24일(현지시간) 규모 6.2 지진에 이어 여진이 이어진 이탈리아 중부 곳곳에서 최소 18명이 숨지고 건물과 다리가 붕괴하는 등 피해가 속출하고 있다.이날 새벽 3시36분께 움브리아주 노르차에서 6.2 지진이 발생했으며 이곳에서 1 시간 가량 지나 규모 5.5 여진이 이어졌다. 또한 라치오주 아마트리체에서도 규모 4.6, 4.3 여진이 잇달아 일어나는 등 첫 지진 이후 3시간여 동안 모두 17차례의 여진이 발생했다. (AFP-Yonhap)AFP통신 등 주요 외신 현지 매체들의 보도를 종합하면 현재까지 파악된 사망자는 최소 10명이다.중부의 움브리아·라치오·마르케 등 3개주가 경계선을 맞댄 산악 마을들에서 피해가 집중적으로 발생했으며 무너진 주택에서 사망자가 상당수 나왔다. 새벽시간 대에 갑자기 발생한 지진에 잠 자던 주민들이 미처 대피하지 못하고 변을 당한 것으로 보인다.(AFP-Yonhap)특히 진앙지 노르차 남동쪽에 위치한 산악 마을인 라치오주 아마트리체와 아쿠몰리의 피해가 컸던

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck central Italy early Wednesday, levelling buildings in several towns as residents slept. The mayor of hard-hit Amatrice said people were trapped under debris and that, "The town isn't here anymore."The quake struck at 3:36 a.m. and was felt across a broad section of central Italy including the capital Rome where people felt a long swaying followed by aftershocks, First images of damage showed debris in the street and some collapsed buildings in towns and villages

학생비자나 워킹홀리데이비자 소지자(워홀러)를 포함해 호주에서 생활하는 한국 태생자 2명 중 1명꼴로 지난 1년 동안 피부색 등을 이유로 차별을 경험했다는 호주 내 보고서가 나왔다.차별 형태는 언어폭력이 가장 많았으며 차별이 일어난 공간은 거리나 쇼핑할 때가 주를 이뤘다. (123RF)이같은 결과는 호주 자선단체 '스캔론 재단'(Scanlon Foundation)의 의뢰를 받아 모나시대학이 호주에 사는 각국 출신자 총 1만548명을 대상으로 설문조사해 24일 발표한 '호주인들의 오늘'이라는 보고서에서 드러났다. 조사 대상자 중 한국 태생자는 모두 301명으로, 학생비자 102명, 워홀러 87명, 가족이민 43명, 기술이민(skill) 35명, 취업(457)비자 소지자(10명) 등이었다. 조사에 따르면 피부색이나 인종적 기원, 종교 등을 이유로 지난 12개월 사이에 차별을 경험한 적이 있느냐는 질문에 대해 절반이 넘는 55%가 "그렇다"고 답했다. (123RF)이는 유럽 각국(11~22

President Park Geun-hye officially appointed Lee Cheol-seong to lead the National Police Agency on Wednesday, amid continued objections from opposition parties that call him unfit for the post due to his ethical lapses.The appointment came as opposition lawmakers refused to adopt a parliamentary confirmation report on Lee due in large part to his 1993 record of drunk driving. On Tuesday, Park made a second request that the National Assembly adopt the confirmation report. Should the legislature r

The financial health of South Korean insurance firms improved in the second quarter of this year thanks to increased net profits and the higher bond prices they possess, data showed Wednesday.The risk-based capital, the minimum required liquid reserves for a financial institution, of 56 life and non-life insurers averaged 288 percent at the end of June, up 14.1 percentage points from three months earlier, according to the Financial Supervisory Service.The average RBC of 25 life insurers rose to

South Korea's birthrate gained ground for the second year in a row last year, data showed Wednesday, amid deepening concerns that the low birthrate and rapid aging could undermine the growth potential of Asia's fourth-largest economy.The total fertility rate, or the average number of babies that a woman is projected to have during her lifetime, reached 1.24 in 2015, up from 1.21 tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.It recorded the second consecutive year of

South Korea's fisheries output decreased 0.6 percent in the first six months of the year from a year earlier due mainly to sluggish deep-water and coastal catches, government data showed Wednesday.Fisheries production amounted to 2 million tons in the January-June period, down slightly from the previous year's 2.01 million tons, according to data from Statistics Korea.Deep-water fishing plunged 41.3 percent on-year to 208,000 tons, while fish caught in coastal waters fell 15.6 percent to 363,000

South Korea's deficit in the trade of intellectual property rights narrowed from a year earlier in the first quarter on the back of a sharp cut in shortfalls from industrial property rights, data showed Wednesday.In the January-March period, South Korea posted a trade deficit of $780 million in intellectual property rights, down 60.4 percent from $1.97 billion from the same period last year, according to the Bank of Korea. (Yonhap)South Korea exported $2.8 billion and imported $3.58 billion in i

North Korea's obsession with nuclear weapons development will only hasten the country's self-destruction, South Korea's foreign ministry said Wednesday, denouncing the communist country's latest test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile.Pyongyang fired the SLBM from waters off its east coast in the early morning on Wednesday with the missile landing in waters inside Japan's air defense identification zone, according to the South Korean military. The launch appears to be in protest ag

