Foreign
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
Louisiana state requires posting of Ten Commandments in classrooms
June 20, 2024, 2:48 pm
WASHINGTON – The Biblical Ten Commandments will be required to be displayed in all public school classrooms in the state of Louisiana after Governor Jeff Landry signed Republican legislation mandating the action into law Wednesday. "If you want to respect the rule of law you've got to start from… Read More
Supreme Court junks petition vs. medical school quota hike
June 20, 2024, 2:38 pm
SEOUL – The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down an injunction filed by doctors seeking to stop the government from raising the number of medical school admissions, a ruling expected to affect several similar pending court proceedings. The top court upheld the appellate court's decision,… Read More
Putin gives another luxury Russian limousine to Kim
June 20, 2024, 1:22 pm
SEOUL – Russian President Vladimir Putin gave North Korean leader Kim Jong-un another Russian luxury vehicle as a gift on the occasion of their summit in Pyongyang, news reports said Wednesday. Putin gave Kim a new Aurus vehicle and a tea set as part of the many gifts between the two leaders,… Read More
Wildfires prompt mass evacuations, state of emergency in New Mexico
June 20, 2024, 1:15 pm
ISTANBUL – A state of emergency was declared Wednesday in part of New Mexico as forest fires spread rapidly over a day. About 5,000 residents in and around the village of Ruidoso were forced to evacuate due to two devastating wildfires in the South Fork and Salt areas, scorching a total area of… Read More
Russia, NoKor pledge to help each other in case of aggression
June 20, 2024, 8:18 am
MOSCOW – Russia and North Korea, under a new agreement, made a commitment to help each other in the event of aggression against either country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. Speaking at a news conference in Pyongyang following a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,… Read More
Israel approves plan to import 92K foreign workers
June 19, 2024, 12:16 pm
JERUSALEM – Seeking to address a labor shortage, Israeli officials approved a quota of 92,000 foreign workers to fill jobs in agriculture, industry, hotels and restaurants, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Tuesday. This marks the first time Israel has authorized foreign workers for the… Read More
Putin arrives in North Korea for 1st official visit in 24 years
June 19, 2024, 9:19 am
ISTANBUL – Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in North Korea's capital Pyongyang on Tuesday for his first visit to the nation in 24 years, the Kremlin said. The Russian president was invited by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who "personally met Vladimir Putin at the airport in Pyongyang,"… Read More
Spain has EU’s lowest asylum claim acceptance rate, approving just 12%
June 18, 2024, 3:44 pm
OVIEDO, Spain – Spain had the lowest asylum acceptance rate in the EU in 2023, according to a report released on Monday by the Spanish Commission for Refugee Assistance (CEAR). The Spanish refugee rights group found that Spain approved just 12 percent of asylum claims last year, far below the EU… Read More
Japan firm makes battery material with 100-times higher energy density
June 18, 2024, 2:06 pm
ISTANBUL – Japanese multinational electronics corporation TDK announced Monday it has developed a material for solid-state batteries that are about 100 times greater than the energy density of conventional ones. The Tokyo-based firm said its technology can be utilized in various wearable… Read More
Migrant boat capsizes off Calabria coast, 50 missing
June 18, 2024, 12:19 pm
ROME – About 50 migrants are missing after the sailing boat on which they were travelling capsized about 100 miles off the coast of Calabria, Italian coastguard sources said Monday. A merchant ship came to the boat's rescue and subsequently transferred the 12 surviving migrants onto a Coast… Read More
Plastic waste imminent threat to ecosystem
June 17, 2024, 8:50 pm
ABU DHABI – Plastic waste is classified as one of the largest threats to the ecosystem in all its forms due to its negative impact on soil and agricultural crops, as well as its role in the extinction of millions of terrestrial and marine species, thereby threatening global food security. A… Read More
