GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories (AFP) -- Israeli troops battled Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday after expanding their offensive deeper into the besieged territory, with warnings that an "even more hellish scenario" was unfolding for trapped civilians. Israel had initially focused its offensive on the north of the territory, but the army is now also dropping leaflets on parts of the south, telling Palestinian civilians there to flee to other areas. Israeli tank

World News Dec. 5, 2023

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories -- Israel expanded its offensive against Hamas militants in besieged Gaza on Monday, as international concern deepened over the mounting civilian death toll in a war sparked by the Oct. 7 attacks. The return to open warfare after the truce between Israel and Hamas expired has had ripple effects around a region on the cusp of a wider conflagration. Since the expiry of the truce on Friday, fighting in Gaza has resumed between Hamas and advancing Israeli troops,

World News Dec. 4, 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Inflation is slowing steadily, but it’s too early to declare victory or to discuss when the Federal Reserve might cut interest rates, Chair Jerome Powell said. Speaking at Spelman College in Atlanta, Powell noted that consumer prices, excluding volatile food and energy costs, rose at just a 2.5 percent annual rate in the past six months. That’s not far above the Fed’s 2 percent inflation target. Still, more progress is needed, Powell said. He added, “It

World Business Dec. 3, 2023

GAZA/JERUSALEM -- Israel's military said it was ready to evacuate babies from Gaza's largest hospital Sunday, where Palestinian officials said two newborns died and dozens more were at risk after fuel ran out amid intense fighting in the area. As the humanitarian situation worsened, Gaza's border authority said the Rafah crossing into Egypt would reopen Sunday for foreign passport holders after closing Friday. Hamas said it had completely or partially destroyed more than 160 Israe

World News Nov. 12, 2023

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip -- Israel said Wednesday that it will allow Egypt to deliver limited humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The first crack in a punishing 10-day siege on the territory came one day after a blast at a hospital killed hundreds and put immense strain on Gaza’s struggling medical system. The announcement to allow water, food and other supplies happened as fury over the blast at Gaza City’s al-Ahli Hospital spread across the Middle East, and as US President Joe Biden

World News Oct. 19, 2023

By Kim Hae-yong, secretary general of the ASEAN-Korea Center ​Every August 8th, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations celebrates ASEAN Day in commemoration of its founding in 1967. While the celebration lends ASEAN’s collective effort to consolidate the region’s unity, it is also an opportune time to reflect on how ASEAN and Korea have become indispensable partners. Amid the multifaceted challenges brought about by the regional dynamics, the significance of the ASEAN-Korea par

Industry Aug. 8, 2023

NURDAGI, Turkey -- Rescuers raced against time early Wednesday to pull survivors from the rubble before they succumbed to cold weather two days after an earthquake tore through southern Turkey and war-ravaged northern Syria. The death toll climbed above 7,700 and was expected to rise further. The last two days have brought dramatic rescues, including small children emerging from mounds of debris more than 30 hours after Monday’s pre-dawn quake. But there was also widespread despair and gro

World News Feb. 8, 2023

PHILADELPHIA -- US President Joe Biden, Democratic superstar Barack Obama and Republican firebrand Donald Trump all converged in Pennsylvania on Saturday to push their parties to the finishing line in a race Biden said marks a "defining" moment for US democracy. The battle of the serving and two former presidents marked the start of a final crescendo before Tuesday when Americans will decide who controls Congress during the last two years of Biden's first term. Polls put Republica

World News Nov. 6, 2022

Delhi is now the fastest growing city in Asia, according to a new study from Oxford Economics. Indian cities are set to expand the most across the region, with growth speeding up from the past 5 years.Tianjin is forecast to clock the fastest growth in China, given that it has a large manufacturing base and one of the nation’s busiest ports. Ho Chi Minh was the only non-Indian city in the top five, reflecting the city’s success in establishing itself as a manufacturing center, as well as its stro

World News Aug. 13, 2017

The strongest sanctions yet against North Korea could still prove no match for the communist country's relentless nuclear weapons ambitions.　While the United States hails a new package of UN penalties that could cut a third of North Korea’s exports, the sanctions themselves aren't the American objective. They’re only a tactic for getting Kim Jong-un's totalitarian government to end its missile advances and atomic weapons tests, and there is little evidence to suggest this newest round of economi

World News Aug. 8, 2017

Foul-mouthed spin doctor Anthony Scaramucci was axed as White House communications director Monday, just 10 days after being named to the post and hours after Donald Trump installed a new chief of staff.　The 53-year-old New Yorker -- whose profanity-laden rant against colleagues gained him global notoriety -- was fired as four-star Gen. John Kelly began his quest to impose order on an administration careening out of control.　During its first six months in office, Trump’s White House has been bes

World News Aug. 1, 2017

President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said the United States would have to cut 755 diplomatic staff in Russia and warned of a prolonged gridlock in its ties after the US Congress backed new sanctions against the Kremlin.　Putin added bluntly that Russia was able to raise the stakes with America even further, although he hoped this would be unnecessary.　A US State Department official denounced the move as a “regrettable and uncalled for act,” adding that Washington was now weighing a potential respon

World News July 31, 2017

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that transgender people may not serve “in any capacity” in the US military, upending a key policy from Barack Obama’s administration and drawing swift condemnation.　Announcing the major policy change via Twitter, Trump said the military should be focused on “overwhelming victory,” and not burdened with the “tremendous” medical costs and disruptions that transgender personnel would entail.　“After consultation with my generals and military experts, please

World News July 27, 2017