Merkel says maintaining NATO is of utmost importance to German interests
Maintaining the NATO defense alliance is of utmost importance to Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday after French President Emmanuel Macron said NATO was “experiencing brain death”.
Incoming EU chief vows to fight ‘existential’ climate risks
German conservative Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Wednesday that fighting climate change was an “existential” challenge and she would ensure money was provided to help adapt economies to lower fossil fuel consumption and greenho…
Japan MPs’ disaster helmet drill sparks Twitter debate
Some Japanese lawmakers giggled this week during a drill to practice the use of disaster prevention helmets, at least one of which was put on backwards, prompting Twitter users to question if they were making light of a life-and-death matter.
Rescuers work through the night as Albanian quake toll hits 25
Emergency crews found three more bodies on Wednesday morning as they used drones, dogs and heavy machinery to search through the wreckage left by Albania’s worst earthquake in decades, bringing the death toll to at least 25.
South Korea fires warning shots toward North Korean merchant vessel
South Korea’s military fired warning shots toward a North Korean merchant boat with engine trouble that violated their sea border on Wednesday, South Korean officials said.
Iran foreign minister meets senior Taliban official in Tehran
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held talks in Tehran with a Taliban delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of the group’s founders, the official IRNA news agency reported on Wednesday.
French tractors roll into Paris to protest ‘agri-bashing’
Up to a thousand tractors will block roads in Paris on Wednesday as French farmers protest against government policies and international trade agreements which they say are hurting their businesses and living standards.
Bangladesh sentences seven to death for 2016 cafe attack
A Bangladesh court handed death sentences to seven members of an Islamist militant group on Wednesday for their role in an attack on a cafe in 2016 that killed 22 people, mostly foreigners, in the south Asian nation’s worst such incident.
Japan approves restart for nuclear reactor closest to epicenter of 2011 quake
Japan’s Tohoku Electric Power said on Wednesday it has won initial regulatory approval to restart a reactor at its Onagawa power plant, more than 8 years after it was damaged in the earthquake and tsunami that caused the Fukushima disaster.
Malaysia says Islamic State may shift operations to Southeast Asia
A Malaysian minister warned on Wednesday that the Islamic State militant group may shift its base of operations to Southeast Asia after the death of its leader, according to a media report.
