Ryu Seung-min, head of the South Korean Olympic body, will meet with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach next month to express South Korea's drive to host the 2036 Summer Games. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) said Thursday that Ryu will meet with Bach at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, on April 8. Ryu, elected as KSOC president in January, was an IOC member from 2016 to 2024, in his capacity as a member of the Athletes' Commission voted on by fellow O

Hundreds of injured Russian soldiers have undergone treatment at medical facilities in North Korea amid Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, a Russian news outlet reported Thursday, citing a senior Russian diplomat. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko made the remarks at the North Korean Embassy in Russia on Wednesday during a ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of a treaty on economic and cultural cooperation between the Soviet Union and North Korea, according to Russia's TASS new

Air New Zealand has claimed the title of the world’s safest airline for 2025. According to AirlineRatings.com, which evaluates the safety and service quality of airlines globally, the airline outperformed 384 other carriers, including Australia’s Qantas, to secure the coveted title in this year’s rankings of “full-service” airlines. Air New Zealand edged ahead of Qantas in the rankings, with the two airlines separated by just 1.5 points. Qantas, which topped the list in 2023, slipped in the rank

President Donald Trump said he would speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as he pushes to end the war in Ukraine. The U.S. leader disclosed the upcoming conversation to reporters while flying from Florida to Washington on Air Force One on Sunday evening. “We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday,” Trump said. "A lot of work's been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.” Any s

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Paris and London on Monday to seek alliances as he deals with US President Donald Trump's attacks on Canada's sovereignty and economy. Carney is purposely making his first foreign trip to the capital cities of the two countries that shaped Canada's early existence. At his swearing-in ceremony on Friday, Carney noted the country was built on the bedrock of three peoples, French, English and Indigenous, and said Canada is fundamentally differen

A massive fire tore through a nightclub in North Macedonia ’s eastern town of Kocani early Sunday, killing 59 people and injuring 155, authorities said. The blaze broke out around 2:30 a.m. during a concert by a local pop group at Club Pulse, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told reporters. He said 39 of the dead had so far been identified. He said, following an initial assessment, pyrotechnics likely caused the roof to catch fire. Videos showed chaos inside the club, with young people runnin

US President Donald Trump has invoked a centuries-old immigration law to ramp up deportations of undocumented migrants amid signs of frustration within the administration over the pace of efforts to deliver on one of his top priorities. Trump invoked powers under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 — a law once used to justify the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II — in a proclamation Saturday targeting Tren de Aragua a Venezuelan gang also designated a foreign terrorist organization

EU countries agreed to push forward with plans to ease current restrictions on some gene-edited crops -- a move backed by farmer groups but opposed by environmentalists. Representatives for the bloc's 27 nations endorsed, with a few changes, a European Commission proposal aiming at allowing broader use of plants obtained by so-called new genomic techniques (NGTs). "The proposal aims to boost innovation and sustainability within the agrifood sector, while contributing to food security and reducin

The United Nations food agency said on Friday that more than 1 million people in the war-torn nation of Myanmar will be cut off from food assistance due to critical funding shortfalls. A statement released by the World Food Program said that most food rations currently distributed in Myanmar will be cut off in April, even as the country faces a desperate humanitarian crisis caused by bitter fighting between the military government and powerful militias opposed to its rule. The WFP said it would

Russian President Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide said on Thursday that he had told Washington that a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States to pause the war in Ukraine would simply give Kyiv's forces a respite. Russia's advances along the front in recent months and US President Donald Trump's attempt to strike a peace deal to end the three-year-old conflict in Ukraine have raised fears that Kyiv, which was backed by the West, could lose the war. Trump's Middle East special envo

Seoul has been named the world’s best solo travel destination by Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel platform, highlighted Seoul as a city where traditional palaces and modern skyscrapers blend seamlessly, and traditional markets and shopping centers coexist. It also praised the city for having one of the world’s best subway systems, emphasizing its efficient routes that make it easy for tourists to explore. Following Seoul in the top five are Kathmandu, Nepal; Cusco, Peru; Bang

A global survey of experts revealed a significant increase in expectations that South Korea will develop nuclear weapons within the next decade. The Atlantic Council’s survey of 357 strategists from 60 countries found that 40.2 percent believed South Korea was likely to acquire nuclear weapons. This places it just behind Iran (72.8 percent) and Saudi Arabia (41.6 percent) in terms of nuclear weapon acquisition potential. The figure marks a sharp rise from last year’s 25.4 percent. The growing ex

Washington touts tariff wins based on reports of global firms considering bolstering production in US The White House has listed Samsung, LG and Hyundai Motor Company as examples of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs' success, promoting Washington’s America-first policy to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico and upcoming tariffs on other countries that may include South Korea. “President Donald J. Trump’s tariffs are already working as more and more companies look at ‘expanding their

According to recent data from Altrata, the global billionaire population has shifted with the rise of “superbillionaires” — individuals whose net worth exceeds $50 billion. The top of the list is dominated by tech moguls, with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos holding the first two spots. Other sectors, such as fashion, manufacturing and telecommunications, are also represented in the group of 24. These exceptional wealthholders now make up a significant portion of global billionaire wealth. In early Feb

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday ahead of talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia that Ukraine wants peace and Russia is the "only reason" that the war has dragged on. Zelenskyy is due to arrive in Saudi Arabia later Monday, a day ahead of crucial talks between Ukrainian and US officials on ending the war with Russia. "Ukraine has been seeking peace since the very first second of the war, and we have always said that the only reason that the war is continuing is because of Russia," Zele