Foreign
UN chief recalls ICJ decisions 'binding,' urges parties to comply
May 25, 2024, 10:08 am
WASHINGTON – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday recalled that the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are "binding" after it ordered Israel to halt military operations in southern Gaza. "The Secretary General recalls that... decisions of the International Court of… Read More
UN court orders Israel to halt military operations in Rafah
May 25, 2024, 9:47 am
THE HAGUE – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday ordered Israel to stop its military offensive in Rafah, with immediate effect. "The situation has deteriorated since the last rulings on January 26 and March 28," Judge Nawaf Salam, president of the court, stated at the Peace Palace… Read More
Increasing occurrence of drought tests Amazon rainforest's resilience
May 24, 2024, 12:48 pm
ISTANBUL – The recovery of the Amazon rainforest has been slow due to frequent droughts since 2015, but the rainforest continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, scientists from Belgium's KU Leuven University said in a recently released study. "Since the turn of the century, four extreme… Read More
Officials from 68 countries attend Iranian president’s funeral
May 23, 2024, 5:02 pm
TEHRAN, Iran – High-ranking officials from at least 68 countries attended a ceremony in Tehran on Wednesday to pay respect to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions killed in a helicopter crash this weekend. The ceremony was held hours after hundreds of thousands of people took part… Read More
UK premier announces general election on July 4
May 23, 2024, 3:58 pm
LONDON – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced that the general election in the UK would be held on July 4. "Earlier today, I spoke with His Majesty the King to request the dissolution of parliament. The King has granted this request and we will have a general election on the… Read More
US maintains opposition to unilateral recognition of Palestinian state
May 23, 2024, 3:01 pm
WASHINGTON – The White House reiterated its opposition Wednesday to any unilateral recognition of the state of Palestine after three European nations moved to open ties. In response to action from Ireland, Norway, and Spain, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan maintained that any Palestinian… Read More
Microplastic particles detected in fish brains in eastern Türkiye
May 23, 2024, 2:48 pm
ERZURUM, Türkiye – Microplastic particles were detected in fish brains during a scientific study conducted on aquatic creatures in Türkiye's eastern province of Erzurum. Disposable plastics discarded in nature can turn into microplastic particles in water under the influence of waves, sun, and… Read More
Seoul summit adopts joint ministerial statement on safe, innovative AI
May 23, 2024, 12:22 pm
SEOUL – Ministerial level representatives of 28 countries and international organizations on Wednesday adopted a joint statement calling for the advancement of the safety, innovation and inclusivity of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in a global AI summit, Seoul's science ministry said.… Read More
WHO head urges Israel to lift restrictions on aid into Gaza
May 22, 2024, 2:41 pm
GENEVA – Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Tuesday asked Israel to lift blockade on medical supplies into Gaza, saying around 700 seriously ill patients are stuck in a war zone. "Crossings from Egypt into Gaza have remained closed for two weeks, cutting off… Read More
Int’l tourism reaches 97% of pre-virus levels in Q1
May 22, 2024, 1:43 pm
ANKARA – International tourism reached 97 percent of its pre-pandemic level in the first quarter of the year, the UN Tourism said Tuesday. More than 285 million tourists traveled internationally in January-March, rising 20 percent from the previous year, it said. While export revenues from… Read More
S. Korea reports 1st ASF case in 9 months
May 22, 2024, 12:43 pm
SEOUL – South Korea on Tuesday reported its first African swine fever (ASF) case in around nine months. The latest ASF case was found at a farm located in the inter-Korean border county of Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, which raised some 1,200 pigs, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food… Read More
S. Korea, US hold 2nd round of talks on defense cost sharing
May 22, 2024, 12:27 pm
SEOUL – South Korea and the United States held a new round of negotiations Tuesday on sharing the costs for stationing American troops here. The three-day talks through Thursday are aimed at determining how much Seoul should shoulder for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea (USFK),… Read More
Singapore Airlines passenger dies after 'severe turbulence'
May 22, 2024, 7:48 am
ISTANBUL – At least one passenger of British origin was killed and many others injured after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to the Southeast Asian city-state encountered "severe turbulence," the company said on Tuesday. It said flight number SQ321, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew… Read More
How South Korea won the battle vs. food waste
May 21, 2024, 3:15 pm
ANKARA – When it comes to food, the world is divided, as in many other ways, between the haves and have-nots: hundreds of millions face immense hunger as millions more waste staggering amounts of food. This glaring contradiction was illustrated in a recent UN report, which showed that households… Read More
Iran to hold presidential election on June 28
May 21, 2024, 2:50 pm
TEHRAN – Iran's government decided on Monday that the country's 14th presidential election would be held on June 28, the official news agency IRNA reported. The election date was determined in a meeting attended by Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, currently assuming the presidency,… Read More
Magnitude 6.0 quake jolts Japan's Ogasawara Islands
May 21, 2024, 2:32 pm
TOKYO – A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near the Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo Tuesday morning, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Its epicenter was traced at a depth of around 50 kilometers (31 miles), measuring 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity… Read More
Iranian president, foreign minister confirmed dead in chopper crash
May 20, 2024, 4:52 pm
ANKARA – Tehran on Monday confirmed the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials in a helicopter crash in the country's northwestern province. Iranian Deputy President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri said in a statement on… Read More
Eyes on Türkiye's UVA tracking Iranian President’s helicopter crash
May 20, 2024, 2:05 pm
ANKARA – Hundreds of thousands of people are following the flight of an Akinci unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that Türkiye assigned to assist in search efforts for a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his delegation that crashed in northwestern Iran. According to figures,… Read More
Location of Iran president's crashed helicopter identified
May 20, 2024, 8:31 am
ISTANBUL – Iran's East Azerbaijan Revolutionary Guards Command reported that the location of the helicopter that crashed while carrying President Ebrahim Raisi and his delegation has been determined on Sunday. The Iranian state news agency IRNA published the statement that said a signal was… Read More
Mt. Ibu eruption triggers volcanic thunderstorm
May 19, 2024, 1:54 pm
JAKARTA – A four-kilometer-high volcanic ash cloud formed by the eruption of Mount Ibu in North Sulawesi triggered flashes of lightning that illuminated the volcano's peak on Saturday, the Mount Ibu observation post reported. "The sound of rumbling and roaring was heard up to the Mount Ibu… Read More
