[Graphic News] Singapore tops passport power rankings, Korea secures 3rd place

Singapore has once again claimed the title of the world's most powerful passport, according to the Henley Passport Index. Singaporean citizens can enjoy visa-free access to 195 countries, maintaining the city-state's top position from 2023. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain share the second spot, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227. Meanwhile, an unprecedented seven-nation group holds the third position, with citizens from Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxemb

World NewsAug. 26, 2024

Powell at Jackson Hole: 'The time has come' for the Fed to soon begin reducing interest rates

JACKSON, Wyoming (AP) — With inflation nearly defeated and the job market cooling, the Federal Reserve is prepared to start cutting its key interest rate from its current 23-year high, Chair Jerome Powell said Friday. Powell did not say when rate cuts would begin or how large they might be, but the Fed is widely expected to announce a modest quarter-point cut in its benchmark rate when it meets in mid-September. “The time has come for policy to adjust," Powell said in his keynot

World BusinessAug. 24, 2024

[Graphic News] Mpox cases rise as WHO declares global health emergency

Over 18,700 suspected or confirmed cases of mpox have been reported across Africa as of Saturday, according to the African Union’s health agency. The cases span three strains of the virus, including the new and deadlier Clade 1b, which led the World Health Organization to declare an international health emergency. So far, more than 3,100 confirmed cases have been reported from 12 African Union member states, resulting in 541 deaths - a fatality rate of about 2.9 percent, the Africa Cente

World NewsAug. 20, 2024

The Democratic National Convention is here. Here's how to watch it

The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday, with delegates and officials descending on Chicago after a wild few weeks that saw the party switch out its nominee, upending what had already been an unprecedented campaign year. With the departure of President Joe Biden from the campaign, and Vice President Kamala Harris' swift ascension to the top of the ticket, Democrats have essentially rejiggered the general election fight against Republican nominee and former President Donald Tru

World NewsAug. 18, 2024

Ukraine says struck second key bridge in Russia's Kursk region

Ukraine said Sunday it had struck a second key bridge in the Kursk region, seeking to disrupt Moscow's supply routes as Kyiv's unprecedented incursion on Russian soil stretched through its second week. Russia meanwhile ramped up pressure in east Ukraine, claiming to capture another village just a few kilometers from the Ukrainian-held logistics hub of Pokrovsk. "Minus one more bridge," Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram, publishing an aerial video

World NewsAug. 18, 2024

Visit by Vietnam's new leader to China reflects key relationship, even as it builds ties with US

Vietnam's new leader To Lam is making China the destination for his first overseas visit, signaling the continuing importance the Southeast Asian country places on its giant neighbor even as it strengthens ties with the United States and others. Lam stepped off a Vietnam Airlines plane on an overcast Sunday morning in Guangzhou, a major manufacturing and export hub near Hong Kong, China's state media reported. He will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on his three-day visit, which com

World NewsAug. 18, 2024

[Graphic News] Jaipur’s Oberoi Rajvilas tops world’s best hotels; Lotte Signiel Seoul ranks 69th

The Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur, India, has been named the world’s best hotel in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best 100 Hotels” for 2024. Renowned for its luxurious accommodations, including private gardens and plunge pools, the hotel offers a serene environment where guests can enjoy morning yoga and a variety of spa services. Visitors have praised the property as a “truly magical place.” The rankings were based on a survey of 186,000 readers, who cast ov

World NewsAug. 16, 2024

Ukraine claims more advances, prisoners taken as it presses an incursion into Russia

KYIV -- Ukrainian forces pushed on with their major cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region for a second week Wednesday, claiming to have taken more ground, captured more Russian prisoners and destroyed a jet bomber while launching what officials said was a massive attack on Russian military airfields. Since the start of the day, assault troops had advanced one to two kilometers in some parts of Kursk, the commander of the Ukrainian military, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said in a video pos

World NewsAug. 14, 2024

Typhoon Ampil to hit Japan on Friday: forecasters

TOKYO -- Typhoon Ampil is expected to make landfall in Japan on Friday, the country's weather forecasters said Wednesday of what will be the second weather system to strike the archipelago in a week. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) forecasts that the slow-moving typhoon, currently south of Japan, will close in on the eastern or northern part of the country Friday through Saturday with a "strong force." In an advisory at 5:05 p.m., Typhoon Ampil was packing gusts of up to 162

