The US accuses the Veronica III of violating a "quarantine" on oil shipments from Venezuela.

His detention comes as he faces legal proceedings after being dismissed in a corruption scandal.

A severe shortage of truck drivers—forecast to reach 210,000 by fiscal 2030—has prompted a driving school operator in Fukuoka Prefecture to begin recruiting foreign drivers in an effort to support Japan’s strained logistics sector. (News On Japan)

Japan’s phone environment is set for sweeping changes in 2026, with mobile numbers nearing exhaustion and long-standing services such as feature phones, the Town Page directory and the 104 information line all coming to an end. (News On Japan)

His detention comes as he faces legal proceedings after being dismissed in a corruption scandal.

A ceremonial “whirlpool opening” was held in the Naruto Strait on February 15th, between Naruto City in Tokushima Prefecture and Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, marking the start of the spring tourism season, with massive whirlpools forming beneath the Onaruto Bridge that spans the strait. (News On Japan)

A deep-sea exploration vessel that successfully recovered mud containing rare earth elements from a depth of 5,600 meters for the first time in the world has returned to Shimizu Port in Shizuoka City. (News On Japan)

China’s week-long Lunar New Year holiday began on February 15th, marking the start of the longest Spring Festival break on record at nine days. (News On Japan)

Medical consultation fees at healthcare institutions in Japan are set to rise starting in June as authorities move to address soaring costs and wage increases, with around 70 percent of hospitals nationwide currently operating at a loss. (News On Japan)

Long lines have been forming daily outside the Japanese Embassy in Russia as people seek tourist visas to visit Japan, with an unprecedented boom in travel interest despite Moscow designating Japan an “unfriendly nation” over sanctions related to the Ukraine invasion. (News On Japan)

Armed men shot locals dead, set homes alight and abducted an "undetermined" number of people in Niger State.

Munich, Los Angeles, and Toronto saw the largest crowds, with smaller rallies also taking place in Tel Aviv and Libson.

Munich, Los Angeles, and Toronto saw the largest crowds, with smaller rallies also taking place in Tel Aviv and Libson.

Relaxed visa rules for British and Canadian passport holders will come into force on 17 February.

The Palestinian Red Crescent say a strike on a tent encampment in northern Gaza killed at least six people.

Ghana has called on Russia to extradite the man, who is accused of recording sexual encounters without consent.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, tells the BBC's Lyse Doucet that the ball was "in America's court to prove that they want to do a deal".

A reset of the frayed relationship is possible, say analysts. But it will require restraint - and reciprocity.

Assailants shot dead or cut the throats of their victims, lit homes on fire and abducted multiple people in Niger state, Nigeria.

Samantha Guthrie's fame has helped turn her mother's abduction into a national obsession.