Japan says it wants dispute over islands resolved before Russia treaty
Japan wants the return of islands captured by Russia in World War Two before it signs a peace treaty, a Japanese government spokesman said on Wednesday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Japan agree to an unconditional peace treaty.
Kremlin says Japan’s Abe has not yet replied to peace treaty proposal: TASS
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not yet received a response from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to his proposal to sign a peace treaty by the end of the year, Tass news agency reported.
In quake-prone Japan, attention shifts to flood risks as heavy rains increase
Japanese have long been conditioned to prepare for earthquakes, but recent powerful typhoons and sudden, heavy rains have brought to the forefront another kind of disaster: flooding.
Merkel calls for European solidarity to tackle illegal migration
German Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed to European Union members to show solidarity to ensure the Frontex border agency has sufficient powers to be effective and help stop illegal migration, in line with European Commission plans.
Juncker calls on EU to flex global muscle as U.S. retreats
The European Union should flex its potential strength as a world power as the United States under President Donald Trump pulls back from international engagement, EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday.
Germany can’t look away when chemical attacks take place: Merkel
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday Germany could not simply look away if chemical attacks took place, two days after the German government said it was in talks with its allies about a possible military deployment in Syria.
Merkel: No excuse for hunting people down, Nazi slogans
German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned on Wednesday xenophobic attacks, hunting people down and the use of Nazi slogans after the violent far-right demonstrations in Chemnitz two weeks ago have exposed deep divisions in German society.
Iran has 3,000-4,000 working centrifuges: parliament speaker
Iran has between 3,000 and 4,000 active centrifuges, still within the limit allowed under the nuclear deal with world powers, the speaker of Iran’s parliament Ali Larijani said on Wednesday.
Singapore DJ files court challenge against gay sex ban after India ruling
A Singapore DJ has filed a court challenge against a colonial-era law that bans gay sex in the conservative city-state, his lawyers said on Wednesday, following India’s scrapping of similar legislation.
Putin says North Korea doing a lot to disarm but Washington not responding
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that North Korea was taking a lot of steps toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula but Washington was not responding and was making endless demands for full disarmament instead.
