Foreign

All 50 victims of New Zealand mosque massacre identified: police

MOSCOW -- All 50 people killed in an attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand have been identified, New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said on Thursday."In terms of identification process of the 50 victims of this tragic terrorist event in Christchurch, I can say that, as of a few... Read More

'Happiest nation' tag not surprising to Finns

HELSINKI -- The emergence of Finland for the second time as the "happiest country in the world" in a UN commissioned survey was not met with surprise in Finland.In random interviews by local media, ordinary citizens referred to the general social safety net, free education and public health care as... Read More

ASEAN workshop on fighting fake news opens in Bangkok

BANGKOK -- Journalists from member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered here to further strengthen the fight against the prevalence of fake news and disinformation.The workshop, “Maintaining Credibility and Trust in Journalism”, being held at the Amari... Read More

Death toll in Indonesia flash flood rises to 104

JAYAPURA -- The death toll from a flash flood in Jayapura district in the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua rose to 104 as of Tuesday night, a spokesman said.The number may increase, as the search for other bodies is still ongoing, chief of the Cenderawasih Regional Military Command Col.... Read More

Andrei Stenin Contest 2019 sets new record

MOSCOW, Russia– Young professional photographers from a record-setting 80 countries across five continents have submitted applications to participate in the Andrei Stenin Contest 2019. The number of applications has more than doubled since the contest was established in 2014.In the year of its... Read More

Tokyo's National Museum of Modern Art launches 'Let's Talk Art!'

TOKYO -- The National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, Japan's first national art museum situated near the Imperial Palace, will launch Let's Talk Art! -- an English program enabling international participants to enjoy appreciating masterpieces of Japanese art since the 20th century -- this coming... Read More

China adopts new Foreign Investment Law

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China further eased its policies to attract foreign investments to the country.In a press conference Friday, Li said the National People’s Congress (NPC) -- China’s top legislation body -- has passed the Foreign Investment Law during the second... Read More

Death toll in New Zealand mosque attacks climbs to 49

MOSCOW -- A total of 49 people have been killed in attacks on mosques in the city of Christchurch in New Zealand, New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush said on Friday at a news conference that was broadcast on the website of The New Zealand Herald.Armed people entered the Al Noor and Linwood... Read More

At least 27 dead in New Zealand multiple shootings

CHRISTCHURCH -- At least 27 people were killed in multiple shootings in the two mosques of New Zealand's Christchurch on Friday afternoon.No less than two gunmen opened fire at two separate mosques in Christchurch, according to local media. Witnesses described that there was much blood and multiple... Read More

Rescuers scramble to save building collapse survivors in Nigeria

LAGOS -- Hundreds of rescuers have been struggling to search and rescue victims of the collapsed building housing a school in Ita Faji area of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub, which reportedly killed at least nine people.Soldiers, police personnel, and staff of the disaster management agency jointly... Read More

Brazil school shooting leaves 10 dead

SÃO PAULO -- At least 10 people were killed and many more were injured in a school shooting in Brazil's largest city, São Paulo, on Wednesday.Among the dead were seven students, a woman and the two shooters, who killed themselves at the scene, authorities said.The shocking attack took... Read More

‘No basis’ to ground Boeing 737 Max despite crashes

WASHINGTON -- US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday said it saw "no basis" to ground Boeing 737 Max planes, despite two recent similar crashes involving aircraft in the series."Thus far, our review shows no systemic performance issues and provides no basis to order grounding the... Read More

British PM's Brexit deal rejected by parliament anew

LONDON -- British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal was rejected again on Tuesday by MPs in the second meaningful vote in the parliament since January, increasing uncertainty about how the country will leave the European Union.MPs voted against May's revised EU withdrawal agreement by 391 to... Read More

Singapore suspends Boeing 737 Max flights after Ethiopia crash

SINGAPORE -- Singapore's aviation regulator on Tuesday ordered the temporary suspension of Boeing 737 Max flights in its airspace days after the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people aboard."The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is temporarily suspending operation of all... Read More

Ethiopian Airlines' crash leaves 157 dead

ADDIS ABABA -- All 157 people aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight were confirmed dead as Africa's fastest growing airline witnessed the worst-ever incident in its history.Prior to the latest deadly incident, an Ethiopian Airlines flight had also encountered similar catastrophe in 2010, when a jet... Read More

Bigger Belt and Road Forum expected in April: Chinese FM

BEIJING -- The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) next month will be bigger than the forum’s launch in 2017, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.In a press conference here, Wang said more than a thousand participants from more than 100... Read More

China eyes completion of SCS Code of Conduct by 2021

BEIJING -- China offered to conclude negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea by 2021.In a press conference here Friday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said more member states of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) support their... Read More

China earmarks largest budget for defense in 2019

BEIJING – Defense sector is the top priority of the Chinese government in terms of spending this year, as it gets the lion’s share of the central government budget in 2019.In its draft central and local budgets for 2019 released by the Ministry of Finance Thursday, defense expenditure... Read More

London patient becomes 2nd known man cleared of AIDS virus

LONDON -- A London patient has become the second known man worldwide to be cleared of AIDS virus after receiving a bone marrow transplant from an HIV resistant donor, according to his doctor.The patient has shown no trace of previous HIV infection since he underwent the transplant operation three... Read More

China cuts 2019 defense budget hike by 0.6%

BEIJING – Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced Tuesday that the government lowered its defense budget growth rate to 7.5 percent this year.Li made the announcement during the opening of the second session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People here... Read More