Biden goes west for his second vacation of the month

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived in Nevada late Friday for more rest and relaxation. The first couple is renting a private home on Lake Tahoe, the massive alpine lake that abuts California and Nevada and is a tourist attraction, particularly in the winter for its ski resorts. The president flew there from Camp David, where he hosted a summit Friday with the leaders of South Korea and Japan. The home in the Glenbrook community belongs to Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor. Steyer is

Aug. 19, 2023

[Graphic News] About 7 in 10 US adults believe in angels: poll

About 7 in 10 US adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. “People are yearning for something greater than themselves — beyond their own understanding,” said Jack Grogger, chaplain for the Los Angeles Angels and a longtime Southern California fire captain who has aided many people in their gravest moments. People turn to angels for comfort, he said. They are familiar, regularly showing up in pop c

Aug. 15, 2023

Russia downs 20 drones over Crimea following a spate of attacks on Moscow

Russia thwarted an attack by 20 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow-annexed Crimea overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday. Fourteen drones were shot down by Russian air defenses and a further six were jammed electronically, the ministry said in a Telegram post. No casualties or damage were reported. Kyiv officials neither confirmed nor denied Ukraine’s involvement in the attacks. As videos circulated on Russian social media Saturday appearing to show smoke rising above a bridg

Aug. 13, 2023

'It's gone': stunned residents find nothing but ashes in Hawaii wildfire town

When Anthony La Puente made it back to the place he had called home for the last 16 years, there was almost nothing left. His house, like most in Lahaina, had been razed by the wildfire that swept through this slice of Hawaiian paradise. "The only thing I can say is that it hurts. It takes a toll on you emotionally," the 44-year old said "It sucks not being able to find the things you grew up with, or the things you remember." La Puente was one of dozens of people who were al

Aug. 12, 2023

[Wang Son-taek] How to fix the jamboree fiasco?

South Korea has been upgraded from the poorest to one of the wealthiest countries by making remarkable progress over the past 60 years. The people of Korea are proud of these achievements. However, the pride has been brutally shattered in the wake of the 25th World Scout Jamboree. This is because the big event is attracting international attention and has been ruined due to a lack of preparation. Participants of the jamboree, which was held in Saemangeum, a large portion of reclaimed land in Bua

Aug. 10, 2023

[Graphic News] Most Asian Americans have unfavorable views of China, prefer Taiwan

A new poll conducted amid rising tensions between mainland China and Taiwan, as well as with the United States, has found that most Asian Americans view China unfavorably. The poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center, surveyed 7,006 Asian adults living in the US from July 2022 to January 2023. The poll found that 78 percent of Asian adults in the US view the nation unfavorably but just 20 percent view China favorably. Only 11 percent viewed the US unfavorably while the majority, 52 percent, vi

Aug. 3, 2023

As the summer breezes fade, sweltering Europeans give air conditioning a skeptical embrace

MILAN -- During Europe's heat wave last month, Floriana Peroni’s vintage clothing store had to close for a week. A truck of rented generators blocked her door as they fed power to the central Roman neighborhood hit by a blackout as temperatures surged. The main culprit: air conditioning. The period -- in which temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius -- coincided with peak electricity use that came close to Italy’s all-time high, hitting a peak load of more than 59 gigawatts on Jul

Aug. 2, 2023

Pope calls for 'courageous courses of peace' for Ukraine

Pope Francis on Wednesday urged Europe to find "courageous courses of peace" to end the war in Ukraine as he opened a five-day visit to Portugal for a major Catholic youth festival. The 86-year-old pontiff has repeatedly called for peace in Ukraine and has sought to play a mediating role, though his efforts have yet to yield results and he has faced criticism for failing to blame Russia for the war. "We are sailing amid storms on the ocean of history, and we sense the need for cou

Aug. 2, 2023

Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang removed from office: state media

BEIJING -- China's foreign minister Qin Gang was removed from office on Tuesday, state media reported, after not being seen in the public eye for a month. "China's top legislature voted to appoint Wang Yi as foreign minister... as it convened a session on Tuesday," state media outlet Xinhua said. "Qin Gang was removed from the post of foreign minister." The report did not give a reason for Qin's removal but said President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order

July 25, 2023

Algeria battles raging wildfires that have killed 34

ALGIERS -- Algerian firefighters were Tuesday battling blazes that have killed 34 people across the tinder-dry north, destroyed homes and coastal resorts and turned vast forest areas into blackened wastelands. Witnesses described fleeing walls of flames that raged "like a blowtorch," and TV footage showed charred cars, burnt-out shops and smouldering fields and scrubland as thousands of residents were evacuated. Severe fires raged through the mountain forests of the Kabylia region on t

