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    Yemen's Houthis attack Saudi tankers in Red Sea, threatening to widen Iran war

    CAIRO — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday, potentially widening the Iran war as international oil topped $100 a barrel. The Houthis have threatened to shut down another key trade route, with the world economy already reeling from Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Iran and the U.S. have stepped up their attacks as they vie for control of the strait, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas transited in peacetime, setting off a scramble for alternative routes. As the U.S. carried out a 12th night of strikes across Iran, President Donald Trump threatened “major military punishment” against the Houthis if their attacks on ships continue. “If they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves,” Trump wrote on social media. As the rhetoric escalated, so did the economic fallout. The price of Brent crude oil, the international stand

    4 MIN READBy AP
    Yemen's Houthis attack Saudi tankers in Red Sea, threatening to widen Iran war
  • World

    Trump imposes double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries as 10% levies set to expire Friday

    5 MIN READBy AP
    Trump imposes double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries as 10% levies set to expire Friday
  • World

    US health officials investigate new outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasite

    1 MIN READBy AP
    US health officials investigate new outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasite
  • World

    US stocks tumble as Brent oil tops $100

    1 MIN READBy AFP
    US stocks tumble as Brent oil tops $100
  • World

    Despite improved food security in Gaza, gains remain fragile as warning signs keep mounting

    3 MIN READBy AP
    Despite improved food security in Gaza, gains remain fragile as warning signs keep mounting
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World

N. Korea's premier to visit China to mark 65th anniv. of signing of friendship treaty: KCNA

North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song will make an official visit to China to mark the 65th anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty between the two nations, Pyongyang's state media said Thursday. A North Korean delegation, led by Pak, will travel to China to take part in an event marking the 65th anniversary of the conclusion of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance at the invitation of China's Communist Party, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The two countries signed the treaty on July 11, 1961, by the North's state founder Kim Il-sung and then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, under which they are obliged to provide military and other assistance to each other if attacked. The KCNA did not specify when the delegation will depart for China or when the event will take place. But China's foreign ministry said Pak will visit China from Friday to Sunday to attend the anniversary event, according to China's Xinhua News Agency. North Korean leader Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping held summit talks in Pyongyang last month and vowed to strengthen bilateral t

Jul 9, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's premier to visit China to mark 65th anniv. of signing of friendship treaty: KCNA
World

US carries out another round of strikes on Iran after Trump says ceasefire is over

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. carried out another round of strikes on Iran on Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump said that recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signaled the end of the fragile ceasefire. The action raised fears that the war in Iran could reignite, coming just a day after the U.S. military hit a variety of military sites and port facilities following Iran’s targeting of several merchant vessels off the coast of Oman. Military officials said in a social media post Wednesday that the latest strikes were intended to “further degrade” Iran's ability “to threaten freedom of navigation” in the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed before the war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28. Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including the southern port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as Bushehr, home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex. Trump warns that ‘it will get much worse’ if attacks on shipping happen again After leaving a NATO summit

Jul 9, 2026By AP
US carries out another round of strikes on Iran after Trump says ceasefire is over
World

Trump says interim accord with Iran to end war is 'over'

U.S. President Donald Trump said an interim agreement to end the war with Iran was "over" on Wednesday after Tehran carried out new attacks on U.S. bases in the Gulf. In a flare-up of hostilities that pushed oil prices up sharply, Iran said it had targeted U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait after U.S. forces struck Iranian targets in response to attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks further undermined a shaky ceasefire agreement and dented hopes of turning the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 into a permanent peace deal to end the war, which began with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Asked before a NATO summit in Turkey whether the memorandum of understanding was over, Trump said: "It's a very interesting question. To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them." "They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people," he told reporters in Ankara. "As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them." Although Trump has at times stepped back from threats he has made against Iran, oil prices surged and sto

Jul 8, 2026By Reuters
Trump says interim accord with Iran to end war is 'over'
World

World's 1st Pokemon-themed airport opens in Japan's quake-hit Noto region

Japan's Noto Airport in Ishikawa Prefecture has rebranded as the world's first Pokemon-themed airport as part of recovery efforts in the quake-hit region. Officially renamed the Noto Satoyama Pokemon with You Airport, the facility aims to boost tourism and attract visitors to the Noto Peninsula following the devastating January 2024 earthquake. It is the only airport globally to feature the Pokemon brand in its name. The themed airport project runs through Sept. 30, 2029. Japanese media outlets, including the Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun, reported Wednesday that the airport held a reopening ceremony Tuesday. The regional transport hub now displays artwork of 111 flying-type Pokemon throughout its interior, anchored by a large central balloon featuring Pikachu riding an airplane. The facility also features nine indoor and three outdoor photo stations. The airport offers exclusive attractions for travelers. Visitors can access special videos, themed restaurant menus and limited-edition merchandise unavailable elsewhere. The Pokemon with You Foundation, a disaster relief organization,

Jul 8, 2026By Hankookilbo
World's 1st Pokemon-themed airport opens in Japan's quake-hit Noto region
World

