Biden seeks to repair debate damage with fiery speech

A fired-up Joe Biden came out swinging Friday as he tried to make up for a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, insisting he was the right man to win November's US presidential election. Biden's appearance at a campaign rally in the battleground state of North Carolina came amid rumblings in his alarmed Democratic Party about replacing the 81-year-old as their nominee -- and shortly before the nation's most influential newspaper urged him to step aside. "I don&

June 29, 2024

Trump will encourage S. Korea, Japan ties, allies tell foreign officials

Donald Trump's allies are assuring officials in Japan and South Korea that the Republican presidential candidate will support a Biden-era effort to deepen three-way ties aimed at countering China and North Korea, five people familiar with the conversations said. In conversations over the past weeks, policy advisers with Trump's ear have delivered this message to officials in Seoul and Tokyo: if Trump takes office again, the ex-US president will support the two capitals' work to wa

June 29, 2024

'South Korea,' 'Samsung,' 'Kim Jong-un' pepper Biden-Trump debate

US President Joe Biden and former US President Donald Trump, in their first televised debate on Thursday night, exchanged barbs on a number of topics, among them South Korea, Samsung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During the highly anticipated faceoff, Biden invoked “South Korea” while locking horns over defense policy with Trump, to underscore the United States' role as a military supporter and its success in rallying international aid: “I’ve got 50 other nati

June 28, 2024

[Graphic News] Israelis divided over war against Hamas

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 39 percent of Israelis believe the country's military response against Hamas in Gaza has been appropriate, while 34 percent feel it has not gone far enough. Conversely, 19 percent think the response has been excessive. The survey also revealed that approximately two-thirds of Israelis are confident that Israel will likely achieve its goals in the war against Hamas, with 27 percent saying it will "probably" succeed and 40 perc

June 25, 2024

Death toll at Hajj pilgrimage rises to 1,300 amid scorching heat

CAIRO (AP) -- More than 1,300 people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced extremely high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, Saudi authorities announced Sunday. Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel said that 83 percent of the 1,301 fatalities were unauthorized pilgrims who walked long distances in soaring temperatures to perform the Hajj rituals in and around the holy city of Mecca. Speaking with the state-ow

June 24, 2024

EU seeks defense industry partnerships with Japan, South Korea: Nikkei

TOKYO -- The European Union is seeking security and defense industry partnerships with Japan and South Korea aimed at joint development of military equipment, the Nikkei reported on Sunday, citing a senior EU commission official. These would mark the EU's first such security and defense-related collaboration with Asian nations, the Japanese business newspaper said in a report from Brussels that did not identify the official. The bloc hopes to reach a ministerial-level agreement with Japan b

June 23, 2024

Israel's Netanyahu says US arms delay row to be 'resolved in near future'

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday a row with the United States over weapons delays relating to the Gaza war would be resolved soon, amid simmering tensions between the allies. "About four months ago, there was a dramatic drop in the supply of armaments arriving from the US to Israel. We got all sorts of explanations, but... the basic situation didn't change," he told a cabinet meeting. "In light of what I have heard in the last day, I hope and

June 23, 2024

[Graphic News] S. Korea ranks 16th globally, 5th in Asia in TOEIC scores

According to an evaluation by the Korea TOEIC Committee, the average TOEIC score of South Korean nationals was 677 out of 990 points last year. This ranks Korea 16th among the 44 countries surveyed and fifth among the Asian countries surveyed. Overall, Lebanon had the highest average TOEIC score, with an average of 834 points, followed by Germany (819), Belgium (784), Costa Rica (777) and India (776). Among the Asian countries surveyed, Lebanon led with an average score of 834, followed by Ind

June 21, 2024

Israeli tanks push deeper into Rafah

CAIRO -- Israeli tanks backed by warplanes and drones advanced deeper into the western part of the Gaza Strip city of Rafah on Wednesday, killing eight people, according to residents and Palestinian medics. Residents said the tanks moved into five neighborhoods after midnight. Heavy shelling and gunfire hit the tents of displaced families in the Al-Mawasi area, further to the west of the coastal enclave, they said. Some eight months into the war, there has been no sign of let up in the fighting

June 20, 2024

[Graphic News] Five Korean universities make global top 100

Five Korean universities have secured spots in the top 100 of the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings for 2025, showcasing the country's growing academic excellence. Leading the pack is Seoul National University, which ranked 31st globally, surpassing Japan's Tokyo University for the first time since 2015. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology followed at 53rd, moving up from 56th last year. Yonsei University and Korea University secured the 56th and 67th spot

