my timesThe Korea Times

World

Read more

World

Moderate earthquake shakes Japan, injuring more than 30 people in Tokyo region

TOKYO — A moderate earthquake rattled eastern Japan , including the Tokyo area, early Sunday, injuring more than 30 people, most of them lightly, officials said. There was no danger of a tsunami. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 and its epicenter was in the southern Ibaraki prefecture with a depth of 70 kilometers (42 miles). The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a magnitude of 5.8. At least 37 people were injured in five prefectures in the region — 15 in Tokyo, nine in Saitama, eight in Kanagawa, four in Chiba and one in Ibaraki — according to prefectural officials and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Most of the injured were hurt when they fell down or hit themselves against furniture or doors as they were caught off guard by the quake while sleeping and got out of bed in a panic, officials said. Among them was a woman in her 80s who fell off the bed and suffered a serious hip injury in Yokohama, in the Kanagawa prefecture, the Yomiuri newspaper reported. A 23-year-old man told the Asahi newspaper that he felt a vert

16h agoBy AP
Moderate earthquake shakes Japan, injuring more than 30 people in Tokyo region
World

Japan's leader Takaichi explains why she secludes herself at official residence

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi , who is increasingly seen secluding herself at home, said on Saturday that she is using her official residence next to her office more for work to maximize efficiency. In December, Takaichi moved into the official residence, a brick-and-stone mansion that opened in 1929 used to be the original prime minister’s office until its replacement was built right next to it. Takaichi said on X that living in the official residence, or “kotei,” is good because its proximity requires no commute and lets her immediately get down to work in time of an emergency. Takaichi said she has reinforced office functions at the residence so she can work and have meetings there remotely or in person with her staff whenever needed, even after office hours. She also takes home documents to read. “To me, the official residence is also a workplace,” she said. But Takaichi, whose work mantra and her recent revelation on X of zero to three hours of sleep at night because of her homemaking burden on top of her heavy workload as prime minister, triggered critic

16h agoBy AP
Japan's leader Takaichi explains why she secludes herself at official residence
World

Iran warns any country joining US sanctions to be considered 'enemy'

TEHRAN — Iran on Saturday warned countries against participating in the United States' "economic war" against the Islamic republic, saying they would be considered enemies. Washington has pushed its allies to jump aboard U.S. President Donald Trump's new campaign to isolate the Iranian economy, as the president's unpopular war drags toward the six-month mark. "We declare to all countries ... do not join the economic war waged by the United States," said Mohsen Rezai, the head of Iran's supreme national security council, on state television. "Any country participating in the imposition of economic restrictions against us is considered an enemy," he added. If the countries concerned refused to "distance themselves" from the United States, Iran would "harm" their interests, he added. Rezai also insisted that the Islamic republic had more cards to play in the war, claiming that "we have not yet attacked any American economic interests." "So far, we have only targeted military bases, but if they want to impose economic sanctions on us, the United States has oil and economic companies around I

18h agoBy AFP
Iran warns any country joining US sanctions to be considered 'enemy'
World

Federal judge strikes down Trump-era visa ban affecting 75 countries

A federal judge in New York has vacated a Trump administration policy that suspended the processing of visas from 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, whose nationals the Trump administration deemed likely to require public assistance in the United States. U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, set aside the policy Friday as “contrary to law and in excess of statutory authority.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his authority by issuing the policy, which “runs afoul” of the Immigration and Nationality Act by mandating "the refusal of visas to eligible applicants without any basis in law,” the judge ruled. Judge says power lies with consular officers Vargas said the policy also undermines the congressional requirement that puts consular officers at the forefront of any visa decision. “Congress imbued these officers with exclusive authority and discretion to determine if an immigrant is eligible for a visa based upon review of specific and detailed criteria set forth in the statute,” she wrote. “The

18h agoBy AP
Federal judge strikes down Trump-era visa ban affecting 75 countries
World

Congo receives first 16,000 doses of possible Ebola vaccine

BUNIA, Congo — Congo has received more than 16,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine as the country grapples with the fastest Ebola outbreak in history, the country's health minister said. The 16,250 doses arrived at the N’djili International Airport in the capital, Kinshasa, late Friday, as part of 70,000 doses expected from the World Health Organization and partners that were announced on Thursday. More doses are expected early next week. The current Ebola outbreak in Congo is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which currently has no approved treatment or vaccine. It can spread easily and go undetected because some of its symptoms are similar to other illnesses, such as malaria. The Ervebo vaccine is licensed to treat Ebola and has been effective in past outbreaks. The WHO said it may provide some protection against the Bundibugyo virus. The latest outbreak, which has recorded 2,516 deaths out of the 5,290 confirmed cases as at Friday, is spreading at an unprecedented rate and is on track to surpass the deadliest outbreak on record, which killed over 11,000 people across West Africa b