July 25, 2023

China to review appointments, dismissals of officials at Tuesday meeting: state media

China's National People's Congress Standing Committee, a powerful body that enacts and amend laws when parliament is not in session, will review appointments and dismissals of officials at a meeting on Tuesday, state media reported. The announcement comes one month since Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang was last seen, with China's government saying he was off for unspecified health reasons. The NPC committee, which meets roughly every two months to deliberate legislation and pass

July 24, 2023

[Graphic News] S. Korea ranks 43rd most peaceful country in world

　South Korea has been ranked as 43rd most peaceful country in the world, while North Korea is positioned at the 149th spot out of the 163 surveyed countries. 　According to the 2023 Global Peace Index conducted by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the top 10 most peaceful countries are predominantly in Europe and Asia. Iceland claimed the top spot, maintaining its position since 2008, followed by Denmark, Ireland and New Zealand. 　On the other hand, Afghanistan ranked the least peaceful c

July 21, 2023

[Graphic News] Record number of 40-year-old Americans have never married

The proportion of 40-year-olds in the US who are not married is at an all-time high, according to a survey. As of 2021, 25 percent of those aged 40 had never been married. This figure was a significant increase from 20 percent in 2010. The percentage of Americans at age 40 who have never married has increased steadily since 1980. Only 6 percent of 40-year-old Americans were unmarried at that time. Pew Research Center said people born after the 1960s are increasingly delaying marriage, and the pe

July 19, 2023

US Southwest swelters under dangerous heat wave, with new records on track

A dangerous heat wave threatened a wide swath of the Southwest with potentially deadly temperatures in the triple digits on Saturday as some cooling centers extended their hours and emergency rooms prepared to treat more people with heat-related illnesses. “Near record temperatures are expected this weekend!" the National Weather Service in Phoenix warned in a tweet, advising people to follow its safety tips such as drinking plenty of water and checking on relatives and neighbors. &ld

July 16, 2023

US politics and the Paris finance summit

By Jeffrey D. Sachs Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and French President Emmanuel Macron invited world leaders to Paris on June 22-23 to reach a new “global pact” to finance the fight against poverty and human-induced climate change. All kudos for the ambition, yet few dollars were put on the table. To an important extent, the continuing global failure to finance the fight against poverty and climate change reflects the failings of US politics, since the US, at least for the mome

July 11, 2023

[Graphic News] Majority of S. Koreans hold positive view of US, Biden: poll

A majority of South Koreans hold a positive view of the United States and President Joe Biden while more than 7 out of every 10 South Koreans also believe the US contributes to global peace and stability, a poll showed. In a 23-nation survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, 79 percent of those polled in South Korea said they hold a positive opinion of the US, significantly higher than the 23-country median of 59 percent. The reading for South Ko

July 10, 2023

Pope Francis names 21 new cardinals, including prelates based in Hong Kong and Jerusalem

Pope Francis on Sunday announced he has chosen 21 new cardinals, including prelates from Jerusalem and Hong Kong — places where Catholics are a small minority — as he continues to leave his mark on the body of churchmen who will select his successor. The pope announced his picks during his customary weekly appearance to the public in St. Peter’s Square, saying the ceremony to formally install the churchmen as cardinals will be held on Sept. 30. Among those tapped are several

July 9, 2023

NATO unity will be tested at upcoming summit. Ukraine's possible entry may be the biggest challenge

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues with no end in sight, NATO's much-celebrated unity faces fresh strains when leaders gather for their annual summit this week in Vilnius, Lithuania. The world’s biggest security alliance is struggling to reach an agreement on admitting Sweden as its 32nd member. Military spending by member nations lags behind long-standing goals. An inability to compromise over who should serve as NATO’s next leader forced an extension of the current s

July 9, 2023

[Graphic News] Most livable city is Vienna; Seoul ranks 4th among Asian cities

Vienna has been ranked the world’s most liveable city for the second year in a row, while Seoul and Busan respectively claimed the fourth and sixth spots among Asian cities. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Vienna achieved a score of 98.4 out of 100 on the annual Global Livability Ranking, followed closely by Copenhagen in Denmark and Melbourne with scores of 98 and 97.8, respectively. Seoul and Busan fell slightly short of the 90-point threshold, placing them lower than Londo

July 7, 2023

Dutch to return colonial treasures to Indonesia, S.Lanka

The Netherlands said Thursday it will hand back hundreds of colonial-era artifacts to Indonesia and Sri Lanka, including a haul of treasure and a gem-encrusted bronze cannon. The decision to return some 478 objects followed recommendations by a government-appointed commission last year looking into illegal Dutch colonial acquisitions now being displayed in museums in the Netherlands. "These recommendations are a milestone in dealing with collections from a colonial context," said Gunay

July 6, 2023