Vladimir Putin won Russia’s presidential election on Sunday, giving him a fourth term that will take him to nearly a quarter-century as the head of state or government.　Here are some world leaders who have held power the longest, excluding monarchs enthroned for life.　Topping the list with 49 years in power was Cuba’s revolutionary hero Fidel Castro, who handed power over to his brother Raul in 2008 when he was in his early 80s.　The world’s longest-serving president is currently Equatorial Guin

World March 20, 2018

　Finland is the world’s happiest country, while troubled Burundi is the least happy, according to a new UN report. 　In addition to its joyful locals, Finland is also home to the happiest immigrants, the study found. It topped 156 countries, followed by last year’s winner Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland. 　South Korea ranked 57th, falling two notches from a year ago. 　The results were based on six key factors that support well-being: income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedo

World March 19, 2018

　Airbnb said that 18 percent of all tourists who used the global room-sharing platform in South Korea last year were from the United States.　A total of 113,700 US tourists stayed at Airbnb-listed residences in South Korea last year, up 37 percent from 83,000 tallied the previous year, the company said.　The latest figure accounts for 12.5 percent of all American tourists who visited the country last year, it added.　Following the US, Singapore came second at 81,700 guests, or 12.9 percent of Airbn

World Business March 18, 2018

　Shipments of protected African species, including tortoises, pythons and parrots, to Asia have soared since 2006 as demand grows in the Far East for exotic pets, meat and other animal products, a new study has warned.　Wildlife imports of leopard tortoises, African spurred tortoises and ball pythons into Asia have increased nearly tenfold in a decade, the report by monitoring network Traffic said, while trade in animal skins including seals also rose.　Much of the trade is legal, and all of the s

World March 15, 2018

　One out of five people in their 20s have experience buying virtual currency, according to the Korea Financial Investors Protection Foundation.　About 22.7 percent of those in their 20s said they purchased virtual currencies according to a survey of 2,530 people between aged 25 and 64.　Those in their 30s came in second at 19.3 percent, followed by 12 percent for those in their 40s. Numbers for people in their 60s marked 10.5 percent and those in their 50s stood at 8.2 percent.

Business March 14, 2018

　According to data compiled by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, there were 385 reported cases of sexual abuse at schools in Seoul in 2016, up 74.2 percent from 2013. 　Experts said the actual number of cases could be higher, considering the research only includes cases reported by victims or other acquaintances that are being formally investigated.　Nationwide data showed that the number of sexual assault cases at schools jumped 171.9 percent to 2,387 cases in 2016 from four years earli

Social Affairs March 13, 2018

　Amazon chief Jeff Bezos is now the world's richest person, having snatched the top spot from Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who slipped to second place, according to Forbes magazine's annual billionaires list.　US President Donald Trump's ranking on the list fell to 766th place from 544th in the last edition, his wealth now being estimated at $3.1 billion, $400 million less than a year ago.　Bezos' fortune shot up to $112 billion, Forbes said, after a 59 percent rise in Amazon shares over the past

World Business March 12, 2018

   Last week, President Donald Trump said the US would impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum. 　Last year, US imports of steel, iron and ferroalloy jumped 38 percent over 2016 levels to $33.5 billion, according to data from the Commerce Department. Imports of aluminum oxide and aluminum also rose 32 percent last year. Canada was by far the largest supplier, accounting for 40 percent of the imports.

World Business March 11, 2018

　The 2018 Paralympic Winter Games opens from March 9 to 18, for 10 days.　The PyeongChang Paralympics will be the biggest yet, with around 570 athletes from over 49 countries participating. 　There are six sports, with 80 total medal events, on the Winter Paralympic program:

Sports March 8, 2018

　The annual cost of cybercrime has hit $600 billion worldwide, fueled by the growing sophistication of hackers and proliferation of criminal marketplaces and cryptocurrencies, researchers said Wednesday.　A report by the security firm McAfee with the Center for Strategic and International Studies found theft of intellectual property represents about one-quarter of the cost of cybercrime in 2017, and that other attacks, such as those involving ransomware, are growing at a fast pace.　Russia, North

World Business March 7, 2018

　South Korea’s main international gateway, Incheon Airport, has the worst on-time performance among major airports, a report showed.　According to the report by Flightstats, a global flight information service provider, the airport located west of Seoul ranked 44th in terms of departure performance at major hubs last month, with an average 50.04 percent on-time record.　On-time departures are calculated by checking if a plane has taken off within 15 minutes of its scheduled departure time, the rep

World March 6, 2018

　China produced 808.4 million metric tons of Crude Steel, accounting for 50.3 percent of the world’s total production. China is home to the largest steel producing companies - mostly state-owned - such as Hebei Iron and Steel Group, Angang Steel Co., Baosteel, Wuhan Iron and Steel Corp., and Jiangsu Shagang Co. 　Last week, China warned that US President Donald Trump’s vow to impose high tariffs on steel and aluminum would have a “huge impact” on the global trade order, adding that Beijing would

World Business March 5, 2018

　South Korea ranked 51st in the 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index report issued by Transparency International, up only one notch from a year earlier, when the ranking nosedived due to the influence-peddling scandal involving ousted former President Park Geun-hye.　New Zealand topped the 180-nation list and Somalia ranked rock bottom. The United States came in 16th place, Japan in 20th, China in 77th and North Korea in 171st.　The index evaluates countries based on how corrupt their public sector i

National March 4, 2018

　According to Statistics Korea, the number of newborns in South Korea dropped to a new record low last year.　The number of babies born in 2017 reached 357,700, down 11.9 percent, or 48,500, from 2016.　The figure marked the lowest number of newborns since the statistics agency started to compile such data in 1970.　The total fertility rate, or the number of babies that a woman is projected to have during her lifetime, fell to 1.05 last year from 1.17, also marking a record low, the report showed.

National March 1, 2018

Switzerland and the US are the most secretive major financial centers in the world, according to a global ranking compiled by a group campaigning for more transparency. The Tax Justice Network’s study found Switzerland to be the “global capital of bank secrecy.” The US ranked second because its share of global offshore financial services has increased steadily. The study, which is published every two years, looks at countries using several criteria including how much information they provide abo

World News Feb. 28, 2018