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South Korea nominated Han Seong-sook as its first female Prime Minister in two decades. Ms. Han, who had also previously served as chief executive of South Korean internet giant Naver, is expected to lead the country’s AI transformation, South Korea’s presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said at a press briefing.
A ballot printing error in South Korea’s June 3 nationwide local elections led to the postponement of voting in 39 polling stations across 11 municipalities. The error involved the printing of ballots for the Seongnam mayoral race. This incident has raised questions about the integrity of the electoral process. Election officials have apologized for the mistake. Free and fair elections are the foundation of liberal democracy, and South Korea has long been regarded as one of Asia’s democratic success stories.
Donald Trump initiated tariffs against imports from various countries. A long trade war looms. Trump’s scattershot protectionism, chaotic tariffs and belligerence against our natural allies guarantees that US trade policy will remain a hot messWe are in for a long trade war. In the months since “Liberation Day” last year, when Donald Trump let loose a volley of tariffs against imports from everywhere, countries have rushed to build new relationships in the hope of may.
The US-China Summit in Beijing on 14 May 2026 The US-China Summit of May 14, 2026 in Beijing was an attempt to mitigate great power competition and promote bilateral ties through “constructive strategic stability.” Chinese President Xi Jinping argued against the inevitability of the “Thucydides trap,” which expects an emerging power to go to war against a declining power that it is displacing.
Kyrgyzstan secured election to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent Kyrgyzstan, the second Central Asian country ever to be elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, was propelled to victory on the back of a wave of diplomatic support from its neighbors, Turkiye, and Muslim states.
Typhoon Jangmi moved northwards across Japan this week. Over one million people received evacuation advisories due to 80 mph winds and heavy rain. At least 23 people sustained injuries. Landslide warnings and river flooding occurred from Okinawa to mainland Japan. Some rivers reached level 4 warnings, indicating a risk of overflowing. More than 1 million people advised to evacuate homes amid 80mph winds and heavy rainTyphoon Jangmi (also known as Typhoon No 6) moved northwards over the course of this week.
The Nauruan government issued a rare statement asserting its citizens are "friendly" and "welcoming". This followed allegations by a whistleblower. The whistleblower claimed former Australian detainees on Nauru faced "serious threats". The government denied these claims. Nauran government says its citizens are ‘friendly’ after MP spoke of serious threats allegedly made against former Australian detaineesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Nauruan government has issued a rare statement insisting it is a “friendly” and “welcoming” country after a whistleblower alleged “serious threats o.
Peruvians vote Sunday in an election runoff between rightwing candidate Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of 1990s leader Alberto, is vying with a congressman to become country’s ninth president in a decadePeruvians go to the polls on Sunday in an election runoff that pits a perennial rightwing candidate, Keiko Fujimori, against a leftist congressman, Roberto Sánchez. Amid rising crime, chronic political instability, corruption scandals and voter apathy, they are vying to.
Diplomats, scientists, and ocean advocates gathered at New York’s Explorers Club In the wood-panelled rooms of New York’s storied Explorers Club, where portraits of pioneering adventurers line the walls, diplomats, scientists and ocean advocates gathered on Tuesday evening with a shared sense of urgency – and anticipation.
Armenians are voting on June 7 to test the prime minister's support. Armenians are voting on June 7 in a test of the prime minister’s support following a controversial peace effort with neighboring Azerbaijan and his efforts to pull the small South Caucasus nation closer to the West after decades of reliance on Russia.
Ukraine launched drones at targets across Russia, including the St. Ukraine launched hundreds of drones at targets across Russia, including the St. Petersburg region, around 1,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Residents filmed drones overhead and smoke rising from military sites. The attack came on the final day of Russia’s flagship investment forum.
Russian-occupied Crimea faces major gasoline shortages this summer. Ukrainian military drone campaigns are squeezing transport routes into the region. This makes travel difficult for Russian visitors, on whom Crimea's economy heavily depends. Crimea, the Ukrainian Black Sea region occupied by Russia, is heavily dependent on Russian visitors for its economy. This summer, it faces major gasoline shortages, as Ukraine’s military drone campaign squeezes transport routes, making life even more difficult for vacationers.
