Foreign
Finland: 1st country to start bird flu vaccinations for humans
June 27, 2024, 5:46 pm
HELSINKI – Finland plans to offer preemptive bird flu vaccination as soon as next week to some workers with exposure to animals, health authorities said on Tuesday, making it the first country in the world to do so, according to Reuters. The Nordic country has bought vaccines for 10,000 people,… Read More
2 killed, 40 hurt as train derails in Russia
June 27, 2024, 5:19 pm
MOSCOW – Two people were killed and 40 others injured when a passenger train derailed in the Russian northern region of Komi, the Russian Railways company said on Thursday. Two bodies were found at the site of the derailment of the Vorkuta-Novorossiysk passenger train, the company said in a… Read More
Iran hopes cooperation with ASEAN could lead to int’l stability
June 27, 2024, 4:14 pm
TEHRAN – Iran’s ambassador to Indonesia Mohammad Boroujerdi has expressed hope that the cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries will bring about international stability. Boroujerdi, who is Iran’s representative in the meeting of members of… Read More
UN not pulling out of Gaza: spokesperson
June 27, 2024, 2:46 pm
WASHINGTON – A United Nations spokesperson on Wednesday rejected claims that the intergovernmental organization is pulling out of Gaza. 'We're just trying to find the space in which we operate within conditions that meet our very basic and pretty simple standards,’’ Stephane Dujarric told… Read More
Vatican bids to become solar-powered
June 27, 2024, 2:16 pm
ROME – The Vatican is set to become solar-powered as Pope Francis has ordered the construction of an agrivoltaic plant at its extraterritorial site at Santa Maria di Galeria on the edge of Rome to meet the city state's energy needs. The Pope ordered the move at the 424-hectare site, which houses… Read More
Ex- Honduran president gets 4-yr jail term for drug trafficking
June 27, 2024, 1:56 pm
BOGOTA, Colombia – Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was sentenced Wednesday to 45 years in prison on drug trafficking charges under a New York court ruling. The 55-year-old Hernandez was found guilty on all charges presented by the US Justice Department including conspiracy to… Read More
Seventeen becomes UNESCO's first goodwill ambassador for youth
June 27, 2024, 1:09 pm
SEOUL – Popular K-pop group Seventeen has been appointed as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) first-ever Goodwill Ambassador for Youth. The boy group received a letter of appointment from UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay during a nomination… Read More
Several countries warn vs. travel to Lebanon amid fears of war
June 27, 2024, 12:56 pm
ISTANBUL – Several countries have called on their nationals to leave Lebanon amid growing fears of a full-blown war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. On Wednesday, the Netherlands Foreign Ministry urged its citizens on X to avoid travel to Lebanon and those who live there to leave… Read More
IMF releases AI preparedness index for 174 countries
June 26, 2024, 2:18 pm
ISTANBUL – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday released its AI Preparedness Index (AIPI), mapping the world's readiness for artificial intelligence (AI) and evaluating the level of AI preparedness for 174 countries. The AIPI Dashboard tracks 174 economies based on their digital… Read More
WikiLeaks founder pleads guilty to felony to secure his freedom
June 26, 2024, 1:37 pm
NEW YORK – Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty in a deal with the US that will secure his freedom, the Associated Press reported. According to the media outlet, Assange pleaded guilty to a single felony charge for publishing US military secrets in a federal court in Saipan, the… Read More
Quad govts offering fellowships to students from ASEAN nations
June 26, 2024, 1:30 pm
JAKARTA – The United States, together with Australia, India, and Japan (Quad governments), is offering fellowships to students from the Quad and ASEAN countries to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the US. "The program sponsors exceptional master's and doctoral… Read More
Sofia to host 20th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media in May 2025
June 25, 2024, 4:24 pm
ISMAIL, Ukraine – Sofia will host the 20th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media on May 24, 2025, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev announced at the closing of the 19th edition in Ukraine held on June 18-21. The BTA set the 20th World Meeting on May 24 which is the Day of the… Read More
15 cops killed in synagogue, church attacks in Russia
June 25, 2024, 12:32 pm
ISTANBUL – More than 15 police officers have been killed in armed attacks in Russia's Dagestan, the head of the region said early Monday. Sergey Melikov commented on the attacks in the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent on his Telegram channel. According to reports, the attackers targeted a… Read More
N. Korea sends 350 trash balloons to Seoul, Gyeonggi
June 25, 2024, 11:42 am
SEOUL – North Korea has launched around 350 trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea overnight, Seoul's military said Tuesday. It was the fifth launch of its kind since last month, the military added.Some 100 balloons, mostly carrying scrap paper and waste, landed in Seoul and the northern… Read More
20 dead at battery plant fire site in South Korea
June 24, 2024, 8:48 pm
ISTANBUL – At least 20 bodies were found as firefighters battled huge flames at a three-story battery factory in South Korea on Monday, firefighters said. According to Yonhap news, firefighters brought the blaze under control around 3:10 p.m. local time, more than four hours after it started,… Read More
Dalai Lama arrives in New York for medical treatment
June 24, 2024, 6:08 pm
NEW YORK – Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, arrived in New York City on Sunday for medical treatment. Hundreds of his supporters welcomed him as his private jet landed at the Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. It is unclear whether he will hold official meetings while he is here. His… Read More
Hyundai Motor improves EVs battery supply, manufacturing capacity
June 24, 2024, 3:53 pm
SEOUL – Hyundai Motor Group is strengthening its electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain and internal production capacity, as the world's third-largest auto group seeks to present price-competitive EV models with better driving ranges. Last week, SQM, a Chilean lithium mining company,… Read More
8 missing after landslide hits houses in central China
June 24, 2024, 12:47 pm
ANKARA – At least eight people are missing and the search continues after a landslide hit a village in Hunan, central China, on Sunday, state-run media said. The landslide hit four houses in the village of Douxi in the Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County of Huaihua early Sunday, the Xinhua News… Read More
Israel OKs bill to extend retirement age for army reservists
June 24, 2024, 12:36 pm
JERUSALEM – The Israeli government on Sunday approved a bill extending the retirement age for army reservists, for approval of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) Monday, according to Israeli media. The bill seeks to extend the service for reserve officers and soldiers by an additional three… Read More
California's summer off with wildfires, evacuations, scorched soil
June 24, 2024, 12:28 pm
ANKARA – California’s summer is off to a scorching start with a surge of wildfire activity sweeping across the US West Coast state this week. The blazes have stretched firefighting resources thin, forced evacuations, and scorched several homes, businesses, and bone-dry hillsides. According to… Read More
