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    US military says it shot down Iranian drones launched toward Strait of Hormuz

    CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wisc. — The U.S. military said it shot down four Iranian drones that were launched toward the Strait of Hormuz, Friday, and then struck some of the Islamic Republic’s coastal surveillance radar sites in response, raising the risk to a shaky ceasefire as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Iran . “The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” U.S. Central Command said on social media. The military is enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s chokehold on the crucial corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments, which has sent energy prices spiking and posed political problems for President Donald Trump's Republican Party ahead of the midterm congressional elections. U.S. Central Command said it hit the radar sites, including an island in the strait, “to defend against further attacks.” It was the latest in back-and-forth attacks that have strained the tenuous ceasefire in the war and efforts to reach a deal to extend that truce. Earlier this week, Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger termin

    3 MIN READBy AP
    US military says it shot down Iranian drones launched toward Strait of Hormuz
  • World

    Iran FM urges Lebanon president to save country from 'real foe'

    1 MIN READBy AFP
    Iran FM urges Lebanon president to save country from 'real foe'
  • World

    Pope Leo heads to Spain with migrants and polarisation in focus

    2 MIN READBy Reuters
    Pope Leo heads to Spain with migrants and polarisation in focus
  • World

    Trump's UFC fight at White House combines punches and politics

    3 MIN READBy Reuters
    Trump's UFC fight at White House combines punches and politics
  • World

    NASA reverses evacuation alert order for astronauts aboard space station

    3 MIN READBy Reuters
    NASA reverses evacuation alert order for astronauts aboard space station
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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

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World

Iran to let no more than 15 vessels a day to pass Strait of Hormuz

MOSCOW — Iran will allow no more than 15 vessels a day to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under the ceasefire agreement it agreed with the United States, Russia's state TASS news agency quoted an unnamed senior Iranian source as saying on Thursday. The Strait, a strip of water only 34 km (21 miles) wide between Iran and Oman, provides passage from the Gulf to the Indian Ocean and is the main route for about a fifth of world oil supplies and other vital goods including fertilisers. It has been largely shut by Iran since the start of the conflict at the end of February, leading to a surge in global oil prices.

Apr 10, 2026By Reuters
Iran to let no more than 15 vessels a day to pass Strait of Hormuz
World

'We are not some piece of ice': Greenland hits back at Trump's Arctic insult

COPENHAGEN — Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called on NATO allies to stand together to defend international law as he pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump's latest comments about the Arctic island. Trump vented his frustration with NATO's unwillingness to get involved in the war on Iran that he launched with Israel, saying in a social media post that the military alliance was not around when needed and would not be there "if we need them again. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE." Nielsen rejected the characterisation. "We are not some piece of ice. We are a proud population of 57,000 people, working every single day as good global citizens in full respect for all our allies," he told Reuters. Nielsen underlined the importance of maintaining the post-war geopolitical order, including the NATO defence alliance and globally respected international law. "Those things are being challenged now, and I think all allies should stand together to try to maintain them. I hope that will happen," he said. DIPLOMATIC TALKS CONTINUE BUT GREENLAND IS WA

Apr 10, 2026By Reuters
'We are not some piece of ice': Greenland hits back at Trump's Arctic insult
World

Oil prices rise to $100 as stocks slow on uncertainty about US-Iran ceasefire

NEW YORK — Oil prices climbed back toward $100 per barrel on Thursday, while stock markets worldwide slowed following their big gains from the day before. The S&P 500 flipped from a small loss to a gain of 0.3 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 77 points, or 0, percent, as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3 percent higher. Earlier in the day, stocks fell across much of Europe and Asia as the United States, Iran and Israel disagreed on the details of their two-week ceasefire , whose announcement had sent markets flying in optimism on Wednesday. The oil market was jumpier, and the price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude oil climbed 5.6 percent to $99.70. It rose after semiofficial news agencies in Iran suggested forces have mined the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that has been at the center of President Donald Trump’s demands of Iran. Blockages there have kept oil and natural gas stuck in the Persian Gulf, away from customers worldwide. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 2.3 percent to $96.95 per barrel. It’s still below

Apr 10, 2026By AP
Oil prices rise to $100 as stocks slow on uncertainty about US-Iran ceasefire
World

N. Korean, Chinese FMs hold talks in Pyongyang on strengthening ties: report

The top diplomats of North Korea and China held talks in Pyongyang on Thursday and discussed strengthening bilateral relations, according to a Chinese media report. In his talks with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing stands ready to work with Pyongyang to further strengthen bilateral relations, according to Xinhua News Agency. Wang arrived in Pyongyang earlier in the day for a two-day visit through Friday at the invitation of North Korea's foreign ministry. The visit marks Wang's first trip to North Korea since September 2019. Wang said China will work with North Korea to strengthen strategic communication and further consolidate the positive momentum in bilateral relations. China is also willing to enhance high-level exchanges, deepen dialogue and practical cooperation at various levels and across sectors, and promote people-to-people exchanges to support the countries' economic and social development, according to the report. In response, Choe said their relations are deep, solid and sustainable, noting that promoting ties further

