Iran says will hold nuclear talks with France, Germany, UK on Friday

Tehran (AFP) -- Iran said on Sunday that it would hold nuclear talks in the coming days with the three European countries that initiated a censure resolution against the Islamic republic recently adopted by the UN nuclear watchdog. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced the meeting on Friday of the deputy foreign ministers of Iran, France, Germany and the United Kingdom to discuss a range of topics including the Iranian nuclear issue.

Nov. 24, 2024

What you need to know about Adani's US bribery indictment

BENGALURU (Reuters) -- Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his alleged role in a $265 million scheme to bribe Indian officials, sending shockwaves across his eponymous $142 billion ports-to-soybeans business conglomerate. Here is what you need to know about the US indictment. THE MAJOR US INDICTMENT Gautam Adani, one of world's richest people, faces his biggest challenge after being charged with seven others for alleged bribery related to power supply dea

Nov. 22, 2024

Trump picks ex-Florida Attorney General Bondi as attorney general after Gaetz's withdrawal

President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the Department of Justice on Thursday, hours after former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration for the post amid a controversy over his sexual misconduct allegations. Trump issued a statement on the designation of Bondi, who served as a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, after Gaetz withdrew, saying his confirmation process was "unfairly" becoming a "distraction" to Trump's transi

Nov. 22, 2024

Gaetz withdraws as Trump's nominee for attorney general

Former Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general Thursday amid a controversy over sexual misconduct allegations that clouded the prospects for his confirmation. Gaetz announced the decision to withdraw from consideration for the top Justice Department post, dealing a setback to Trump's ongoing efforts to round out his Cabinet to push for his America First policy agenda. "While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confi

Nov. 22, 2024

Russia says Ukraine fired 6 ATACMs at the Bryansk region

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday that Ukraine fired six US-made ATACMs missiles at Russia’s Bryansk region. In a statement carried by Russian news agencies, the ministry said it shot down five of them and damaged one more. The fragments fell on the territory of an unspecified military facility, the ministry said. The announcement comes shortly after Washington lifted restrictions on Ukraine using US-made longer-range missiles to strike Russia. Ukraine didn't immediately co

Nov. 19, 2024

Ukraine strikes arsenal amid reports US ATACMS used in Russia for first time

Kyiv said on Tuesday it struck a Russian arsenal near the town of Karachev in the Bryansk region, over 110 kilometers from Ukraine, in what two Ukrainian media outlets reported was a first strike with US-supplied ATACMS missiles. There was no official confirmation from Ukraine about what weapon was used. The military's general staff and military intelligence agency did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Reuters and other outlets reported on Sunday that Kyiv was granted permissio

Nov. 19, 2024

Ukraine's Zelenskiy says NK troop contingent in Russia could grow to 100,000

The number of North Korean troops stationed inside Russia could grow to 100,000, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday. Kyiv and its Western allies say North Korea has supplied Russia with weaponry and troops to bolster its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "Now, Putin has brought 11,000 North Korean troops to Ukraine's borders. This contingent may grow to 100,000," Zelenskiy said in a virtual address to the European Parliament. South Korea's spy agency said l

Nov. 19, 2024

Putin signs new nuclear doctrine after US arms decision for Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a revised nuclear doctrine declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country. Putin’s endorsement of the new nuclear deterrent policy comes on the 1,000th day after he sent troops into Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2022. It follows US President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with US-supplied longer-range missiles. The sig

Nov. 19, 2024

Trump names Tesla CEO Musk to lead government efficiency department

US President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Tesla CEO Elon Musk, working in tandem with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency, an organization tasked with reducing bureaucracy in the federal government. Trump issued a statement on the designation as he pledged during a presidential campaign to establish the department as part of a government reform effort. "I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with Ame

Nov. 13, 2024

Trump picks Fox News Channel host Pete Hegseth as Pentagon chief

US President-elect Donald Trump tapped Fox News Channel host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary on Tuesday, describing him as a "warrior for the troops and for the country." Trump issued a statement on the designation of Hegseth, an Army veteran with tours in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as America's next defense secretary, who is tasked with handling a series of tough security challenges, including North Korea's military threats, Russia's war in Uk

