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    Taiwan coast guard says deploys vessels in response to China operation

    TAIPEI — Taiwan's coast guard said Sunday it has deployed vessels "to respond appropriately" to a Chinese operation in waters east of the island democracy, which it said "violates international law". It comes after Chinese state media reported Saturday that the "law enforcement operation" was in response to talks between Japan and the Philippines to draw a boundary in the affected waters. China, which asserts Taiwan is part of its territory, called the talks "illegal" and has claimed exclusive control over the waters. The Chinese ships have been monitored "throughout the entire process" and Taiwan "has deployed the necessary vessels to respond appropriately," the Taiwanese coast guard said in a statement. Taiwan said it had detected four Chinese government vessels departing from Xiamen port which had sailed outside Taiwanese restricted waters southwest of the island. Taiwan's coast guard dispatched more than five vessels "to assist with surveillance". The Chinese vessels were expected to arrive "in the relevant waters" on Sunday, the statement said, adding that "China does not enjoy any

    2 MIN READBy AFP
    Taiwan coast guard says deploys vessels in response to China operation
  • World

    Is the dream over? Mainland students rethink Hong Kong over costs and cultural fit

    4 MIN READBy SCMP
    Is the dream over? Mainland students rethink Hong Kong over costs and cultural fit
  • 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 polarization in focus

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

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

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

3 tankers, including one Japanese-owned, cross Strait of Hormuz near Oman

LONDON — Three tankers, including one co-owned by a Japanese company, crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday by hugging close to Oman's shore, a rare transit route as Iran maintains a chokehold on the key war-torn passageway. Before the war which started more than a month ago, about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the Strait, but that has dwindled to a trickle as Iran selectively attacks ships and energy facilities throughout the Gulf in retaliation against U.S. and Israeli attacks. The near closing of the international artery has led to fuel shortages and soaring energy prices across the globe. Thursday's passage of the three was notable because they sailed close to the Omani Musandam Peninsula to the south of the waterway on Thursday, maritime traffic data showed Friday. The few vessels that have crossed the chokepoint since the start of the Middle East war have passed using an Iranian-approved route through its waters near Larak Island, dubbed the "Tehran Toll Booth" by leading shipping journal Lloyd's List. No other ships have been tracked "not takin

Apr 4, 2026By AFP
3 tankers, including one Japanese-owned, cross Strait of Hormuz near Oman
World

Trump says US can take Strait of Hormuz with more time

Washington — President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. can open the Strait of Hormuz with a little more time, as pressure mounts for his administration to find a quick resolution to a war against Iran. "With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Nearly five weeks after it started with a joint U.S.-Israeli aerial assault, the war in Iran continues to spread chaos across the region and roil financial markets, raising the pressure on Trump to find a quick resolution to the conflict. Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that carries about a fifth of the world's total oil consumption, in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes that began in late February. Reopening it has become a priority for governments around the world as energy prices soar. In the speech on Wednesday night, Trump repeated his threats against Iran's civilian power plants and gave no clear timeline for ending hostilities, drawing vows of retaliation from Iran and depressing share prices.

Apr 3, 2026By Reuters
Trump says US can take Strait of Hormuz with more time
World

Japanese-owned LNG tanker crosses Strait of Hormuz

TOKYO — A Japanese-owned liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker has crossed the Strait of Hormuz, its co-owner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said Friday, making it the first Japan-linked vessel to have crossed the channel since the onset of the Iran war. Crew members on the Panama-flagged ship, "SOHAR LNG", remain safe, a Mitsui O.S.K. Lines spokesperson told Reuters, while declining to disclose when it crossed the Strait and whether any negotiations had been required. The Asahi newspaper earlier reported the crossing. Until U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran began at the end of February, leading to the effective closure of the strait, it was the route for about one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies. Japan was particularly dependent as around 90 percent of its oil and 6 percent of its LNG imports crossed the strait. As of early on Friday, 45 ships owned or operated by Japanese entities had been stranded because they could not cross the strait, according to Japan's transport ministry. Among those were 12 crude oil tankers, 12 tankers loaded with refined or chemical products, nine car carriers and six LNG

Apr 3, 2026By Reuters
Japanese-owned LNG tanker crosses Strait of Hormuz
World

Iran says F-35 fighter jet shot down by new defense system

TEHRAN — Iran on Friday said it shot down an F-35 fighter jet. A statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's elite military force, said the fighter jet was shot down over Iranian airspace by a new, advanced defence system. There was no initial confirmation of the incident from the United States, which has been waging war against Iran alongside Israel since Feb. 28. The IRGC said the F-35 was the second to have been shot down. "Due to the complete destruction of the aircraft, there is no information regarding the fate of the pilot," the statement said. It is unlikely that the pilot survived, the IRGC said. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has recently dismissed Iranian reports of successful takedowns of U.S. fighter jets. On Thursday, the command denied that one of its planes was shot down over the Iranian island of Qeshm in the south of the country. The F-35 jet, manufactured by the U.S. company Lockheed Martin, is one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world. There have been no confirmed cases to date of an F-35 being shot down in an armed conflict.

