Foreign
Biden, Trump set stakes for voters in first, chaotic pres'l debate
June 28, 2024, 1:16 pm
WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump sought to set the stakes for America's voters Thursday night as they sparred during their first presidential debate that repeatedly broke down into personal attacks and meandering, stream-of-consciousness diatribes. Biden… Read More
Initial jobless claims in US fall by 6,000
June 28, 2024, 1:08 pm
ISTANBUL – The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims fell 6,000 last week to 233,000, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. The figure came in slightly lower than market estimates of 236,000. The previous week's reading was revised up by 1,000 from 238,000 to… Read More
US, Russia, Ireland latest to warn against travel to Lebanon
June 28, 2024, 1:05 pm
ANKARA – The United States, Russia, and Ireland were the latest countries to recommend against travel to Lebanon on Thursday amid fears of a possible war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. In a statement, the US Embassy in Beirut asked its nationals to strongly reconsider travel to… Read More
South Korea records its hottest June as temperature soars
June 28, 2024, 12:07 pm
ANKARA – South Korea is experiencing its hottest June as the East Asian nation recorded an average of 2.4 heat wave days from June 1 to 20. The previous record was set in 2018 when there was an average of 1.5 heat wave days but this year, the country recorded 33°C (91°F) or above temperatures… Read More
ASEAN vows to strengthen cooperation to tackle transnational crime
June 27, 2024, 6:21 pm
VIENTIANE – The member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pledged to toughen their stance against transnational crime, with closer cooperation being emphasized during the 24th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) in Vientiane, Laos. According to… Read More
UN Tourism welcomes UAE-based New Perspective Media as member
June 27, 2024, 6:15 pm
DUBAI, UAE – The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has welcomed New Perspective Media (NPM Group) to its expanding network of affiliate members alongside 38 other entities worldwide. The new members represent a diverse range of backgrounds, including for-profit companies,… Read More
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
