Foreign
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
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
