts amid the deepening political funds scandal, sources said Sunday.
Some members of the faction formerly led by the Prime…[Read more]

Japan hotel operators turn historical buildings into trendy stays

OSAKA — Japanese hotel operators are rushing to develop new types of accommodations from historical buildings in the Kansai region in anticipation of more foreign tourists.

The Kansai region in western Japan, which includes Osaka, Kyoto and several other prefectures, is rich in…[Read more]

Japan Plans to Subtract ‘Blue Carbon’ from CO2 Emissions; Seaweed Said to Lock Up Carbon for Longer than Land Plants

The government plans to subtract “blue carbon” when calculating Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions for annual reporting to the United Nations from next fiscal year. Blue carbon is carbon dioxide absorbed and stored by seaweed a…[Read more]

‘Unexpected’ South Korea Court Decision in Favor of ‘Comfort Women’ Puts Damper on Improving Ties with Japan

In contrast to a recent pattern of reasonable judgments by the South Korean judiciary, the Seoul High Court on Thursday overturned a lower court ruling and ordered the Japanese government to pay compensation to former wartime comfort…[Read more]

Japan, Southeast Asian Countries to Hold 1st Online Talks to Combat Disinformation

Japan plans to hold its first online talks with Southeast Asian countries to discuss measures against disinformation on Monday, government sources said.

The talks are to strengthen cooperation with other countries as tackling disinformation has become an urgent…[Read more]

Germany: AfD in Saxony classified as ‘extremist’

The domestic intelligence service in the eastern state of Saxony has designated the far right AfD party an extremist group. The move follows similar decisions in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.

The regional association of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony has been classified as a right-wing…[Read more]

Russia’s Putin says he will run for president again in 2024

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has decided to run in next year’s presidential elections on March 17, Russian news agencies reported on Friday.

He made the announcement at a ceremony in the Kremlin to honor the “heroes of Russia.”

This will be Putin’s fifth run for the presidency, which…[Read more]

German inflation fall boosts hope of European Central Bank rate cut

Inflation in Germany eased more than expected in November, according to official data released on Friday.

Prices in Europe’s largest economy are increasing at the slowest rate seen since June 2021, mainly thanks to falling energy prices.

Compared to November of last year, p…[Read more]

Germany hit by last-minute train strike: Deutsche Bahn trains “massively affected”

German train drivers have launched a last-minute strike. The 24-hour public transport walkout began on Thursday evening.

It is the fourth strike this year and follows disruption earlier this week due to heavy snowfall in southern Germany.

Passenger services…[Read more]

Education cost saw nearly 70 pct surge last year: TÜİK

Total expenditure for all levels of education in Türkiye surpassed 587 billion Turkish Liras ($20.2 billion) last year, marking a remarkable increase of 69.3 percent compared to 2021, reveals data by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

According to the figure published by TÜİK on Dec…[Read more]

“TRT World Forum 2023” is Starting

TRT’s influential event shaping the global agenda, the TRT World Forum, is being held in Istanbul on December 8-9. In its seventh year, the event brings together over 150 distinguished speakers from various parts of the world, including internationally recognized academics, politicians, civil society workers,…[Read more]