Global Tensions and Shiftsactive

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- U. S. military bases in South Korea, Japan and ot...

Local media outlets note that Russia retains its position as India's top oil supplier

A Ukrainian drone strike on the central Russian region of Tatarstan killed at least 12 people in one of the deadliest attacks carried out by Kyiv since the war began more than four years ago. The strikes are also directly impacting Russian's economy. Our correspondent Emmanuelle Chaze tells us more.

Southeast Asian governments are searching for a joint strategy against cyberscammers, a criminal industry that has grown too big, too connected and too embedded in ASEAN economies to be solved just by policing.

Russian ⁠bomb ​strikes ​on Ukraine's northern city of ​Sumy ‌injured ⁠at ‌least five ⁠people overnight, regional governor ​Oleh Hryhorov ‌said on the ‌Telegram ​messaging app on Monday, flagging damage ​in ​a ​number of ​residential areas.

The weekly service will cut the transit time between the two locations by nearly half to 20 days

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- As its ongoing "Arirang" world tour sweeps across Nor...

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. said Monday it has se...

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- A disability rights advocacy group staged a surprise ...

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- Discrepancies have been found between final voter fig...

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- Seoul shares opened higher Monday, led by technology ...

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- Seoul shares opened higher Monday, tracking record ga...

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Aaron Farinacci faces five arson charges as firefighters work to contain three major Spokane-area wildfires.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic also noted that "Russia is a nuclear power and no one can just attack it"

According to earlier reports, the Turkish dry cargo ship MV Reyhan Sari, carrying coal from the Russian port of Taman to Trabzon, was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea on July 22

Apart from that, Serbian President said that he doesn’t think that the conflict in Ukraine could be ended this year

Leo XIV at the Angelus: "Still civilian victims, respect humanitarian law." In Belgorod, the Ukrainian drone raid, 13 injured including 2 children. Bild: Germany has expelled 400 Russians since the start of the war

SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok won the ruling Demo...

Le Monde has obtained a letter from the justice minister to the interior minister exposing how serious failures in how French authorities respond to violence against minors.

La Rusa, seed number 16, qualifies for the quarterfinals

In the quarterfinal match, the Russian player will face Elina Svitolina of Ukraine

Turkey has called on Ukraine and Russia to establish a mechanism for declaring a moratorium on mutual attacks against vessels in the Black Sea.

Turkey is restricting the movement of commercial vessels toward the Black Sea amid an increase in the number of attacks on ships in the region.

A survey of the ship revealed extensive damage to its deck, cargo holds, and engine room, which effectively reduced it to a pile of scrap metal

During the day, high-precision long-range weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles struck a dry cargo ship carrying military equipment at the port of Nikolayev, as well as a warehouse storing weapons and military supplies

Funds allocated by European partners should be directed toward defense production specifically in Ukraine.

The advancement and diversification of Beijing’s anti-ship missile platforms have bolstered its denial capabilities in the first island chain and could divert US and allied navies from warfare in a Taiwan Strait contingency, according to analysts. Last week, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV released a video of a Type 052D destroyer firing a YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile from its vertical launch system, showcasing the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s increased ability to target surface...

At least four people, including a child, were killed in Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and surrounding regions early Saturday. Moscow has been carrying out near-daily attacks, exploiting Ukraine’s strained air defences. Meanwhile, Ukraine struck another oil refinery in Russia, as Kyiv continues its campaign of long-range attacks on Russian energy facilities in an effort to fuel a growing fuel crisis. France 24 correspondent Emmanuelle Chaze tells us the latest.

There is no official confirmation of this information yet

Serbia will provide Ukraine with a humanitarian aid package that will include support in the fields of medicine and energy.

The Serbian president did not rule out such a dialogue after the end of the conflict

Units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Ilsky and Syzran oil refineries in Russia, as well as an observation post on the Sivash drilling rig in the Black Sea.

Serbia is historically close to Russia and has refused to sanction Moscow.

Turkey is restricting commercial ship traffic into the Black Sea, according to people familiar with the matter, following growing concern from the government after an uptick in Russian and Ukrainian attacks on vessels in the area.

The official welcoming ceremony for Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Aleksandar Vučić has begun in the Serbian capital.

