Russia recognizes Ukraine-held areas as part of rebel areas

Russia announced Tuesday that its recognition of independence for areas in eastern Ukraine extends to territory currently held by Ukrainian forces _ further raising the stakes amid Western fears that Moscow a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine  is imminent. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has recognized the rebel regions' independence ``in borders that existed when they proclaimed'' their independence in 2014. Ukrainian forces later reclaimed control of large part of both r

World NewsFeb. 22, 2022

Volkswagen plans IPO of Porsche to ignite EV shift momentum

  Volkswagen AG is preparing an initial public offering of Porsche, seeking a listing of its most profitable asset to help boost the parent’s valuation and fund the push into electric vehicles. VW’s preferred shares surged as much as 10% after the announcement Tuesday on a possible IPO outline between the carmaker and and Porsche Automobil Holding SE, a company controlled by the billionaire Porsche and Piech owner family. The tentative plan, which is estimated to value the spor

World BusinessFeb. 22, 2022

[Graphic News] North Korea drops to 174th in corruption index

　North Korea retreated four notches in an annual international corruption ranking to 174th among 180 countries last year, a report by an anti-corruption watchdog showed.  　The reclusive country scored 16 out of 100 in the Corruption Perceptions Index report issued by Berlin-based Transparency International, down two points from the previous year. 　The index evaluates countries based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be, using data collected “by a variety of reputab

WorldFeb. 22, 2022

[Graphic News] S. Korea ranks 9th in defense technologies

　South Korea’s defense technologies were assessed to be the world’s ninth most advanced as of last year, a triennial government report showed, noting progress in artillery, submarines and other sectors. 　According to the report by the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement, South Korea ranked ninth among 16 countries, compared with the previous report in which the country tied with Italy for ninth place in 2018. 　The institute has published the re

WorldFeb. 8, 2022

[Photo News] Mexican journalists protest to reject violence against the union

Members Members of the Mexican press union staged a demonstration against violence against their colleagues, in Merida, Mexico, Jan. 25.  Thousands of journalists from all the states of the country demonstrated to demand justice for the recent murders of informants and the end of the violence against the union. A protester holds a picture of Mexican journalist Lourdes Maldonado who was killed in the northern border city of Tijuana, outside the Secretariat of the Interior in Mexico City. A g

World NewsFeb. 1, 2022

[Photo News] A makeshift memorial for a shooting in the Harlem neighborhood

A makeshift memorial is seen outside the New York City Police Department‘s 32nd Precinct near the scene of a shooting that occurred days earlier in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, Jan. 24, 2022. Calvin Hunt of Harlem pays his respects at the memorial, holding a photo of officer Jason Rivera, who the memorial is dedicated to. Jason Rivera was shot while responding to a domestic violence call. The incident ultimately took the life of the 22-year-old officer. New York City Poli

World NewsJan. 31, 2022

[Interactive] Americans reading fewer books than in previous years: Gallup poll

Americans read an average of 12.6 books during the past year, according to a new Gallup poll released. That represents the lowest number of books read compared to any previous survey dating back to 1990, Gallup said. In three polls conducted between 2002 and 2016, Gallup surveys showed that Americans read an average of 15.2 books per year.The results are based on a Dec. 1-16 poll of a random sample of 811 adults living in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia. The participants were aske

World NewsJan. 28, 2022

[Interactive] Number of Americans who identify as Christian further declines: poll

The percentage of Americans who identify as Christian dropped 15 percentage points over the past 14 years, while those who consider themselves religiously unaffiliated increased by 14 percentage points, a Pew study released indicates.Pew's National Public Opinion Reference Survey found that the majority of Americans - 63 percent - consider themselves Christian, down from 78 percent in 2007. Meanwhile, 29 percent of adults list their religion as “none,” meaning they consider themsel

World NewsJan. 28, 2022

[Interactive] Foreign student enrollment in US colleges drops 15%

Enrollment of foreign students in US colleges and universities plunged 15 percent in the 2020-21 school year even though American institutions remain in high esteem, research showed. Fewer than 1 million foreign students enrolled for either online or in-person classes at US universities in the 2020-21 school year, marking a 15 percent year-over-year decrease from the previous school year, according to data from the Institute of International Education analyzed by the Pew Research Center. It als

World NewsJan. 28, 2022

[Graphic News] China's birth rate at record low in 2021: official

　China's birth rate plummeted to a record low last year, official data showed, as analysts warn that faster-than-expected aging could deepen economic growth concerns. 　Beijing has been grappling with a looming demographic crisis as it faces a rapidly aging workforce, slowing economy and the country's weakest population growth in decades. 　The birth rate of the world’s second-biggest economy slipped to 7.52 births per 1,000 people, according to National Bureau of Statistics data, down fr