1d agoBy AP
Congo receives first 16,000 doses of possible Ebola vaccine
World

European wildfires reveal hidden danger: Buried bombs, mines from world wars

ELSENBORN, Belgium — The wildfires burning across Europe this summer have exposed a potentially deadly threat lurking beneath the blackened landscape: rusty bombs and mines from World War I and II that threaten crews responding to the flames. Some of the weapons have exploded in the intense heat. Blasts have been reported in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, where a bomb-disposal team was dispatched to check a forest threatened by flames near a site of fierce fighting in the Limburg province in 1944. Fueled by climate change, the fires and explosions show that the continent’s “climatic luck” is running out, said Sarah Njeri, a peace and conflict scholar at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. Steady temperatures and predictable rainfall once ensured that most buried weapons stayed dormant. “Climate change is now doing the work of unburying and reactivating what was previously stable,” Njeri said. Fires can ignite old munitions but can also burn away the scrub and brush that hides them. This wildfire season was supercharged by heavy rains in January t

1d agoBy AP
European wildfires reveal hidden danger: Buried bombs, mines from world wars
World

TikTok reaches $400 mil. settlement with US Justice Department over children's privacy

TikTok has reached a $400 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), ending a 2024 lawsuit alleging the company violated federal children's privacy laws. The DOJ said Friday that TikTok will pay $300 million immediately and another $100 million after an order vacates an earlier consent decree against its predecessor company, Musical.ly. “This settlement is a major victory for American children and parents,” said U.S. Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. in a statement. “The Department’s priority is ensuring that children are protected online and that companies entrusted with their personal information meet their legal obligations. This resolution secures a substantial recovery while reinforcing the protections that families expect and deserve.” Since the DOJ's lawsuit in 2024, TikTok has undergone major changes, most notably in the ownership structure of its U.S. arm. In January, the social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX to form the new TikTok U.S.

1d agoBy AP
TikTok reaches $400 mil. settlement with US Justice Department over children's privacy
World

Japanese dad ditches 7-year-old for hours to climb Mount Fuji

TOKYO — A man left his 7-year-old son behind for hours on Japan's Mount Fuji while continuing the climb, resulting in a stern warning from authorities, police and local media reported. The boy was found alone on a hiking route on Thursday and taken into police custody, a local police officer in the Shizuoka region told AFP on Saturday. The child told his father he was tired at the sixth station of the mountain, which is located at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), local SBS TV reported. As his older brother had gone on ahead, the 7-year-old's father told him to "wait here" and carried on hiking with his other son, according to SBS. TV Asahi said that the boy was told to wait for eight hours with only snacks and a soft drink and no money, citing staff at a mountain hut who alerted police to his presence. Officers contacted the father who was at the eighth station and handed the boy over to him when he returned. The police officer told AFP that officers gave the man a telling-off for leaving the child behind. The father reportedly apologized to the police, admitting the ac

1d agoBy AFP
Japanese dad ditches 7-year-old for hours to climb Mount Fuji
World

US imposes 50% tariffs on Canadian products

WASHINGTON — The United States imposed 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products early Saturday, and Canada immediately said it would retaliate, after last-ditch negotiations failed to resolve the latest strain in already tense relations between the historic allies. President Donald Trump’s import taxes will hit about 5 percent of what Canada ships to the United States every year, including products ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said it would match the U.S. tariffs dollar for dollar, escalating the trade conflict and calling into the question the future of a North American trade pact between the United States, Canada and Mexico that is crucial to industry in all three countries. Canada sought concessions on Trump tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and lumber that the United States was unwilling to provide. “Tonight, Canada declined to finalize the trade deal under the terms agreed earlier this week. Despite the U.S. offer to Canada to receive the best treatment of any major exporter to our market, new demands

1d agoBy AP
US imposes 50% tariffs on Canadian products
World

Heat wave-hit Europe logs over 30,000 excess summer deaths: initial figures

PARIS — Europe saw at least 30,000 excess deaths across a blistering summer of back-to-back heat waves and drought which scientists have blamed on man-made climate change, according to provisional figures. Between mid-July and mid-August, the continent's EuroMomo monitoring platform estimates that Europe saw more than 32,000 excess deaths — with summer yet to come to an end. While EuroMomo does not publish breakdowns of deaths by country, various national health authorities have published provisional tolls covering comparable periods stretching roughly between the end of May and August. An AFP count of those tallies found 33,000 excess deaths or deaths directly linked to the heat across just eight countries: Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Two deadly weeks According to EuroMomo's latest weekly estimates, the last week of June appears to have been the summer's deadliest, with nearly 16,000 excess deaths recorded. The first week of July follows in second place with some 8,000 deaths. Both weeks coincided with one of the recurring exceptiona

1d agoBy AFP
Heat wave-hit Europe logs over 30,000 excess summer deaths: initial figures
previous page
12345
next page

Most Read in World