The Senate voted 86 to 11 to pass the sweeping Russia sanctions bill championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on Friday, advancing legislation that would give the White House more leverage against Moscow as it seeks to end the war in Ukraine — and a brand new tariff tool. Now that the bill has cleared the upper chamber, it’s up to lawmakers in the House to determine its fate when they return in September. President Donald Trump has already signaled he would sign the bill if it lands on his desk. The bill, which Graham and cosponsors including Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have worked to advance for more than a year, would issue mandatory sanctions not only on Russia’s leadership and energy sector, but also on abetters of Russia’s defense industry and so-called shadow fleet in an effort to curb the flow of cash to Moscow’s war chest. Ukraine’s supporters on the Hill and officials in Kyiv have been urging its passage, arguing that it would deal a timely blow to Russia’s war efforts as Kyiv seeks to capitalize on a series of recent favorable turns in the war to end it altogether. In comments on the Senate floor ahead of the vote, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and vocal backer of the bill Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N. H.) stressed the “urgency” of the moment. “The momentum is on Ukraine’s side,” Shaheen said. “Now is the time to put more pressure on Putin.” She added that the situation on the ground could turn back in Moscow’s favor within months — especially with assistance from foreign foes like China. It has already been a long road for the sanctions measure, which Graham and Blumenthal first introduced in April 2025. The lawmakers negotiated for months with the White House, which wanted more control over what entities it could sanction, and by how much. In July, Graham announced — from Kyiv — that the White House had agreed to a revised version of the bill. The new iteration of the bill includes broad authority for the president to waive any sanctions that are applied, as long as the White House provides a written certification that the waiver is “in the national interests of the United States” and a report outlining the basis for the certification. Following a last-minute demand from Trump, lawmakers also added language to the bill to extend certain sanctions on Iran. Graham’s sudden death just days after winning Trump’s green light spurred his fellow senators to support the legislation, which cleared a procedural hurdle at the end of the month by a wide margin. But a provision in the bill that would grant the White House authority to issue 100 percent tariffs on top buyers of Russian oil, and countries facilitating sanctions evasion, nearly derailed the measure’s passage in the upper chamber before lawmakers left town for August recess. An amendment pushed by Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that would have stripped the tariff language from the bill entirely failed in a 64 to 32 floor vote Friday. Still, nearly one-third of the upper chamber voted in favor of striking the tariff language, highlighting Democrats’ worries about handing more tariff powers to a White House already eager to use that tool against Washington’s global allies and enemies. That Democratic discontent is likely a foreshadowing of a similar sticking point for lawmakers on the House side when they return from recess in September. As Senate leadership tried to reach an agreement to fast-track consideration of the bill before the chamber adjourned for the summer, lawmakers opposed to the tariff provisions threatened to derail that effort over squabbles about what amendments should get a floor vote. One of those amendments was an effort from Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), to add language curbing the tariff powers afforded to Trump in the bill. Warnock — who voted to advance the bill in July — had threatened to thwart Senate leadership’s effort to fast-track consideration of the legislation this week if his amendment didn’t get a floor vote. But Warnock pulled the amendment at the eleventh hour Thursday evening after securing the Trump administration’s commitment to enact a clear off-ramp for countries hit with tariffs, according to a person familiar with the senator’s plans granted anonymity to speak about internal conversations. That move may not go far enough to quell the concerns of Democrats in the House — some of whom have already expressed frustration over the provision. House Foreign Affairs ranking member Gregory Meeks (D-N. Y.) and Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) issued a joint statement following the Senate vote slamming the current bill text as “unacceptable” and citing the broad waiver authority and tariff powers granted to the White House. But the lawmakers vowed to “continue to seek a path forward that remedies this bill’s flaws.”

Russian missile strikes killed three people, including a child, ​in ‌the Kyiv region on Saturday, said local authorities. The attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Belgrade on a landmark visit to Serbia, a country with close ties to Moscow. FRANCE 24's Emmanuelle Chaze reports from Kharkiv.

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) -- The number of heat-related illness cases reported in l...

An outdoor library that appears only on weekends at Cheonggyecheon, an artificial river in the heart of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, has become a popular spot among young people.

During the air raid alert in the capital and in Dnipro, explosions were heard.

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) -- The national football association apologized Saturday ...

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) -- The latest Spider-Man film surpassed 5 million ticket ...

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) -- Most parts of South Korea were forecast to be swelteri...

Legislation implements aggressive economic sanctions, including 100 percent tariff on Russian oil and gas importers.

The Senate votes 86–11 for his sanctions and tariffs to help Ukraine.

US Senate adds Missouri to the list of teams with a claim to college football's 1960 national title

Thousands of people are without electricity and evacuations continue as teams work to contain the historic wildfires ravaging the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Since the weekend, a series of fires grouped as Spokane Complex Fire has displaced more than 60,000 residents in the state of Washington and left large urban and rural areas without power, according to local authorities and Reuters reports. According to official data collected by USA Today and Spokane County itself, the emergency remains active with mandatory evacuation orders in effect, while three major hotspots — Autumn Lane, Fairview, and Old Trails Fire — advance over residential areas and natural zones. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency and established a ban on outdoor burning until September 30. Public utility companies, such as Avista, confirmed widespread power outages due to safety reasons and infrastructure damage. The current fire season, according to the National Weather Service and Washington state authorities, surpasses recent precedents in intensity and extent. The fires have destroyed more than 700 structures and affected an area of over 10,500 acres (about 4,250 hectares), with emergency teams and National Guard support…

The Senate on Friday passed a long-sought bipartisan bill that would impose harsher sanctions on Russia and the top five buyers of Russian oil, along with extending existing sanctions on Iran.  That measure was a major legislative goal of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S. C.), who died suddenly earlier this month. The vote was 86-11.…

On July 25, Zelensky found a way to win Trump back to Kyiv’s side.

