[Graphic News] Japan tops global IQ rankings, South Korea ranks fifth

According to Wiqtcom, a Finnish intelligence testing agency, the smartest country in 2024 is Japan, with an average Intelligent Quotient of 112.30. Wiqtcom’s “2024 World’s Most Intelligent Country Ranking” is based on the test results of 109 countries. Hungary (111.28), Taiwan (111.20), Italy (110.82) and South Korea (110.80) are within the top 5, after Japan. The global average is 99.64. The United States placed 77th with 96.57 and other advanced nations of Germany (10

July 17, 2024

Who is Trump's pick, JD Vance?

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former President Donald Trump on Monday chose US Sen. JD Vance of Ohio to be his running mate as he looks to return to the White House. Here are some things to know about Vance, a 39-year-old Republican now in his first term in the Senate: Vance rose to prominence with the memoir 'Hillbilly Elegy' Vance was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio. He joined the Marines and served in Iraq, and later earned degrees from Ohio State University and Yale Law School.

July 16, 2024

Trump gets hero's welcome at Republican convention

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Two days after surviving an attempted assassination, former President Donald Trump appeared triumphantly at the Republican National Convention’s opening night with a bandage over his right ear, the latest compelling scene in a presidential campaign already defined by dramatic turns. Republican Party delegates cheered wildly when Trump appeared onscreen backstage and then emerged in the arena, visibly emotional, as musician Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA.

July 16, 2024

Motive of Trump shooter as yet elusive

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The 20-year-old man who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump first came to law enforcement’s attention at Saturday’s rally when spectators noticed him acting strangely outside the campaign event. The tip sparked a frantic search but officers were unable to find him before he managed to get on a roof, where he opened fire. In the wake of the shooting that killed one spectator, investigators were hunting for any clues about what may have driven Thomas M

July 15, 2024

Trump shot in ear at campaign rally

BUTLER, Pennsylvania -- Donald Trump was shot in the ear during a Saturday campaign rally, in an attack that left the Republican presidential candidate's face streaked with blood and prompting his security agents to swarm him, before he emerged and pumped his fist in the air, mouthing the words "Fight! Fight! Fight!" The shooter was dead, one rally attendee was killed and two other spectators were injured, the Secret Service said in a statement. The incident was being investigat

July 14, 2024

Trump is fine, campaign says, after being whisked off stage following apparent gunfire at rally

BUTLER, Pennsylvania (AP) — Donald Trump's campaign said in a statement that he was “fine” after being whisked off the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania after apparent gunshots rang through the crowd. “President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act,” spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. “He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow.” Th

July 14, 2024

Donald Trump whisked off stage in Pennsylvania after loud noises rang through the crowd

BUTLER, Pennsylvania (AP) — Donald Trump was whisked off the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania after apparent gunshots rang through the crowd. The former president and presumptive Republican nominee was showing off a chart of border crossing numbers during his last rally before the Republican National Convention opens Monday when bangs started ringing through the crowd. Trump could be seen reaching with his right hand toward his neck. There appeared to be blood on his face. He qui

July 14, 2024

NATO names S. Korea as Indo-Pacific partner for defense industrial cooperation

Leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have expressed their commitment to expand defense industrial capacity with South Korea and other Indo-Pacific partners to counter Russia during a summit in Washington. The 32 NATO members adopted the NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge on Wednesday, which aims to ramp up the military alliance's readiness and interoperability between weapons systems to support Ukraine to win an ongoing war against Russia. The document lays out NATO&

July 11, 2024

[Graphic News] Biden, Trump older than most other countries’ leaders

The United States’ two leading presidential candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, are significantly older than the average age of nations’ leaders around the world, according to recent research. A Washington Post analysis of a Pew Research Center survey revealed that the average age of leaders globally as of May this year is 62. In stark contrast, Biden and Trump are 81 and 78, respectively. Trump exceeds the average by 16 years, while Biden surpasses it by 19 years. Regardless o

July 11, 2024

Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket blasts off for the first time

KOUROU, French Guiana (AFP) -- Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket successfully blasted off for the first time on Tuesday, releasing satellites into orbit and restoring the continent's independent access to space. European space efforts have suffered a series of blows, including four years of delays to Ariane 6, that have robbed the continent of its own way to launch missions into space for the past year. But with the successful inaugural flight of Europe's most powerful rocket yet, Euro

July 10, 2024

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s ‘world competitiveness’ ranking rises to 20th: report

