French voters deliver win for the left, blow for Le Pen

PARIS -- France faced potential political deadlock after elections on Sunday threw up a hung parliament, with the left alliance unexpectedly taking the most seats but no group winning a majority. Voters delivered a major setback for Marine Le Pen's nationalist, euroskeptic National Rally, which opinion polls had predicted would win the second-round ballot but ended up in the third spot, according to pollsters' projections. The results were also a blow for centrist President Emmanuel Macron, who

July 8, 2024

Biden digs in as Democrats consider forcing him out of presidential race

President Joe Biden on Friday battled to put down an uprising among some Democrats pushing him to abandon his reelection campaign after a poor debate performance, vowing that "I'm staying in the race." In a fiery speech to supporters in Wisconsin and in an ABC News interview , Biden argued he is the best Democratic candidate to prevent Republican Donald Trump from regaining the White House in the Nov. 5 election. Biden's halting performance at his debate with Trump on June

July 6, 2024

New PM Starmer speaks to world leaders, names top team after election win

Keir Starmer set to work as Britain's new leader Friday, speaking with other world leaders and appointing his ministerial team after his Labor party's landslide general election victory ended 14 years of Conservative rule. Starmer named Rachel Reeves the UK's first woman finance minister and appointed David Lammy as foreign secretary following his election win to become center-left Labor's first prime minister since Gordon Brown in 2010. Flag-waving crowds of cheering Labor a

July 6, 2024

Japanese man sentenced to 17.5 years in prison, and 20 strokes of the cane in Singapore for rape

A Japanese hairstylist has been sentenced to 17.5 years in prison and 20 strokes of the cane in Singapore for what the judge described as a “brutal and cruel” assault and rape of a drunk student five years ago, his lawyer said Thursday. Kita Ikko, 39, pleaded guilty Monday to one charge of rape, one charge of sexual assault by penetration, and one charge of making an obscene film, defense lawyer Adrian Wee told The Associated Press. The Kyodo News Agency cited the Japanese Embassy in

July 4, 2024

China supports Kazakhstan joining BRICS, eyes energy reserves

BEIJING -- China's President Xi Jinping said he supports Kazakhstan joining the BRICS bloc, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday, as the group of developing nations mulls further expansion to rival a Western-dominated world order it sees as outdated. Speaking to the press alongside Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev following a meeting in the Central Asian state's capital, Xi encouraged Kazakhstan to "play the role of a middle power on the international stage and make its

July 3, 2024

New Dutch leader pledges to cut immigration as the opposition vows to root out racists in cabinet

AMSTERDAM -- Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof gave his first speech to parliament on Wednesday, pledging that he will work hard at one of his new goverment’s main aims: reducing immigration. “The biggest of those concerns is asylum and migration. That is the crux of the matter, no matter how you look at it,” said Schoof , who is not a member of any of the four parties that make up the coalition government. Schoof formally took the reins from long serving prime minister Mark Rut

July 3, 2024

[Graphic News] Majority of US registered voters believe Biden should not run for reelection: poll

A recent CBS/YouGov poll reveals that more than 70 percent of US registered voters believe President Joe Biden should not seek reelection in November. The survey, conducted with 1,130 registered voters nationwide June 28-29, showed that 72 percent think Biden should not run for president, compared to 28 percent who believe he should. The poll, released on Sunday, followed the first 2024 presidential debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday. When asked about

July 3, 2024

Palestinian ministry says Israeli raid kills woman and child in West Bank

NUR SHAMS, Palestinian Territories -- Palestinian officials said an Israeli raid Monday killed a woman and a child in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, where a militant was killed the day before. The Israeli military, whose forces struck the same refugee camp on Sunday, did not immediately comment on the latest deaths. The Palestinian health ministry said in a statement that the woman and the child were killed in Nur Shams camp, near the northern West Bank town of Tulkarm. Four other peo

July 1, 2024

Gaza hospital chief says after release he was tortured by Israel

The head of the Gaza Strip's biggest hospital said on Monday after being freed from more than seven months of detention that he had been "tortured" by Israel. Al-Shifa hospital director Mohammed Abu Salmiya was among more than 50 Palestinians released and returned to Gaza for treatment, according to an Israeli minister and a medical source in the besieged territory. Salmiya said he was put through "severe torture" during his detention, which left him with a broken thumb.

July 1, 2024

How Democrats could replace Biden as presidential candidate

After President Joe Biden's shaky performance at the debate with former President Donald Trump on Thursday night, some Democrats openly questioned whether he should be replaced as their candidate for the 2024 election. There is a process for doing so, but it would be messy. For answers on how that would work, Reuters spoke to Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank, a Democratic National Committee member, and author of the book "Primary Politics" ab

June 30, 2024

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