The legislation will now move to the House of Representatives for consideration

An organised ring that helped people in the central Chinese province of Henan cheat their way to government-sponsored jobs has been exposed. An official investigation concluded that a province-wide exam held to fill the posts last month had been compromised by “large-scale, organised cheating” with suspects paying officials overseeing the exam to obtain test papers and the correct answers in advance, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday. The case was the latest in a string of similar crimes...

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- The government on Friday rejected claims by U. S. lawma...

A Malaysian court on Friday deferred charges against former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who could not attend his hearing in a multimillion-dollar corruption investigation after being admitted to hospital for a heart condition. Ismail Sabri, 66, has faced corruption accusations following the arrests of a senior aide and several others last February over alleged abuse of power and money laundering. Police also seized about 170 million ringgit (US$41.5 million) in cash held under different...

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- As the relentless heat wave persists, people are incre...

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- An appellate court on Friday upheld a three-year priso...

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Friday did not report on its launch of ...

A man in central China has gone viral for a series of “second-hand brat recycling” videos that are splitting public opinion, with some praising them as vital educational tools and others warning that they cause childhood trauma. Yan Zhengjun, known by the nickname “Uncle A Jun,” hails from Henan province and has amassed 1.6 million followers on a popular platform. Since 2021, Yan has created hundreds of humorous videos centred around the theme of “recycling naughty kids.” In these videos, he...

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- The national football federation apparently provided s...

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Friday did not report on its launch of ...

At least 10 people died in Russian attacks across Ukraine overnight according to local authorities. Strikes occurred in the regions of Sumy, Odessa and Kyiv. More details with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Kharkiv, Emmanuelle Chaze.

The South Korean side noted that the European Union had previously granted an exemption for Seoul when adopting its 21st package of sanctions against Russia

Fires have destroyed about 850 buildings and forced about 67,000 people to evacuate since they erupted last weekend Firefighters have taken advantage of cooler weather to begin getting a handle on wildfires that have displaced tens of thousands of people around Washington state’s second-largest city, but hotter, drier and breezier days lie ahead. Officials reported Wednesday that firefighters had established containment lines around the perimeters of all three fires affecting Spokane and that they were focused on reinforcing those lines. Temperatures were expected to climb from the 80sF the past two days into the upper 90sF (36C), with less humidity, late this week. Continue reading...

North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan on Thursday, according to Seoul's military. The launch occurred after Pyongyang harshly criticized Japan's military rearmament in the Pacific. North Korea, which has repeatedly declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear state since 2019, is among the growing regional threats in a recent Japanese government assessment. Tokyo's Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, stated this week that Japan's armed forces need to be strengthened with a sense of urgency and crisis. In a statement released Wednesday by North Korean state media, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said that Pyongyang's leadership "will establish additional military options, obviously due to Japan's transformation." On Thursday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that "our armed forces detected a short-range ballistic missile launched from the Wonsan area in North Korea around 17:00 (08:00 GMT)." Seoul and Washington authorities were analyzing the missile's exact specifications, added in a message to the media. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) previously reported that the missile was launched toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. Tokyo's Ministry of Defense posted on X that "something that could..."

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's industry minister said Thursday that the...

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade minister on Thursday asked his Bri...

The South Korean military is analyzing the range and other flight data

North Korea fired an unidentified projectile on Thursday towards the sea ‌to the east of the Korean peninsula, South Korea’s military said. Japan’s government said Pyongyang had fired ⁠what could be a ballistic ‌missile. The launch follows a series of tests this ‌year, including short-range ballistic missiles, ⁠artillery ⁠rockets and other tactical weapons designed ‌to bolster the isolated state’s military ‌capabilities. The most ‌recent confirmed weapons ‌test, in late June, involved ⁠an...

North Korea fired an unidentified projectile off its east coast Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a day after Pyongyang warned of fresh military steps over Japan’s expanding defense capabilities.

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks tumbled more than 4 percent Thursd...

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- This year's Ulchi civil defense exercise should reflec...

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks tumbled more than 4 percent Thursd...

SEJONG, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- Official invitations to the 2027 World University Gam...

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks tumbled more than 4 percent Thursd...

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- A K1E1 tank operated by the Army caught fire during li...