World NewsAug. 14, 2024

[Graphic News] Americans' views of having children

A growing number of Americans are choosing not unlikely to have children, according to recent research by the Pew Research Center. A 2023 survey of 1,916 adults ages 18 to 49 who do not have children It revealed that 47 percent have no plans to become parents, according to a survey that included 770 adults ages 18 to 49 who do not have children and say they are not too or not at all likely to have them. This figure represents a 10 percentage point increase since 2018 and a 3 point rise from

World NewsAug. 12, 2024

Israel broadens its evacuation orders after deadly strike on Gaza school-turned-shelter

Gaza Strip (AP) -- The Israeli military ordered more evacuations in southern Gaza early Sunday after a deadly airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in the north killed at least 80 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. Israel said it targeted a militant command post, killing 19 fighters. Israel has repeatedly ordered mass evacuations as its troops have returned to heavily destroyed areas where they had previously battled Palestinian militants. The vast majority of Gaza's popula

World NewsAug. 11, 2024

[Graphic News] Vietnam named most affordable country for foreign residents in 2024

Vietnam has been voted the most affordable country for expatriates, according to a survey by InterNations, as reported by CNBC. The annual research, which surveyed 12,000 expats across 174 territories, sought insights into the best places to live, quality of life, personal finance and working abroad. In the “personal finance” category, Vietnam ranked first out of 53 destinations, maintaining its top position from 2021, 2022 and 2023. The personal finance index measures respondents&

World NewsAug. 9, 2024

Walz is VP America deserves, Harris says

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Kamala Harris introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the nation at a raucous rally Tuesday in battleground Pennsylvania that was aimed at building momentum for the newly minted Democratic presidential ticket in the sprint toward Election Day. “He’s the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big. ... That’s the kind of vice president America deserves,” Harris said while standing with Walz in Philadelphia. T

World NewsAug. 7, 2024

[Graphic News] Samsung retains global smartphone market lead in Q2

Samsung Electronics has maintained its lead in the global smartphone market for the second consecutive quarter this year, according to data from market research firm International Data Corporation. In the second quarter, Samsung shipped 53.9 million smartphones, securing an 18.9 percent market share. Apple followed, shipping 45.2 million units and capturing 15.8 percent of the market. Overall, global smartphone shipments reached 285.4 million units, marking a 6.5 percent increase from last yea

World BusinessAug. 7, 2024

Flurry of diplomacy to ease Mideast tensions as Israel awaits Iran attack

Diplomatic pressure mounted Monday to avoid an escalation between Iran and Israel following high-profile killings that have sent regional tensions soaring, while numerous governments urged their citizens to leave Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Sunday that his country was "determined to stand against" Iran and its allied armed groups "on all fronts." As its war against Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza nears its 11th month, Israel has been bracing for ret

World NewsAug. 5, 2024

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns and leaves Bangladesh, ending 15-year rule

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday, ending 15 years in power as thousands of protesters defied a military curfew and stormed her official residence. Shortly after local media showed the embattled leader boarding a military helicopter with her sister, Bangladesh’s military chief Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman announced plans to seek the president's guidance on forming interim government. He promised that the military would stand down, and to launch an investigation

World NewsAug. 5, 2024

US says Mideast military moves aimed at deescalating

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The US is deploying additional military might in the Middle East as a defensive measure with a goal of deescalating tensions in the region, a White House official said on Sunday. Regional tensions have increased following the assassination on Wednesday of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tehran a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander from the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Both groups are back

World NewsAug. 5, 2024

Trump says agrees with Fox News to debate Harris on Sept. 4

WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said late Friday that he had agreed to debate his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, on Fox News on Sept. 4. "I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. It was not immediately clear if Harris had agreed to the debate. Trump's post came hours after the vice president had secured the Democratic Party's nomination as standar

World NewsAug. 3, 2024

Israeli airstrike kills 5 in West Bank, including Hamas commander

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- An Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank killed a commander in the Palestinian armed group Hamas on Saturday, Hamas media reported, while Palestinian news agency WAFA said four other men were also killed. The identities of the others were not clear, according to the WAFA report, which cited health officials. The Israeli military said it had carried out an airstrike against a militant cell around the West Bank city of Tulkarm. Hamas media said a vehicle c

World NewsAug. 3, 2024

At least two dead after landslides in southwest China

Landslides in southwest China on Saturday destroyed homes and caused a highway bridge to collapse, killing at least two people and leaving around 17 others missing, authorities said. State broadcaster CCTV said "local mountain torrents and landslides" swept away part of Ridi village in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province. The disasters killed two people and left 12 missing, CCTV reported, adding that "the disaster situation is undergoing further verification.&quo

World NewsAug. 3, 2024