Foreign
66 wildfires reported in Greece in 24 hours
June 24, 2024, 11:51 am
ANKARA/ATHENS – Sixty-six wildfires broke out in Greece between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday local time, media reports said. A total of 52 were dealt with in their initial stages, while firefighting teams are dealing with another 14, noted state-run AMNA news agency. Citing civil protection… Read More
Boeing's Starliner mission delays return anew due to tech issues
June 23, 2024, 6:42 pm
ANKARA – Boeing's first astronaut mission using its Starliner capsule has been extended once again, with the spacecraft now set to remain docked at the International Space Station (ISS) until at least July 2, a week later than the previous target date of June 26. This extension allows Boeing and… Read More
S. Korea auto exports expected to hit record high in 2024
June 23, 2024, 6:37 pm
SEOUL – South Korea's car exports are forecast to reach a record high this year, driven by solid demand for eco-friendly models and sport utility vehicles, an industry association said Sunday. According to the Korea Automobile and Mobility Association (KAMA), the country's car exports are… Read More
Seoul city hospitals to suffer $71.89-M losses over doctors walkout
June 23, 2024, 1:40 pm
SEOUL – Two major hospitals run by the Seoul city government are forecast to suffer losses of nearly 100 billion won (US$71.89 million) this year due to the prolonged walkout by trainee doctors, officials said Sunday. The two municipal hospitals, Seoul Medical Center and Boramae Medical Center,… Read More
'Comfort women' statue set up for 1st time in Italy
June 23, 2024, 11:39 am
ROME/SEOUL – A girl statue symbolizing the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, euphemistically called "comfort women," has been erected in Italy for the first time, a local activist group said Sunday. The Statue of Peace or Comfort Women statue was opened to the public on Stintino Beach… Read More
Arkansas mass shooting: 2 dead, 10 others wounded
June 22, 2024, 3:08 pm
WASHINGTON – Two people died while 10 others were wounded during a mass shooting at a grocery's parking lot in Fordyce, Arkansas on Friday morning. The shooter, who has not been publicly identified, was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire with police, according to multiple media reports. One… Read More
Vatican summons Archbishop Vigano to face charges
June 22, 2024, 10:53 am
VATICAN – Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano said Thursday that he was summoned by the Vatican to face charges of splitting the Catholic Church and questioning Pope Francis’s legitimacy. Vigano, the Vatican’s ambassador to the US from 2011 to 2016, and known for frequently criticizing Pope… Read More
Vietnam expresses deep concern over China, PH ship collision
June 21, 2024, 9:41 pm
HÀNỘI — Vietnam expressed deep concern over the recent ship collision between China and the Philippines near the Bãi Cỏ Mây (Second Thomas Shoal/Ayungin Shoal), spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng said Friday. Hang said the government is closely… Read More
Global FDIs drop by 2% to USD1.3 trillion in 2023 - UNCTAD
June 21, 2024, 9:36 pm
GENEVA – Global foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 2 percent to USD1.3 trillion in 2023 amid an economic slowdown and rising geopolitical tensions, according to the latest World Investment Report released by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). But the report highlights that the decline… Read More
UN chief warns about increasing use of cyberspace in armed conflicts
June 21, 2024, 3:12 pm
HAMILTON, Canada – United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday emphasized the transformative power of digital technology, as he warned about the “increasing use of cyberspace as another weapon in ongoing global armed conflicts.” "Digital advances are revolutionizing… Read More
Putin: Russia ready for peace talks with Ukraine any time, place
June 21, 2024, 2:51 pm
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow is ready for peace talks with Ukraine at any time and place. "On the basis of those agreements ... that were reached during difficult negotiations, almost a month and a half of negotiations in Istanbul and Minsk ... we are… Read More
Italy's fertility rate among lowest in OECD
June 21, 2024, 1:40 pm
ROME – Italy's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is among the lowest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) area, with an average of just 1.2 children per woman, the Paris-based organization said in its 'Society at a Glance 2024' report on Thursday. "The TFR was lowest in… Read More
Vessel hit last week in Red Sea believed to have sunk: UKMTO
June 20, 2024, 5:02 pm
ANKARA – A vessel that was hit in the Red Sea last week is believed to have sunk, the UK's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office said Wednesday. The MV Tutor, a Greek-owned bulk carrier, was struck on June 12 while sailing 66 nautical miles (76 miles) off Al Hudaydah, Yemen by a small craft… Read More
High mortgage rates drag builder confidence in US: Report
June 20, 2024, 3:41 pm
ISTANBUL – High mortgage rates act as a drag on builder confidence in the US, according to a recent report. "Mortgage rates that continue to hover in the 7 percent range along with elevated construction financing costs continue to put a damper on builder sentiment," said the report Monday by a… Read More
Louisiana state requires posting of Ten Commandments in classrooms
June 20, 2024, 2:48 pm
WASHINGTON – The Biblical Ten Commandments will be required to be displayed in all public school classrooms in the state of Louisiana after Governor Jeff Landry signed Republican legislation mandating the action into law Wednesday. "If you want to respect the rule of law you've got to start from… Read More
Supreme Court junks petition vs. medical school quota hike
June 20, 2024, 2:38 pm
SEOUL – The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down an injunction filed by doctors seeking to stop the government from raising the number of medical school admissions, a ruling expected to affect several similar pending court proceedings. The top court upheld the appellate court's decision,… Read More
Putin gives another luxury Russian limousine to Kim
June 20, 2024, 1:22 pm
SEOUL – Russian President Vladimir Putin gave North Korean leader Kim Jong-un another Russian luxury vehicle as a gift on the occasion of their summit in Pyongyang, news reports said Wednesday. Putin gave Kim a new Aurus vehicle and a tea set as part of the many gifts between the two leaders,… Read More
Wildfires prompt mass evacuations, state of emergency in New Mexico
June 20, 2024, 1:15 pm
ISTANBUL – A state of emergency was declared Wednesday in part of New Mexico as forest fires spread rapidly over a day. About 5,000 residents in and around the village of Ruidoso were forced to evacuate due to two devastating wildfires in the South Fork and Salt areas, scorching a total area of… Read More
Russia, NoKor pledge to help each other in case of aggression
June 20, 2024, 8:18 am
MOSCOW – Russia and North Korea, under a new agreement, made a commitment to help each other in the event of aggression against either country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. Speaking at a news conference in Pyongyang following a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,… Read More
Israel approves plan to import 92K foreign workers
June 19, 2024, 12:16 pm
JERUSALEM – Seeking to address a labor shortage, Israeli officials approved a quota of 92,000 foreign workers to fill jobs in agriculture, industry, hotels and restaurants, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Tuesday. This marks the first time Israel has authorized foreign workers for the… Read More