Nov. 13, 2024

Trump officially names Rep. Mike Waltz as his national security advisor

US President-elect Donald Trump officially named Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as his national security advisor on Tuesday, saying the Green Beret veteran will be a "tremendous" champion of his incoming administration's pursuit of "peace through strength." Trump made the announcement a day after he was reported to have offered the White House advisor post to Waltz, a veteran who served 27 years in the US Army and National Guard with multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Mi

Nov. 13, 2024

[Graphic News] Dengue fever cases surge among S. Korean travelers

The number of dengue fever infections has spiked this year, with a South Korean university student recently dying from the mosquito-borne infection in Pakistan. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, South Korea has recorded 170 cases of dengue fever as of Oct. 26, a 16.4 percent increase from last year, with most cases caught while abroad. By country, Indonesia has the most cases, with 64 (37.6 percent of the total), followed by the Philippines with 44 cases (25.9 perce

Nov. 12, 2024

US announces charges in alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Trump

US prosecutors announced charges on Friday in an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate former president Donald Trump and a prominent dissident Iranian-American journalist. The foiled assassination plot on Trump was allegedly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to avenge the death of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in 2020 in a US strike ordered by then-president Trump, the Justice Department said. Farhad Shakeri, 51, an Afghan national who is believed to be i

Nov. 9, 2024

Trump claims victory over Harris in US presidential election

Donald Trump claimed victory and pledged to "heal" the country Wednesday as results put him on the verge of beating Kamala Harris in a stunning White House comeback. His exuberant speech came despite the fact that only Fox News had declared him the winner, with no other US networks having made the call so far. As jubilant supporters cheered and chanted "USA," Trump took to the stage at his campaign headquarters in Florida along with his wife Melania and several of his childre

Nov. 6, 2024

Harris, Trump secure expected wins in reliable states as vote counting proceeds

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump secured anticipated wins in states favoring their respective parties on Tuesday, as political attention gravitates to key battleground states that will likely decide the outcome of this year's general election. With vote counting under way, Harris won New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Delaware and other Democratic-leaning states, while Trump clinched victories in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Ohio and oth

Nov. 6, 2024

America reaches Election Day and a stark choice between Trump and Harris

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A presidential campaign marked by upheaval and rancor approached its finale on Election Day as Americans decided whether to send Donald Trump back to the White House or elevate Kamala Harris to the Oval Office. Polls opened across the nation Tuesday morning as voters faced a stark choice between two candidates who have offered drastically different temperaments and visions for the world’s largest economy and dominant military power. Harris, the Democratic vice president,

Nov. 5, 2024

Delhi wants artificial rain to tackle worsening air pollution

India's capital territory of Delhi is keen to use artificial rain to fight air pollution this year, its Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday, as deteriorating air quality in the region led to an increase in respiratory illnesses. Large swathes of north India battle pollution each winter as cold air traps dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from farm fires in the breadbasket states of Punjab and Haryana, shrouding the national capital and its suburbs in a toxic haze. Cloud-seeding --

Nov. 5, 2024

Harris, Trump make final appeals to voters on Election Day eve amid tight race

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump made their final pitch to court undecided voters and "get out the vote" on Monday, a day before the high-stakes general election that could reshape America's policy on its alliances, the economy, trade, and other key issues. Vice President Harris and former President Trump held a series of final campaign events, particularly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is seen as a must-win battleground

Nov. 5, 2024

EU's Borrell vows to advance security, defense ties with S. Korea

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Sunday he will discuss ways to advance the EU's security and defense cooperation with South Korea during his visit to Seoul. Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, wrote on social media platform X that he arrived in Seoul to co-chair the first Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. "Over the past years, we have become even closer partners making significant progress with t

Nov. 3, 2024

Over 7,000 N. Korean troops deployed near border with Ukraine, armed with rifles, mortars

Kyiv's defense intelligence agency has said Russia appears to have deployed more than 7,000 North Korean soldiers, armed with AK-12 rifles, mortar rounds and other assault weapons, to areas near the border with Ukraine. South Korea and the West have warned that North Korean troops in Russia may soon enter into combat against Ukraine that would pose a major security threat to both Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) said on Saturday (local time) that

Nov. 3, 2024