At least six people were killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight into Thursday, including three in the city ​of ‌Balakliia in the Kharkiv region and another three in the northern region of Sumy, local authorities said. Russia ⁠also struck ​two ​dry cargo vessels near Ukraine's ​Black ‌Sea ⁠port ‌of Odesa ⁠late on Wednesday.

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's industry minister said Thursday that the...

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry said Thursday it will continu...

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- The government will strengthen artificial intelligence...

A couple from central China saw their business empire, valued at 100 million yuan (US$15 million), collapse and were plunged into debt after being wrongly accused of fraud. Wang Fei and his wife, Liu Sumin, from Zhumadian in Henan province, began their journey as small-scale farmers before gradually establishing two pig farms. They later expanded into a medicinal herb cooperative and an agricultural technology company. According to Hongxing News, their businesses were valued at over 60 million...

Thousands of people remain under evacuation in Spokane, Washington, after a series of wildfires that have left air quality at dangerous levels, affecting communities, hospitals, and public services since Saturday, August 2. The phenomenon has alerted state and local authorities, who have declared a state of emergency and restricted outdoor activities due to the magnitude of the disaster and its impact on public health. According to official information provided by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and reported by CNN, the Old Trails, Autumn Lane, and Fairview fires have burned over 8,000 hectares, with zero percent containment as of Monday. Governor Bob Ferguson issued a burn ban and mobilized the National Guard to reinforce control efforts, while Spokane County declared a local emergency and ordered mass evacuations affecting about 65,000 people. Authorities identify this season as one of the most destructive in recent decades in the northwest of the United States, according to official figures and analysis by USA Today. Extreme drought conditions, high temperatures, and strong winds have facilitated the spread of fires in residential, rural, and critical electrical infrastructure areas, in addition to destroying at least 700 structures. How is the air quality being affected…

Saudi Arabia has not commented on the claim by the Houthis, who are backed by Iran and have vowed to close “all access routes” to Saudi oil shipments.

Authorities in Ukraine say at least 17 people have been killed after the latest barrage of Russian missiles and drones. The overnight attacks were the latest in a series of large-scale strikes that have become almost routine this summer. According to Kyiv, Ukraine was unable to shoot down a single Russian missile. Ukrainian civilians are also being targeted, but through small drones. Kyiv says Russia is deliberately 'hunting' down civilians. More details with FRANCE 24 international affairs editor, Kethevane Gorjestani.

From problem child of the chip industry to winner of the AI era: Infineon has reinvented itself. Its semiconductors now power electric cars, data centres and the energy transition.

Kim Yo Jong accused Tokyo of speeding up the country’s transformation into "a military state," pointing to the recent test launch of a Tomahawk cruise missile from a Japanese destroyer, Japan’s joint drills with the United States, the deployment of long-range weapons and the development of offensive weapons

A market trader in Kherson described how a Russian first-person-view drone chased him around his stall before exploding beside his van, in an attack Ukraine has called a war crime.

SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry on Wednesday raised the need ...

The winner takes it all. What happens if the United States loses?

On Monday, August 3, 2026, the city of Spokane and its metropolitan area in the state of Washington faced an unprecedented emergency after the arrest of a man accused of starting one of the most destructive fires in local history. Thousands of people were affected by the fires, which destroyed homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure, leading to mass evacuations and the deployment of state and federal resources. The scale of the disaster led to a state of emergency declaration, according to reports from ABC News and BBC News. According to information provided by Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels, the detainee was identified as Aaron Farinacci, 37 years old, a resident of the city. Farinacci was arrested by a SWAT team and faces charges of first-degree arson, with bail set at one million dollars. According to NBC News, the operation was carried out after a witness saw him near the origin of the fire known as Old Trails Fire, one of the three main active hotspots. The situation in Spokane worsened since the weekend of August 1, when extreme weather conditions, with high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds, favored the spread of the fire. Governor Bob Ferguson declared that the region is facing “the worst natural disaster in its recent history,” according to BBC News. Authorities reported that at least 16 inc…

Ukrainian President Zelensky gathered ambassadors from various countries in the capital Kyiv on the 3rd and delivered a speech, once again calling for the continuation of military and economic support.

There are three wildfires in the Spokane area that have forced 60,000 to be evacuated from their homes.

Police in Washington state have arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of starting a fire that has burned through more than 3,200 hectares of forest in the state's second city Spokane. Firefighters have still not contained the fire, which has forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, and 700 buildings have been destroyed.

A US vow to fund a port in the Solomon Islands could offer clues to Washington’s intentions in a region that has reeled from American aid cuts, yet remains part of the tug of war between superpowers. Analysts say the latest bid reflects a desire to ensure Honiara partners with Western allies in sectors with security implications, while renewing the once “anaemic” relationship with the region as Chinese influence grows. According to observers, the current security tilt of the Pacific island...

SEOUL, Aug. 4 (Yonhap) -- The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesda...