Biden discusses Taiwan with Xi in effort to avoid ‘conflict’

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) -- President Joe Biden objected to China’s “coercive and increasingly aggressive actions” toward Taiwan and raised human rights concerns about Beijing’s conduct in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong during his first in-person meeting on Monday with President Xi Jinping, the White House said. In a news conference following the meeting, Biden reiterated U.S. support for its longstanding “One China” policy. He also said that despite China&rsq

World NewsNov. 14, 2022

[Arvind Subramanian] New global race may spark green revolution

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27, in Egypt, which kicked off Nov. 6 and runs through Friday -- highlights the growing consensus that multilateral cooperation is necessary to avert environmental catastrophe. But with geopolitical tensions spiking and the US-China rivalry heating up, such efforts seem doomed to fail, much like previous efforts to promote global coordination on vaccines, trade, technological innovation and macroeconomic policy. The good news is that the consen

World NewsNov. 14, 2022

[Graphic News] Qatar Airways named world’s best airline

　Qatar Airways was named the world’s best airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022, while Singapore Airlines and Emirates landed in the second and third spots respectively. 　In a strong showing for Asia-Pacific carriers, Japan’s All Nippon Airways and Australia’s Qantas Airways rounded out the top five. Korean Air, South Korea’s largest air carrier, was named the world’s ninth best air carrier. 　The World Airline Awards were determined by an online custom

World BusinessNov. 11, 2022

[Newsmaker] Trump urged to delay 2024 launch after GOP’s uneven election

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was supposed to be a red wave that former President Donald Trump could triumphantly ride to the Republican nomination as he prepares to launch another White House run. Instead, Tuesday night’s disappointing results for the GOP are raising new questions about Trump’s appeal and the future of a party that has fully embraced him, seemingly at its peril, while at the same time giving new momentum to his most potent potential rival. Indeed, some allies were call

World NewsNov. 10, 2022

[Graphic News] More than 29,000 migrants to Europe have died since 2014

　More than 29,000 migrants have died trying to reach Europe since 2014, with 5,000 deaths in the last two years, the International Organization for Migration said in a report. 　The UN agency's Missing Migrants Project spoke of "increasing numbers of deaths seen on routes across the Mediterranean, on land borders to Europe and within the continent.'' 　According to the report, the deadliest migration route continues to be the Central Mediterranean, where 2,836 people have died since Januar

World NewsNov. 10, 2022

Last total lunar eclipse for three years arrives Tuesday

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Better catch the moon's disappearing act Tuesday -- there won't be another like it for three years. The total lunar eclipse will be visible throughout North America in the predawn hours -- the farther west, the better -- and across Asia, Australia and the rest of the Pacific after sunset. As an extra treat, Uranus will be visible just a finger's width above the moon, resembling a bright star. Totality will last nearly 1 1/2 hours -- from 5:16 a.m. to 6:41 a

World NewsNov. 8, 2022

[Newsmaker] Biden, Obama, Trump target key state in midterms countdown

PHILADELPHIA -- US President Joe Biden, Democratic superstar Barack Obama and Republican firebrand Donald Trump all converged in Pennsylvania on Saturday to push their parties to the finishing line in a race Biden said marks a "defining" moment for US democracy. The battle of the serving and two former presidents marked the start of a final crescendo before Tuesday when Americans will decide who controls Congress during the last two years of Biden's first term. Polls put Republica

World NewsNov. 6, 2022

[Graphic News] What do you do if you get caught in a crowd crush?

　The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency responsible for the public health of the American people, has detailed guidelines for travelers' behavior in places where mass gatherings are held. 　Here are the steps to follow if you are stuck in a crowd crush:

WorldNov. 3, 2022

Intruder attacks Pelosi’s husband, calling, ‘Where is Nancy’

SAN FRANCISCO — The husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was attacked and severely beaten with a hammer by an assailant who broke into the couple’s San Francisco home early Friday, searching for the Democratic leader and shouting, “Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?” The assault on the 82-year-old Paul Pelosi injected new uneasiness into the nation’s already toxic political climate, just 11 days before the midterm elections. It carried chilling echoes of the Jan. 6,

World NewsOct. 29, 2022

[Newsmaker] Greenhouse gases reach new record in 2021

GENEVA -- The three main greenhouse gases hit record high levels in the atmosphere last year, the UN weather agency said Wednesday, calling it an “ominous” sign as war in Ukraine, rising costs of food and fuel, and other worries have elbowed in on longtime concerns about global warming in recent months. “More bad news for the planet,” the World Meteorological Organization said in a statement along with its latest annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. It’s one of several r