Apr 10, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korean, Chinese FMs hold talks in Pyongyang on strengthening ties: report
World

EU slams Hormuz toll idea, urges unrestricted freedom of navigation

BRUSSELS — The EU said Thursday that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be ensured with "no payment or toll whatsoever," after Iran suggested it could charge for letting ships through. A full reopening of the vital Gulf waterway remains a key point of contention as talks are due to start after Iran and the United States announced a two-week ceasefire following over a month of hostilities. "International law provides for the freedom of navigation, which means... basically no payment or toll whatsoever," European Commission spokesman Anouar El Anouni said at a press conference in Brussels. "Freedom of navigation is a public good and needs to be ensured," he said. Iran agreed to reopen the thoroughfare during the two-week truce but has also spoken of setting up a toll system, which would allow it to fund its reconstruction. U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States and Iran could run the system in a "joint venture," though the White House has said the strait should be reopened immediately with no restrictions. Traffic through Hormuz has remained extrem

Apr 9, 2026By AFP
EU slams Hormuz toll idea, urges unrestricted freedom of navigation
World

Israel military says killed secretary to Hezbollah chief in Beirut

JERUSALEM — Israel's military said Thursday it had struck and killed a close adviser to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem in Beirut a day earlier, when Israeli strikes pummelled Lebanon. "Yesterday, the IDF struck in the Beirut area and eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem," a military statement said. Harshi was "a close associate and personal adviser to... Qassem and played a central role in managing and securing his office", it added.

Apr 9, 2026By AFP
Israel military says killed secretary to Hezbollah chief in Beirut
World

Buddhist population shrinks as East Asia’s low birth rate begins to take toll

Exceptionally low birth rates across Northeast Asia are beginning to have a tangible impact on the global religious landscape, as Buddhism — long a major faith in the region — is shrinking, a study found. According to a Pew Research Center study released Tuesday, an analysis of data from 201 countries and territories showed that Buddhism was the only major religion to see a decline in the number of followers. The global Buddhist population fell to 324 million in 2020, down from 343 million in 2010 — a decrease of 19 million, or 5.4 percent. The decline stands in stark contrast to Christianity and Islam, which saw their numbers rise by 122 million and 347 million, respectively, over the same period. Pew Research Center analyzed demographic shifts in the East Asian region and changes in the share of believers to have contributed to the decline in the Buddhist population. The primary factors were identified as low birth rates and aging societies in East Asia, where these trends are unfolding at one of the fastest rates in the world. According to the research center, 98 percent of the

Apr 9, 2026By Hankookilbo
Buddhist population shrinks as East Asia’s low birth rate begins to take toll
World

Lebanon mourns dead from Israeli strikes that rattled US-Iran truce

BEIRUT — Lebanon declared a national day of mourning on Thursday after Israeli strikes pummelled the country, killing nearly 200 people and calling into question the ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Washington and Tehran had both claimed victory in the Middle East war after agreeing a two-week truce and negotiations aimed at ending a conflict that has killed thousands across the region and plunged the global economy into turmoil. But fractures emerged quickly, especially when Israel carried out its heaviest strikes yet on neighbouring Lebanon since the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah joined the war in early March. At least 182 people were killed and nearly 900 wounded on Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry said. There had been conflicting messages about whether the fighting in Lebanon was included in the truce, with Israel insisting that it was not. The Lebanese prime minister's office said Thursday would be "a national day of mourning for the martyrs and wounded of the Israeli attacks that targeted hundreds of innocent, defenceless civilians," ordering the closure

Apr 9, 2026By AFP
Lebanon mourns dead from Israeli strikes that rattled US-Iran truce
World

Trump says US military to stay around Iran, threatens action if Tehran fails to comply with deal

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday its military ships and aircraft will remain around Iran and threatened that the U.S. will start "shooting" again unless Tehran fully complies with the deal reached with Washington. "All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry ... will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with," Trump said on his Truth Social platform. "If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the “Shootin’ Starts,” bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before.," the president added. Iran had said earlier on Wednesday that it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace deal with the United States after Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest strikes yet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people. The two sides appeared to be far apart on Iran's nuclear program, with Trump saying Iran had agreed to stop enriching uranium, and Iran's parliament speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf saying it

Apr 9, 2026By Reuters
Trump says US military to stay around Iran, threatens action if Tehran fails to comply with deal
World

Iran announces alternative routes in Hormuz strait

TEHRAN — Iran announced alternative routes on Thursday for ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the risk of sea mines in the main zone of the vital waterway. Tehran has agreed to temporarily reopen the strait, through which one-fifth of the world's oil usually passes, as part of a two-week truce. "All ships intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz are hereby notified that in order to comply with the principles of maritime safety and to be protected from possible collisions with sea mines...they should take alternative routes for traffic in the Strait of Hormuz," Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement quoted by local media. The statement shared instructions for an alternative entry and exit route through the strait. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, less than an hour before U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline to obliterate the Islamic republic if it did not bow to his demands for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran had effectively blocked the key shipping route since early March, sending

Apr 9, 2026By AFP
Iran announces alternative routes in Hormuz strait
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