Foreign
Biden doubts US presidential election will be peaceful
October 5, 2024, 11:23 am
WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden is convinced that the upcoming presidential election in the United States will be free and fair. He, however, expressed doubts that it would be peaceful. "I'm confident it (the election) will be free and fair. I don't know whether it will be peaceful," he said… Read More
Control smartphones like tobacco, says WHO expert
October 4, 2024, 12:50 pm
BAKU – Countries should consider regulating digital devices like smartphones in a similar way imposed on tobacco products, to combat social media's rising negative impact on young people's mental health, the World Health Organization’s Natasha Azzopardi Muscat said.With increasing evidence… Read More
Indonesia raises alert as Mount Merapi erupts
October 3, 2024, 8:42 pm
ISTANBUL – Indonesia raised its alert level to Level III as of Thursday due to the eruption of Mount Merapi, the country’s most active volcano, which has already generated 21 significant lava flows. Located on the densely populated island of Java, the volcano's increased activity presents a… Read More
S. Korean, US navies hold joint drill in East Sea
October 3, 2024, 1:46 pm
SEOUL – South Korea and the United States have completed a combined marine exercise in the East Sea to strengthen their interoperability, the South's Navy said Thursday. The two navies held a two-day exercise, starting Wednesday, in waters off Pohang, about 270 km. southeast of Seoul,… Read More
Israeli strikes displace 1.2M people in Lebanon
October 3, 2024, 12:04 pm
BEIRUT – The total number of displaced persons in Lebanon due to Israeli airstrikes has risen to nearly 1.2 million, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Disaster Risk Management Unit at the Lebanese Council of Ministers. According to the report, most displaced individuals have… Read More
New Japanese PM unveils cabinet lineup
October 2, 2024, 4:05 pm
TOKYO – Shigeru Ishiba, leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was officially elected as the country's prime minister on Tuesday after winning a majority of votes in both houses of parliament. The Japanese Diet convened an extraordinary session in the afternoon to choose the… Read More
Hyundai, Kia see 10% drop of US sales in September
October 2, 2024, 4:00 pm
SEOUL – Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. said Wednesday their combined sales in the United States dropped 10 percent in September from a year earlier on decreased exports and lower local demand due to a hurricane. Last month, Hyundai and Kia sold a combined 127,941 vehicles in the… Read More
EU countries spent $11.7B on imported coffee in 2023
October 2, 2024, 1:35 pm
ISTANBUL – The EU imported 2.7 million tons of coffee last year, worth 10.6 billion euros (USD11.7 billion), Eurostat said Tuesday. While the amount of imported coffee was almost same as the previous year, the value increased from 7.3 billion euros. Brazil, Vietnam, and Uganda were top three… Read More
All-out war must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs: UN
October 2, 2024, 1:16 pm
NEW YORK – UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced extreme concern with the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon and appealed for an immediate ceasefire. "An all-out war must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected,''… Read More
Israel: Iran fired 180 missiles in unprecedented attack on country
October 2, 2024, 11:50 am
JERUSALEM – Israel said late Tuesday that Iran fired a barrage of missiles at the country in an attack that Tehran described as retaliation for the assassinations of senior Iranian, Hamas, and Hezbollah officials. Israel’s Army Radio reported the launch of 180 missiles, revising an earlier… Read More
Elderly population worldwide to surpass youth by 2030
September 30, 2024, 7:29 pm
ANKARA – By 2030, the global population aged 65 and older is expected to outnumber the youth, with the elderly projected to double the number of children under five. In 1990, the UN declared Oct. 1 as the "International Day of Older Persons" to address the challenges of an aging population and… Read More
Japan to hold snap general polls on Oct. 7 as new PM elected
September 30, 2024, 2:25 pm
ANKARA – Shigeru Ishiba, Japan's newly elected ruling party leader and soon-to-be prime minister, has decided to hold a general election on Oct. 27, according to a report by Tokyo-based Kyodo News on Sunday. Ishiba, who was chosen as the head of the Liberal Democratic Party on Friday, plans to… Read More
Massive rains hit Nepal, 148 killed, 58 missing
September 30, 2024, 2:16 pm
ISTANBUL – Torrential rains across Nepal have triggered floods and landslides, leaving 148 dead and 59 missing, with rescue efforts ongoing, police said. The disaster has hit multiple regions, including Kathmandu Valley, where 73 people lost their lives. Koshi province reported 17 deaths, and… Read More
SpaceX launches rescue mission to bring home stranded astronauts
September 30, 2024, 11:57 am
ISTANBUL – A SpaceX rocket lifted off with two passengers on Saturday to retrieve two American astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for months, according to NASA. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1:17 p.m. (local time)… Read More
Norway urges upholding international law at UN General Debate
September 29, 2024, 5:35 pm
ISTANBUL – Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide underscored Saturday the urgent need to uphold international law amid escalating global tensions. "For the first time in 79 years, we have a major interstate war in Europe," Eide said in an address to the UN General Debate in New York as he… Read More
US issues travel advisory for Lebanon amid rising tensions
September 29, 2024, 4:57 pm
ISTANBUL – The US Department of State updated on Saturday its travel advisory for Lebanon, asking the families of diplomats to leave the country. The advisory said it ordered the departure of non-mission-employed eligible family members (EFMs) and authorized departure for mission-employed EFMs… Read More
Turkey’s entry to BRICS to benefit entire world – parliament speaker
September 29, 2024, 11:54 am
MOSCOW -- The possible membership of Turkey in BRICS will benefit not merely Ankara alone but the entire world, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly (the parliament) of Turkey Numan Kurtulmus said in an interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman. "Turkey’s presence in… Read More
UN chief calls for urgent halt to Beirut violence, ceasefire in Gaza
September 29, 2024, 9:29 am
ISTANBUL – The UN secretary-general expressed on Saturday deep concern over "the dramatic escalation" of violence in Lebanon in the past 24 hours, calling for an end to conflicts in the Middle East. "This cycle of violence must stop now, and all sides must step back from the brink," Antonio… Read More
Denmark sees Morocco’s autonomy plan as credible contribution
September 29, 2024, 9:26 am
UNITED NATIONS – Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, held talks with Denmark’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26. In a Joint… Read More
Japan court acquits world's longest-serving death row convict
September 27, 2024, 2:26 pm
ISTANBUL – A Japanese court on Thursday acquitted the world's longest death row convict, ruling that the evidence in 1966 murder cases was "fabricated." In a rare retrial of former professional boxer Iwao Hakamata, 88, a district court in Shizuoka province had been hearing the 1966 quadruple… Read More