World NewsOct. 27, 2022

[Graphic News] Britain's shortest-serving prime minsters

　British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who announced her resignation on Oct. 20 after just six weeks in power, goes down as the shortest-serving premier in the last 100 years. 　The shortest-serving prime minister in UK history leaves lasting scars on the economy after her botched budget rocked markets, spiked borrowing costs and tanked the pound. 　Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak is Britain's third leader in seven weeks and the first prime minister of color in its history. 　Here is the list o

WorldOct. 27, 2022

[Graphic News] Gray whale population off US west coast continues to decline

　US researchers say the number of gray whales off western North America has continued to fall over the last two years, a decline that resembles previous population swings over the past several decades. 　According to an assessment by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, the most recent count put the population at 16,650 whales - down 38 percent from its peak in 2015-16. The whales also produced the fewest calves since scientists began counting the births in 1994. 　An

WorldOct. 25, 2022

Korean Air plane overshoots runway, shuts Philippine airport

MANILA, Philippines -- A damaged Korean Air plane remained stuck in the grass at a central Philippine airport Monday after it overshot a runway in rainy weather the night before. No injuries were reported among the 162 passengers and 11 crewmembers who escaped from the aircraft using emergency slides. Dozens of flights have been canceled and Mactan-Cebu International Airport, one of the country's busiest, remained closed due to the stalled aircraft at the end of its lone usable runway. Th

World NewsOct. 24, 2022

World faces tension with China under Xi Jinping’s third term

BEIJING — The world faces the prospect of more tension with China over trade, security and human rights after Xi Jinping, the country’s most powerful leader in decades, awarded himself another term as leader of the ruling Communist Party. Xi has tightened control at home and is trying to use China’s economic heft to increase its influence abroad. Washington accused Beijing this month of trying to undermine US alliances, global security and economic rules. Activists say Xi&rsquo

World NewsOct. 24, 2022

COP27′s Coke sponsorship leaves bad taste with green groups

LONDON — This year’s United Nations climate summit is brought to you by Coke. Soft drink giant Coca-Cola Co.’s sponsorship of the flagship UN climate conference, known as COP27, sparked an online backlash and highlighted broader concerns about corporate lobbying and influence. The COP27 negotiations aimed at limiting global temperature increases are set to kick off next month in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. The Egyptian organizers cited Coca-Cola’s efforts

World NewsOct. 24, 2022

[Graphic News] 8 out of 10 Britons disapprove of Liz Truss-led government: poll

　Eight out of 10 people in Britain now disapprove of the government, a YouGov poll showed on Oct. 18, as the country deals with an economic crisis inflamed by new Prime Minister Liz Truss's now-abandoned attempts at radical tax cutting reforms. 　The poll found that 77 percent Britons disapproved of the Conservative-led government, the highest in 11 years of YouGov tracking, the company said. 　YouGov also said that 9 in 10 Britons, or 87 percent of those polled, say the government is handling

WorldOct. 21, 2022

[Graphic News] South Korea ranks 17th best country to retire

　Korea ranked 17th in this year’s global retirement ranking, up six notches from last year’s survey, according to the Natixis Investment Managers 2022 Global Retirement Index. 　Norway ranked No. 1, out of the 44 developed countries, followed by Switzerland and Iceland. 　The index includes 18 performance indices, grouped into four thematic indices that cover key aspects for welfare in retirement: The material means to live comfortably in retirement, access to quality financial serv

WorldOct. 13, 2022

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s global digital competitiveness ranking climbs to 8th spot: IMD

　South Korea’s global ranking in terms of digital technology competitiveness climbed to No. 8 this year, the Science Ministry said, citing the International Institute for Management Development. 　According to the ministry, South Korea climbed four notches from last year’s 12th spot in the 2022 IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking report. The country ranked 19th in 2017 and later reached the 14th and 10th spots in 2018 and 2019, respectively. 　The IMD, a Switzerland-based inte

WorldOct. 12, 2022

[Graphic News] Some 200 environmental activists killed in 2021

　Some 200 environmental and land defense activists were killed around the world in 2021, including some 54 in Mexico, which assumed the position of the deadliest country in the annual report by nongovernmental organization Global Witness. 　More than three-quarters of the killings took place in Latin America, where Colombia, Brazil and Nicaragua also logged double-digit death tolls. 　It was the third consecutive year of increases for Mexico and a jump from 30 such activists killed in 2020. 　T

WorldOct. 11, 2022

[Graphic News] SK Telecom’s 5G download speed ranks No. 1 among global telecos

　SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest wireless carrier, ranks No. 1 in terms of download speed of 5G networks, an industry report showed. 　According to global mobile industry tracker Opensignal, the average download speed using SK Telecom’s 5G network was recorded at 469.6 megabits per second (Mbps), 2.55 times faster than the 184.2 Mbps average among global mobile carriers. 　LG Uplus, the country's third-largest mobile carrier, ranked second, with 429.6 Mbps, followed by Bulgaria&rs

World BusinessOct. 7, 2022