South Korea's ranking in terms of its competitiveness relative to other countries rose by eight places to reach the highest level for the country ever in 2024 on improved business efficiency and infrastructure, a report showed. The country ranked 20th in terms of global competitiveness among 67 countries surveyed in 2024 compared with 28th the previous year, according to the report by the International Institute for Management Development released by the Finance Ministry here. IIMD, a bus

July 9, 2024

Paramount and Skydance merge, signaling end of a family rein in Hollywood and the rise of new power

The entertainment giant Paramount will merge with Skydance, closing out a decades long run by the Redstone family in Hollywood and injecting desperately needed cash into a legacy studio that has struggled to adapt to a shifting entertainment landscape. It also signals rise of a new power player, David Ellison, the founder of Skydance and son of billionaire Larry Ellison, the founder of the software company Oracle. Shari Redstone's National Amusements has owned more than three-quarters of Pa

July 8, 2024

India's Modi lands in Russia for first visit since Ukraine offensive

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Russia on Monday, as the Indian leader treaded a fine line between maintaining a longstanding relationship with Moscow and courting closer Western security ties. The visit is Modi's first since Russia launched its campaign in Ukraine and since he was returned to power last month as leader of the world's most populous country. "I look forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with my friend President Vladimir Putin and sharing

July 8, 2024

French voters deliver win for the left, blow for Le Pen

PARIS -- France faced potential political deadlock after elections on Sunday threw up a hung parliament, with the left alliance unexpectedly taking the most seats but no group winning a majority. Voters delivered a major setback for Marine Le Pen's nationalist, euroskeptic National Rally, which opinion polls had predicted would win the second-round ballot but ended up in the third spot, according to pollsters' projections. The results were also a blow for centrist President Emmanuel Macron, who

July 8, 2024

Biden digs in as Democrats consider forcing him out of presidential race

President Joe Biden on Friday battled to put down an uprising among some Democrats pushing him to abandon his reelection campaign after a poor debate performance, vowing that "I'm staying in the race." In a fiery speech to supporters in Wisconsin and in an ABC News interview , Biden argued he is the best Democratic candidate to prevent Republican Donald Trump from regaining the White House in the Nov. 5 election. Biden's halting performance at his debate with Trump on June

July 6, 2024

New PM Starmer speaks to world leaders, names top team after election win

Keir Starmer set to work as Britain's new leader Friday, speaking with other world leaders and appointing his ministerial team after his Labor party's landslide general election victory ended 14 years of Conservative rule. Starmer named Rachel Reeves the UK's first woman finance minister and appointed David Lammy as foreign secretary following his election win to become center-left Labor's first prime minister since Gordon Brown in 2010. Flag-waving crowds of cheering Labor a

July 6, 2024

Japanese man sentenced to 17.5 years in prison, and 20 strokes of the cane in Singapore for rape

A Japanese hairstylist has been sentenced to 17.5 years in prison and 20 strokes of the cane in Singapore for what the judge described as a “brutal and cruel” assault and rape of a drunk student five years ago, his lawyer said Thursday. Kita Ikko, 39, pleaded guilty Monday to one charge of rape, one charge of sexual assault by penetration, and one charge of making an obscene film, defense lawyer Adrian Wee told The Associated Press. The Kyodo News Agency cited the Japanese Embassy in

July 4, 2024

China supports Kazakhstan joining BRICS, eyes energy reserves

BEIJING -- China's President Xi Jinping said he supports Kazakhstan joining the BRICS bloc, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday, as the group of developing nations mulls further expansion to rival a Western-dominated world order it sees as outdated. Speaking to the press alongside Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev following a meeting in the Central Asian state's capital, Xi encouraged Kazakhstan to "play the role of a middle power on the international stage and make its

July 3, 2024

New Dutch leader pledges to cut immigration as the opposition vows to root out racists in cabinet

AMSTERDAM -- Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof gave his first speech to parliament on Wednesday, pledging that he will work hard at one of his new goverment’s main aims: reducing immigration. “The biggest of those concerns is asylum and migration. That is the crux of the matter, no matter how you look at it,” said Schoof , who is not a member of any of the four parties that make up the coalition government. Schoof formally took the reins from long serving prime minister Mark Rut

July 3, 2024

[Graphic News] Majority of US registered voters believe Biden should not run for reelection: poll

A recent CBS/YouGov poll reveals that more than 70 percent of US registered voters believe President Joe Biden should not seek reelection in November. The survey, conducted with 1,130 registered voters nationwide June 28-29, showed that 72 percent think Biden should not run for president, compared to 28 percent who believe he should. The poll, released on Sunday, followed the first 2024 presidential debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday. When asked about

July 3, 2024