June 20, 2024

Netanyahu dissolves influential war Cabinet

TEL AVIV, Israel -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the influential war Cabinet that has overseen the fighting in Gaza, a government spokesperson said Monday, days after a key member of the body bolted from the government over frustration with the Israeli leader's handling of the war. The move was widely expected following the departure of Benny Gantz, a centrist former military chief. Gantz's absence from the government increases Netanyahu's dependence on his

June 18, 2024

Putin to visit N. Korea on June 18-19: KCNA

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea this week, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday, amid deepening military cooperation with North Korea following his summit with the North's leader Kim Jong-un in September. Putin will "pay a state visit" to North Korea for a two-day trip starting Tuesday at the invitation of the North's leader Kim, the Korean Central News Agency said in a one-sentence dispatch. The Kremlin also confirmed Putin's North Korean

June 17, 2024

Russian spy chief Naryshkin: Putin's visit to North Korea will yield good results, TASS reports

MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's planned visit to North Korea has been well prepared and will bring good results, foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin was quoted by state news agency TASS as saying on Monday. Putin, who has developed closer relations with North Korea since the start of the war in Ukraine, is expected to visit the country shortly.

June 17, 2024

Israeli defense minister to visit Pentagon: US

WASHINGTON - Israeli Defense Miniter Yoav Gallant will visit Washington soon for talks with his US counterpart, the Pentagon said Saturday as the war in Gaza rages on. President Joe Biden's administration is pressing for a ceasefire deal which it says is backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but has drawn fury from some of the Israeli leader's far-right allies. In a formal response this week the Palestinian militant group Hamas stopped short of accepting the plan, making counter-

June 16, 2024

[Graphic News] 30% of Americans say college not worth it

Close to 30 percent of Americans said a college degree isn’t worth it, according to a survey from Pew Research Center that highlights the drag soaring costs have had on views about higher education in recent decades in the country. Almost half of US adults in the report think college is worth the cost — but only as long as they don’t need to take out a loan. Only 22 percent of respondents said a college degree is worth it even with student debt. Four in 10 Americans said havi

June 13, 2024

Ukraine's air force may keep some F-16 warplanes abroad to protect them from Russian strikes

Ukraine may keep some of the F-16 fighter jets it's set to receive from its Western allies at foreign bases to protect them from Russian strikes, a senior Ukrainian military officer said Monday. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have committed to providing Ukraine with over 60 US-made F-16 fighter jets to help it fend off Russian attacks. Ukrainian pilots are currently undergoing training to fly the warplanes ahead of the deliveries expected to start later this year. Serhii Holub

June 10, 2024

90 countries to attend Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit that Russia is snubbing

Nearly 90 countries and organizations, half from Europe, have confirmed attending the Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit over the weekend despite Russia’s refusal to participate, Switzerland’s president said Monday. Viola Amherd told reporters in the Swiss capital, Bern, that the summit, on Saturday and Sunday, will aim to chart a path toward possible peace nearly 28 months after Russian forces invaded Ukraine and the war grinding on. “This is not about propaganda,” said A

June 10, 2024

Missing UK journalist found dead on Greek island: police

British diet guru and TV personality Michael Mosley was found dead on Sunday on the Greek island of Symi where he went missing this week, police said. "People on a boat saw a body close to the rocky coast," said Petros Vassilakis, police chief for the southern Aegean region. The lifeless body was spotted by a television crew from Greece's ERT public channel out filming in the area where the 67-year-old disappeared. A cameraman "saw something strange near the fence, 50 metres

June 9, 2024

Iran OKs 6 candidates for presidential race, but again blocks Ahmadinejad

Iran’s Guardian Council on Sunday approved the country’s hard-line parliament speaker and five others to run in the country’s June 28 presidential election following a helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others. The council again barred former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a firebrand populist known for the crackdown that followed his disputed 2009 re-election, from running. The council’s decision represents the starting gun for a shortened,

June 9, 2024

N. Korea, China, Russia expanding nuclear arsenals at 'breakneck' pace: White House official

  WASHINGTON -- North Korea, China and Russia are expanding and diversifying their nuclear weapons stockpiles at a "breakneck" speed, a White House official said Friday, warning that absent a change in the trajectory of their arsenals, the United States may have to increase its own. Pranay Vaddi, senior director for arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation at the National Security Council, made the remarks at a forum, noting that the three countries are driving the US and it

June 8, 2024