China signals 'new normal' with coast guard patrols off Taiwan's east

TAIPEI — China has signaled its intent to maintain a new coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, analysts say, as Beijing dials up pressure on the self-ruled island that it claims is part of its territory. Tensions over Western Pacific waters off Taiwan spiked after the Chinese coast guard and other ships launched their first "law enforcement operation" in that area in June. During the operation, the China Coast Guard for the first time radioed cargo ships passing Taiwan for information about their crew and destination. Chinese state media said the operation was in response to talks between Japan and the Philippines to draw a boundary in those waters. But Taipei branded it "expansionism in disguise" and several Western governments expressed concern over the "novel" activity. China Coast Guard vessels patrolling the waters since then have been replaced by a second group that will "continue law enforcement patrols," China Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lue said Saturday. "China is essentially announcing a new normal," Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, which monitors China's maritime activities,

Jul 8, 2026By AFP
China signals 'new normal' with coast guard patrols off Taiwan's east
World

Protests break out in Havana as Cuba struggles to restore electricity

HAVANA — Scattered protests broke out across Havana on Tuesday evening, with residents banging pots, honking horns and shouting "turn on the lights" as millions of Cubans remained without power amid a six-month-long U.S. fuel blockade. Cuba experienced a nationwide outage on Monday — its third this year — but while authorities said most of the country had been reconnected to the island's grid by late Tuesday, many remained in the dark and without electricity as the island doesn't have enough fuel. The country's grid operator UNE said it had reconnected the grid from Pinar del Rio, in far western Cuba, to Holguin in the east. Santiago de Cuba, the island's second-largest city, remained disconnected and without power, authorities said. The U.S. in January cut off Cuba's fuel supply, then imposed fresh sanctions that have prompted an exodus of foreign businesses and a near-complete collapse of tourism in a bid to force the island's government to the negotiating table. The U.S. is seeking to upend Cuba's communist-run government and has called for democratic elections and the release o

Jul 8, 2026By Reuters
Protests break out in Havana as Cuba struggles to restore electricity
World

Trump sidetracks NATO with new Iran strikes while in Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey — U.S. President Donald Trump surprised NATO leaders he is meeting with in Turkey by launching a series of strikes on Iran late Tuesday and revoking a license that allowed Tehran to sell its oil on the world market, a major twist for a summit that had been aimed at showcasing how alliance members were stepping up spending on defense and focusing on support for Ukraine's war with Russia. The strikes were retaliation after three merchant ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, and underscored the fragility of an interim deal to end months of fighting between the two countries. Trump launched the attacks shortly after leaving a dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan where the leaders of the alliance's 32 member countries had gathered ahead of Wednesday's talks meant to focus on progress made toward meeting NATO’s spending targets. Trump did not directly address the strikes Tuesday night. It is rare for U.S. presidents to launch military action while outside the U.S., though in 2011 former President Barack Obama authorized strikes in Libya while on a

Jul 8, 2026By AP
Trump sidetracks NATO with new Iran strikes while in Turkey
World

Iran targets sites in Bahrain, Kuwait after wave of US strikes

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday after the U.S. launched a wave of military strikes on Iran in response to attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. In the latest blow to the fragile ceasefire agreement, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out a joint missile and drone operation against key U.S. military sites in Bandar Salman, Bahrain's Fifth Naval District and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and shot down a U.S. MQ9 drone attempting to interfere in the operation. Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait, officials said. The Kuwaiti army said air defences were confronting "hostile" missile and drone attacks. The U.S. earlier unleashed fresh military strikes and revoked a licence allowing Iran to sell oil in response to attacks on three tankers in the strait. The U.S. Central Command said more than 60 small boats of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were among the targets hit, in a bid to impose a heavy cost on Iran for strikes on shipping in violation of the ceasefire. "The unwarranted ag

Jul 8, 2026By AP
Iran targets sites in Bahrain, Kuwait after wave of US strikes
World

US launches new strikes on Iran, revokes oil sale permission

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military launched new strikes against Iran early Wednesday, hours after three merchant ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, in the latest exchange of fire to threaten the interim deal to end the fighting between the two countries. The strikes came during the dayslong funeral for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the war. They also were sure to add to the difficulty of negotiations aimed at fully reopening the strait, rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program and reaching a permanent end to the war launched Feb. 28. In a statement posted to social media, U.S. Central Command said American forces launched the strikes “to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway.” One U.S. official said the military was targeting air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, ground-to-air missiles and launch sites for anti-ship cruise missiles and drones. Iranian port facilities are also being targeted, the offici

Jul 8, 2026By AP
US launches new strikes on Iran, revokes oil sale permission
World

US revoking general license for Iranian oil sales amid rising tensions in Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday it is revoking a general license that authorized the sale of Iranian oil, after three tankers were reported to have come under attack in and near the crucial Strait of Hormuz. The revocation raised concerns that it could affect ongoing diplomatic efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to engage in negotiations with Iran to reopen the waterway, wind down the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and end the Middle East war. On June 21, the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a temporary 60-day general license authorizing the production, delivery and sale of Iranian oil, as Washington and Tehran signed a preliminary peace agreement aimed at ending their war. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre, a British entity, there were reports of three tankers struck by unidentified projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz or in an area east of Limah, Oman. Korea and other countries have been carefully watching developments in the strait, a key shipping route for oil, natural gas, fer

Jul 8, 2026By Yonhap
US revoking general license for Iranian oil sales amid rising tensions in Strait of Hormuz
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