Foreign
US, Chinese defense chiefs hold 1st talks since 2022
April 17, 2024, 5:54 pm
WASHINGTON – US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke via video teleconference on Tuesday with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in their first engagement in more than a year, the Pentagon said. They discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global security issues, Pentagon Press… Read More
UAE sees heaviest rainfall in 75 years
April 17, 2024, 5:38 pm
ISTANBUL – The United Arab Emirates saw its heaviest downpour in the past 75 years this week, according to the state weather service. "The UAE witnessed its heaviest rainfall on record in the past 24 hours. Surpassing anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949," the… Read More
13K medical students to seek injunction vs. school quota hike
April 17, 2024, 1:27 pm
SEOUL – About 13,000 medical students plan to collectively seek court injunctions to halt their schools' expansion of admission quotas, a lawyer said Wednesday, as the walkout by protesting trainee doctors continued for nearly two months. The motion for an injunction will be filed next Monday by… Read More
British households throw away some 1.7B pieces of plastic every week
April 17, 2024, 12:52 pm
Athens – Households in Britain throw away some 1.7 billion pieces of plastic every week, according to a new report by the UK’s Big Plastic Count initiative. According to the report, only 17 percent of the country’s plastic waste is recycled while 58 percent is incinerated, 14 percent… Read More
Ukraine to request NATO meeting: Zelenskyy
April 17, 2024, 12:37 pm
ISTANBUL – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that his country will request a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council to discuss issues regarding further military support for Kyiv. “Ukraine will request a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council to discuss the protection of the… Read More
Israeli Air Force finalizes preparations for possible attack on Iran
April 16, 2024, 7:11 pm
JERUSALEM – Israel’s Air Force has completed preparations for a possible attack on Iran, according to local media on Monday. The Israeli public broadcaster KAN said Tel Aviv is planning a “limited response” that would allow Iran to contain it, to avoid an all-out war. Israel seeks to keep… Read More
OpenAI opens its first Asian office in Tokyo
April 16, 2024, 5:56 pm
TOKYO/ISTANBUL – OpenAI, the developer of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, has opened its first office in the Asian region in the Japanese capital, Tokyo. "We chose Tokyo as our first Asian office for its global leadership in technology, culture of service, and a community that… Read More
Dengue fever deaths in Indonesia up 179%
April 16, 2024, 4:00 pm
JAKARTA – Deaths from dengue fever in Indonesia this year surged by 179.4 percent to 475 as of the 15th week of 2024, compared to 170 deaths recorded in the same period last year, according to data from the Ministry of Health. Dengue fever cases this year also saw a significant increase,… Read More
IFRC urges support to 'severely underfunded' Sudan emergency appeals
April 16, 2024, 3:56 pm
GENEVA – The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Monday urged countries to support "severely underfunded" Sudan emergency appeals. Calling the first anniversary of the conflict in Sudan "a grim milestone," Jagan Chapagain wrote on X: "The acute… Read More
Elon Musk proposes small fee for new X users to combat fake accounts
April 16, 2024, 2:23 pm
ANKARA – Elon Musk, CEO of social media platform X, on Monday proposed a small fee for new users to write, reply to, or like posts. In a post on X, Musk said such a measure would be unavoidable in order to "curb the relentless onslaught of bots" on the website. "Current AI (and troll farms) can… Read More
Israel lifts restriction on normal activities after Iranian attack
April 15, 2024, 3:20 pm
JERUSALEM – The Israeli army said early Monday that it lifted the restrictions imposed on gatherings and resumed educational activities after Saturday's unprecedented retaliatory attack by Iran on the country. "IDF (army) decided to lift the Home Front Command restrictions it had put in place… Read More
Trainee doctors to file complaint vs. vice health minister
April 15, 2024, 2:38 pm
SEOUL – More than 1,300 trainee doctors were set to file a complaint against Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo for alleged abuse of power, one of the junior doctors said Monday, as their mass walkout has disrupted public health services for nearly eight weeks. A total of 1,325 trainee… Read More
6.2 magnitude quake strikes Papua New Guinea
April 15, 2024, 2:10 pm
ISTANBUL – A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the New Britain region of Papua New Guinea early Monday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported. There have been no reports so far of loss of life or property. Papua New Guinea is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where most of the world's… Read More
Pope appeals for de-escalation of tension in Middle East
April 15, 2024, 2:08 pm
ISTANBUL – Pope Francis on Sunday said he is watching the developments in the Middle East with concern and pain. "I make a heartfelt appeal to halt any action that might fuel a spiral of violence, with the risk of dragging the Middle East into an even greater military conflict," Pope Francis… Read More
Gulf Coop Council urges restraint after Iranian attack on Israel
April 14, 2024, 5:29 pm
RIYADH –The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi, urged all concerned parties Sunday to exercise restraint following Iran’s airborne attack against Israel. Budaiwi said the GCC “emphasizes the importance of preserving regional and global security… Read More
26 dead in massive rain, lightning in Pakistan
April 14, 2024, 4:26 pm
KARACHI, Pakistan – At least 26 people were killed and several others injured after massive rains and lightning struck parts of northeast and southwest Pakistan over the past 24 hours, provincial rescue officials said Saturday. Punjab's southern districts Rahimyar Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar… Read More
Biden condemns Iranian attack on Israel in 'strongest possible terms'
April 14, 2024, 12:06 pm
WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden said Saturday he condemns Iran's airborne attack against Israel in the "strongest possible terms." "I’ve just spoken with Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu to reaffirm America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. "I told him that Israel… Read More
Iran mission to UN tells US: Stay away from our conflict with Israel
April 14, 2024, 12:01 pm
WASHINGTON – The Iranian mission to the UN warned the US to "stay away" from the conflict between Iran and Israel on Saturday after Tehran began an airborne attack against Israel. "Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran’s military… Read More
Global oil production up by 0.4% in March
April 13, 2024, 6:45 pm
ANKARA – World oil production rose by more than 0.4 percent, or around 410,000 barrels per day (bpd), to nearly 102.35 million bpd in March, with a recovery in the US production, according to the International Energy Agency's (IEA) latest report on Friday. According to the energy agency’s Oil… Read More
UN ‘very worried’ over potential escalation of Iran-Israel rift
April 13, 2024, 12:28 pm
HAMILTON, Canada – The UN on Friday expressed deep worry over the heightened tensions between Iran and Israel. "It's something he (Secretary-General Antonio Guterres) is following very closely. We're very worried about a potential escalation in a situation that seems to be escalating on a daily… Read More