WorldJan. 27, 2022

[Graphic News] Americans reading fewer books than in previous years: Gallup poll

Americans read an average of 12.6 books during the past year, according to a new Gallup poll released. 　That represents the lowest number of books read compared to any previous survey dating back to 1990, Gallup said. In three polls conducted between 2002 and 2016, Gallup surveys showed that Americans read an average of 15.2 books per year. 　The results are based on a Dec. 1-16 poll of a random sample of 811 adults living in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia. The participants were

WorldJan. 21, 2022

[Graphic News] By the numbers: Stats that tell the story of Biden's first year

　 By some counts, President Joe Biden can lay claim to a banner first year in office. But the numbers also reveal plenty of setbacks.  　Most Americans got their COVID-19 vaccines, but other countries fared better. Economic growth surged; so did inflation. America exited Afghanistan, but the war ended with a chaotic evacuation and a suicide bombing that killed 13 US troops. Pandemic aid and infrastructure bills passed. Pricey legislation to advance Biden’s social and climate proposal

WorldJan. 20, 2022

[Graphic News] Shopping on social media seen hitting $1.2tr by 2025

　Shopping on social media such as Facebook, TikTok and WeChat is going to grow three times faster than sales from traditional channels over the next three years, according to a study released by Accenture. 　Social commerce, defined as transactions that take place entirely within the context of a social-media platform, will reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, up from $492 billion in 2021, the consulting company said in the report. The trend is being driven primarily by Gen Z and millennial consumers,

World BusinessJan. 17, 2022

[Interactive] Pandemic stress weighs heavily on Gen Z: poll

Isolation. Anxiety. Uncertainty. The stresses of the coronavirus pandemic have taken a toll on Americans of all ages, but a new poll finds that teens and young adults have faced some of the heaviest struggles as they come of age during a time of extreme turmoil. Overall, more than a third of Americans ages 13 to 56 cite the pandemic as a major source of stress, and many say it has made certain parts of their lives harder. But when it comes to education, friendships and dating, the disruption ha

World NewsJan. 12, 2022

[Interactive] Paul Rudd is People’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’

Paul Rudd, 52, the affable actor best known for playing “Ant-Man,” was named People magazine’s sexiest man alive, joining the likes of Idris Elba, George Clooney and Bradley Cooper. Rudd played the kind boyfriend of Lisa Kudrow’s wacky Phoebe on TV comedy “Friends” and later took larger roles in comedies like “Knocked Up” before playing Ant-Man in the Marvel superhero movie, followed by a sequel and appearances as the character in “Captain A

World NewsJan. 12, 2022

[Graphic News] Number of Americans who identify as Christian further declines: poll

　The percentage of Americans who identify as Christian dropped 15 percentage points over the past 14 years, while those who consider themselves religiously unaffiliated increased by 14 percentage points, a Pew study released indicates. 　Pew‘s National Public Opinion Reference Survey found that the majority of Americans - 63 percent - consider themselves Christian, down from 78 percent in 2007. Meanwhile, 29 percent of adults list their religion as “none,” meaning they conside

WorldJan. 10, 2022

[Graphic News] Foreign student enrollment in US colleges drops 15%

　Enrollment of foreign students in US colleges and universities plunged 15 percent in the 2020-21 school year even though American institutions remain in high esteem, research showed. 　Fewer than 1 million foreign students enrolled for either online or in-person classes at US universities in the 2020-21 school year, marking a 15 percent year-over-year decrease from the previous school year, according to data from the Institute of International Education analyzed by the Pew Research Center

WorldJan. 6, 2022

[Graphic News] 36 percent of US employers require COVID-19 vaccine for workers: Gallup

　The percentage of US employers requiring workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 has flattened at 36 percent, according to a Gallup poll. 　According to the Nov. 29-Dec. 5 Gallup tracking survey, 36 percent of workers said their employers are requiring COVID-19 vaccination. That was unchanged from October tracking survey results. 　Meanwhile, 55 percent of US workers supported COVID-19 vaccine requirements at work, while 35 percent of workers opposed them. 　Gallup’s tracking survey r

WorldDec. 30, 2021

[Graphic News] N. Korean leader 3rd most-searched politician online

　North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is the third most-searched politician by internet users worldwide this year, data showed . 　Online searches for Kim totaled a monthly average of 1.9 million, behind US President Joe Biden, who topped the list with 7 million searches, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with 2 million, according to German data analytics firm Statista. 　Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel ranked fourth with 1.4 million searches. 　The most-searched keyword related to the

WorldDec. 29, 2021