North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday denounced an on-going joint military drill between South Korea and the United States, claiming such provocations are bringing the Korean Peninsula close to war.The South Korea-US Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise is pushing the peninsula "to the brink of war," North Korean Ambassador to the UN Ja Song-nam said in a letter to the council's Malaysian president. He called for an emergency Security Council meeting to address the issue.Seoul and

A North Korean man was found holding on to a styrofoam float in waters near the western border island of Yeonpyeong, military sources said Wednesday.According to the sources, the man was rescued by a fishing boat after a soldier spotted him at around 7:10 a.m.The military said it is currently investigating whether the 27-year-old wants to defect or was involved in an accident."Although it is true that a North Korean was rescued, we cannot provide details as such information is confidential," a s

Samsung Display Co. said Wednesday that it has formed an alliance with its sister company Samsung Electronics, and Chinese TV and panel manufacturers to further cooperate on expanding the curved panel industry.The agreement was made at a forum held by Samsung Display and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China in Beijing on Tuesday, the company said.China-based TV manufacturers, including market leader Hisense Co., panel makers such as TCL Corp. and Leshi Internet Information & Technolog

South Korea's antitrust watchdog is expected to file a petition against Lotte Group founder Shin Kyuk-ho with prosecutors for the false reporting of its overseas affiliates' shareholding, informed sources said Wednesday.The secretariat of the Fair Trade Commission (has already informed Lotte of the plan for the legal punitive step after a review of the case that happened when Shin was in control of South Korea's fifth-largest conglomerate.The FTC will soon hold a plenary or sub-committee meeting

South Korea's seven state power firms posted better first-half profitability than such key manufacturers as Samsung Electronics Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. as they kept rates flat despite falling production costs, data showed Wednesday.According to the data compiled by market researcher CEO Score, the ratio of operating profit to sales for Korea Electric Power Corp. and its six subsidiaries averaged 10.7 percent in the first half of the year.The figure is higher than 10.1 percent for tech giant Sa

German automaker Audi AG will recall certain model years of A8 luxury passenger cars sold in South Korea for a coolant leak that may cause the car to lose power while driving and thus possibly lead to accidents, the transportation ministry said Wednesday.The local government began investigating possible coolant leaks in the Audi cars in June 2014 following a series of reports from vehicle owners here, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.The government confirmed coolan

President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday called on South Korean female leaders across the world to support her government's efforts for a work-family balance, which she says is critical in tackling the low birthrate and enhancing national competitiveness.In a video message to an annual session of the Korean Women's International Network, Park underscored that her government has pushed for various initiatives, including a flextime system, to help workers strike a balance between work and family."I ho

The Japanese government on Wednesday approved a plan to contribute 1 billion yen ($9.97 million) to help victims who were used as sexual slaves by Japanese troops during World War II, a local media report said.According to Kyodo News, the Japanese government held a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day and endorsed the contribution plan that was pledged late last year. The money will go to a foundation launched in South Korea for the victims, euphemistically called comfort women. The decision is ex

　미국 공화당 대선후보 도널드 트럼프의 부인 멜라니아가 다수 언론사를 명에훼손죄로 고소하겠다 나섰다.　　미국 CNN방송은 지난 23일 멜라니아 트럼프 (Melania Trump)가 영국의 데일리 메일, 폴리티코 외 최소 여덟 언론사를 대상으로 명예훼손죄를 청구했다고 보도했다. 　 멜라니아 트럼프 (유튜브 캡쳐)　이 매체들은 장래 영부인을 꿈꾸는 멜라니아가 90년대 ‘업소’에서 일했다는 내용의 기사를 실었다고 한다. 　　멜라니아를 대변하고 있는 변호사 찰스 하더 (Charles Harder)는 이 매체들이 슬로베니아 출신 멜라니아가 미국으로 이민하던 과정 중 불법취업을 했다고 주장한 것이 그녀의 명예를 훼손했다고 말했다. 　　이러한 논란은 영국매체 데일리 메일이 잇따라 멜라니아가 “부유한 고객을 대상으로 ‘에스코트’ 일을 했다”는 보도를 낸 이후 불거졌다. 　　해당 보도는 다수 매체가 받아 써 확산됐다. 　　멜라니아 트럼프가 경고를 보낸 매체는 현재 데일리 메일, 더 위크, 폴리티코,

The main contingent of South Korean athletes to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics came home to a heroes' welcome Wednesday after 17 days of competition in Brazil.The group made up of 70 athletes and sports officials arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at about 8:10 a.m.Hundreds of people, including the athletes' families and friends, were on hand at the airport to welcome the delegation with cheers.Wrestler Kim Hyeon-woo, who won a bronze medal in the men's under-75kg Greco-Roman

South Korea's No. 2 automaker Kia Motors Corp. again renewed its monthly sales record in Mexico in July, market data showed Wednesday, suggesting its annual target of 50,000 cars will be anything but unattainable.The South Korean carmaker sold 5,510 cars, including light trucks, in Mexico last month, up more than 260 percent from the same month last year, according to the data from AMIA, the Association of Auto Manufacturers in Mexico.Kia only began selling its cars in Mexico in July 2015, but i