Apr 3, 2026By DPA
Iran says F-35 fighter jet shot down by new defense system
World

Israeli PM says 70% of Iran's steel production capacity destroyed

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israeli strikes have destroyed about 70 percent of Iran's steel production capacity, significantly hindering its ability to manufacture weapons. Steel is a strategically important material used in industrial and military production, including of missiles, drones and ships. "Together with our American friends, we continue to crush the terror regime in Iran. We are eliminating commanders, bombing bridges, bombing infrastructures," Netanyahu said in a video statement. "In recent days, the Air Force has destroyed 70 percent of Iran's steel production capacity," he said. "This is a tremendous achievement that deprives the Revolutionary Guards of both financial resources and the ability to produce many weapons." Iran's two largest steel plants have been forced out of action by several waves of US and Israeli air attacks. Iran's Khuzestan Steel Company and Mobarakeh Steel Company have said it would take months for them to restructure the plants. The Revolutionary Guard has since launched missile and drone strikes on industria

Apr 3, 2026By AFP
Israeli PM says 70% of Iran's steel production capacity destroyed
World

Hegseth asks the Army's top uniformed officer to step down while US wages war against Iran

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ousted the Army’s top uniformed officer and two other generals, the Pentagon said Thursday without giving a reason for the departures while the United States is waging a war against Iran . Gen. Randy George “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately,” said Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesman. George has held the post of Army chief of staff, which typically runs for four years, since August 2023 under the Biden administration. The ouster, reported earlier by CBS News, is just the latest of more than a dozen firings of top generals and admirals by Hegseth since he took office last year. Like many of those other firings, Pentagon officials are not offering a reason for George's departure, which comes nearly five weeks into U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and with no clear timeline from President Donald Trump on when the war may end . Hegseth also has ousted Army Gen. David Hodne and Army Maj. Gen. William Green, according to a Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anony

Apr 3, 2026By AP
Hegseth asks the Army's top uniformed officer to step down while US wages war against Iran
World

Pam Bondi, a Trump loyalist who oversaw Justice Department upheaval, is out as his attorney general

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that Pam Bondi is out as his attorney general, ending the contentious tenure of a loyalist who upended the Justice Department’s culture of independence from the White House, oversaw large-scale firings of career employees and moved aggressively to investigate the Republican president’s perceived enemies. The departure of the country's chief law enforcement officer followed months of scrutiny from angry conservatives over the Justice Department's handling of files related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation and failed efforts to please Trump through unsuccessful efforts to build criminal cases against prominent foes, investigations that in some cases have been rejected by judges or grand juries. Trump named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as the acting attorney general, though three people familiar with the matter have said he has privately discussed Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, as a permanent pick. “Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully serve

Apr 3, 2026By AP
Pam Bondi, a Trump loyalist who oversaw Justice Department upheaval, is out as his attorney general
World

Trump announces destruction of Iran's tallest bridge

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed, hours after threatening to bomb the country "back to the Stone Ages." Trump posted footage on social media of smoke rising from the B1 bridge in Karaj, around 20 miles (35 kilometers) southwest of Tehran — and warned that there would be further destruction unless Iran comes to the table to end the five-week war. "The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again - Much more to follow! IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!" Trump said. Iranian state television had earlier reported two U.S.-Israeli strikes on the bridge. "A few minutes ago, the American-Zionist enemy once again targeted the B1 bridge in Karaj," state TV said, adding that an initial strike had caused two civilian casualties. It said the later attack took place as emergency teams were deployed to the site to help victims of the first strike. The B1 bridge, which was still under construction, is considered the Midd

Apr 3, 2026By AFP
Trump announces destruction of Iran's tallest bridge
World

Iran says preparing joint Hormuz navigation protocol with Oman

TEHRAN — Iran said on Thursday it was drafting a peacetime protocol that would supervise maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman, state media reported, with Tehran's closure of the vital oil corridor roiling the global economy. Deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi told Russia's Sputnik state media that the protocol would apply after the ongoing war with the United States and Israel had ended, setting basic rules to manage ship movements, the IRNA news agency said. "We are currently finalising the drafting of this protocol and, once it has been finalised internally, we will undoubtedly begin negotiations with the Omani side in order to reach a joint protocol," he said. Oman has yet to report any such negotiations. Its foreign minister said last month his country was "working intensively to put in place safe passage arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz."

Apr 3, 2026By AFP
Iran says preparing joint Hormuz navigation protocol with Oman
World

Trump raises pressure on Iran to make deal 'before it is too late'

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday stepped up pressure on Iran to make a deal with the United States to end the Middle East war "before it is too late," a day after he warned that the U.S. will hit the Islamic Republic "extremely hard" over the next two to three weeks. Trump made the remarks in a social media post, where he posted a video of a bridge in Iran collapsing in a strike. "The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again -- Much more to follow!" Trump said in the Truth Social post. "It is time for Iran to make a deal before it is too late, and there is nothing left of what still could become a great country!" he wrote in capital letters. Trump has been seeking an exit from the conflict with Iran amid growing concerns over the war's impact on oil prices and inflation, particularly ahead of the U.S. midterm elections slated for November.

Apr 3, 2026By Yonhap
Trump raises pressure on Iran to make deal 'before it is too late'
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