Foreign
Wimbledon lifts ban on Russian, Belarusian tennis players
April 1, 2023, 2:47 pm
ANKARA – Wimbledon lifted the ban on the Russian and Belarusian tennis players on Friday and will let them play as neutrals at this year's Grand Slam. "Our current intention is to accept entries from Russian and Belarusian players subject to them competing as 'neutral' athletes and complying… Read More
Taiwan’s Smart City Summit attracts record number of visitors
March 30, 2023, 4:19 pm
TAIPEI, Taiwan – The 10th Smart City Summit & Expo (SCSE) has attracted more than 1,500 visitors from various countries and regions, surpassing its previous record number of participants before the pandemic. The exhibition, held in Taipei from Tuesday to Friday, and in Kaohsiung from April 1 to… Read More
China warns of 'countermeasures' if Taiwan prexy, US Speaker meet
March 30, 2023, 3:06 pm
ISTANBUL –China warned Wednesday to undertake “countermeasures” if any meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy “undermines peace across Taiwan Strait.” Tsai left the capital Taipei for a 10-day trip to Central America Wednesday. Should Tsai… Read More
8 European countries urge tech firms to address disinformation
March 30, 2023, 2:48 pm
WARSAW – Eight European countries have urged global technology companies to engage in the fight against disinformation. “(Tech) Platforms should address the growing threat to democracies posed by deepfakes and other AI-generated disinformation pieces, especially from hostile foreign… Read More
Canada to provide $1.76-B loan to Ukraine in 2023
March 29, 2023, 4:48 pm
OTTAWA – The government of Canada is set to allocate a loan worth 2.4 billion Canadian dollars ($1.76 billion at the current exchange rate) to the Kiev government, according to the country’s draft federal budget. The document, published on Wednesday, promises the Kiev government an additional… Read More
Ex-US vice president ordered to testify on Jan. 6 Capitol siege
March 29, 2023, 2:20 pm
WASHINGTON – A federal judge has ordered former Vice President Mike Pence to testify before a grand jury in connection with the special counsel's investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol, reports said Tuesday. The Washington Post, citing two people familiar with the… Read More
Uniting for Consensus Group discusses UN Security Council reform
March 28, 2023, 8:07 pm
LONDON – Senior officials from the countries of the Uniting for Consensus Group (UfC) gathered Monday in Rome to discuss "meaningful reform" of the United Nations Security Council. Officials from the 12 UfC member states — Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Malta, Mexico,… Read More
Registration for media covering ASEAN Summit opens April 1
March 28, 2023, 8:03 pm
JAKARTA – Registration for media that seek to cover the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit will open on April 1, 2023, said Communication and Informatics Ministry’s Public Information and Communication Director General, Usman Kansong. Information concerning the coverage of… Read More
Biden bans gov't use of spyware posing risk to nat'l security
March 28, 2023, 4:08 pm
WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden issued an executive order Monday banning government agencies from using commercial spyware that poses a risk to national security. In his order, Biden said the US must establish procedures to ensure the responsible use of commercial spyware, protecting its… Read More
S&P Global revises down eurozone growth forecast for 2024
March 28, 2023, 1:41 pm
ANKARA – S&P Global Ratings on Monday revised downwards its eurozone growth forecast for 2024 while not expecting the single currency zone to return to its potential before 2025. The euro area’s gross domestic product (GDP) is now foreseen to reach 1 percent in 2024, down from the previous… Read More
Meritocracy shouldn't worsen inequality, says Pope
March 28, 2023, 12:16 pm
ROME – Meritocracy shouldn't worsen inequality, Pope Francis said Monday. "This problem of inequality can be aggravated by a false conception of meritocracy that undermines the notion of human dignity," he said as he received in audience at the Vatican the participants in the "Minerva Dialogues"… Read More
UNDP appeals $550M for sustainable recovery projects in Türkiye
March 27, 2023, 7:58 pm
LONDON – The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is appealing for $550 million for 31 projects that will contribute to the sustainable recovery of Türkiye's quake-hit southern region, and is calling on international donors to assist the government and people of the country. The UNDP's… Read More
Over 10% Japanese kids with Covid-related brain disease die
March 27, 2023, 7:31 pm
TOKYO – More than 10 percent of Japanese youngsters who acquired acute brain syndrome after contracting Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) have passed away, according to the findings of a recent national survey released by a study team from the health ministry. Between January 2020 and May… Read More
NoKor fires 2 SRBMs toward East Sea as US-SoKor stage drill
March 27, 2023, 5:32 pm
SEOUL – North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) toward the East Sea on Monday, hours before a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier staged joint drills in waters south of Jeju Island, according to South Korea's military. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JSC) said it detected the… Read More
Never lose hope, Pope tells faithful gathered for Angelus
March 27, 2023, 4:30 pm
ROME – The Pope on Sunday called on the faithful not to lose hope even when they fall or feel discouraged. Commenting on the day's Gospel on the resurrection of Lazarus, Francis invited the crowd of 35,000 people gathered in St Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer not to "let ourselves be… Read More
Egypt discovers 2K mummified ram heads in ancient temple
March 27, 2023, 2:16 pm
ANKARA – Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in a statement, said a massive collection of mummified ram heads was found in Ramses II Temple in the ancient city of Abydos in southern Egypt. Mummies of dogs, goats, cows, gazelles and mongooses left as offerings in the temple were also… Read More
Wildfire in eastern Spain hits 4K hectares
March 26, 2023, 7:43 pm
MADRID – A recent wildfire in eastern Spain hit around 4,000 hectares of forest and forced 1,500 people to leave their homes. The wildfire which began Thursday between the provinces of Castellon and Teruel is reportedly slowly being brought under control. Eight small towns and villages in the… Read More
Honduras breaks diplomatic ties with Taiwan
March 26, 2023, 4:03 pm
MEXICO CITY – The Honduran Foreign Ministry announced Saturday that diplomatic relations with Taiwan have been severed and a commitment to "never again" have official ties or contact with the island. The Honduran government said its decision to end the diplomatic relationship is because Taiwan… Read More
Japan bans Chinese, Russian researchers at ISAS
March 25, 2023, 3:58 pm
ISTANBUL – Japan imposed a ban on Chinese and Russian researchers at its space agency scientific institute, Kyodo News reported on Friday. The move by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) is “to protect sensitive technological information that could be used for military… Read More
Protest in France turns violent; 457 arrested
March 25, 2023, 12:19 pm
ANKARA – France saw a night of violence on Thursday when protests against the government's controversial pension reform got off course. It marked the ninth day of planned mobilization since January, with thousands of workers protesting and walking out in various sectors, including… Read More