The United States reaffirmed its support for Armenia's sovereignty and democratic institutions. This comes ahead of the country's elections. Western officials cite an intensifying Russian campaign to weaken Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. The United States has reaffirmed its support for Armenia's sovereignty and democratic institutions amid growing concerns over what Western officials describe as an intensifying Russian campaign to weaken Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian ahead of the country's upcoming elections.
Germany's economic stagnation is worse than reported. Weak performance has been masked by inherited wealth and rising government spending. Demographic trends also temporarily cushion the effects of this stagnation. Stagnation problem is worse than it looks for BerlinDiego Faßnacht argues that Germany’s weak economic performance has been masked by inherited wealth, rising government spending and demographic trends that temporarily cushion the effects of stagnation.
Armenia faces parliamentary elections on June 7. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian is steering the country toward the West. Russia has responded to this shift with economic measures. These actions aim to halt Armenia's westward foreign policy orientation. Armenians go to the polls on June 7 in parliamentary elections in which the country’s basic foreign policy orientation is at stake. While Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has pulled the country towards the West, Russia has responded with multiple moves aimed at halting the shift.
The US House of Representatives passed a Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions package. 18 Republicans joined Democrats in the vote. The bill moves to the Senate for consideration. WASHINGTON -- In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation and a rebuke to the administration's approach toward Ukraine, the US House of Representatives approved a sweeping Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions package, with 18 Republicans joining Democrats to pass the legislation.
The Strait of Hormuz became a global flashpoint on 28 February following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. This narrow waterway, only 34 kilometers wide at its narrowest, experienced heightened geopolitical tension. When US and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran on 28 February, triggering one of the most serious geopolitical crises in years, the Strait of Hormuz – a narrow channel just 34 kilometres wide at its narrowest point – became a global flashpoint overnight.
Hundreds of thousands have fled eastern Jonglei State in South Sudan due to months of fighting. The UN refugee agency described this as one of the most severe conflict-related displacement emergencies recently. Months of fighting and insecurity have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in South Sudan’s eastern Jonglei State, triggering “one of the most severe conflict-related displacement emergencies in recent years”, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
Health workers in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo faced threats and were forced to leave a village. They were attempting to bury a person who had died from Ebola. In a village in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health workers arrived a few days ago to help bury a person who had died from Ebola. Instead, they were threatened, told armed rebels would be called if they stayed, and forced to leave.
Gang violence in Haiti has driven displacement to record levels. Nearly 1.5 million people now lack stable housing. The United Nations migration agency released these figures on Friday. The situation exacerbates an already severe humanitarian crisis. Escalating gang violence across Haiti has pushed displacement to record levels, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis and leaving nearly 1.5 million people without a stable place to live, migration agency, IOM.
The UN in Lebanon launched a new appeal for $331.5 million. This funding targets 1.4 million people in crisis. Needs have grown significantly since deadly violence erupted between Hezbollah and Israel three months ago. The UN in Lebanon appealed for an additional $331.5 million on Friday to help 1.4 million people in crisis as already massive needs continue to grow, three months since deadly violence erupted between Hezbollah fighters and Israel.
Former US Ambassador Lisa Gable stated any Iran deal requires verification by actions, not promises RFE/RL spoke with Lisa Gable, a former US ambassador who served during the George W. Bush administration and is now the chairwoman of World In 2050, about the prospects for diplomacy with Iran, the challenges of verification, and the broader geopolitical stakes of the current conflict.
The United Nations and its partners continue efforts to contain Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic The UN and its partners are continuing efforts to contain Ebola outbreaks in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, while warning that insecurity and misinformation remain major obstacles to the response.
The Hormuz crisis, ongoing for nearly 100 days, is now a food What began as a geopolitical crisis in the Middle East nearly 100 days ago is increasingly becoming a food security crisis elsewhere, with UN agencies warning of rising hunger in Africa and malnourished children being turned away from medical clinics in Afghanistan.
Somali government troops and opposition-allied militias exchanged fire in Mogadishu. Violence flares before protests on Thursday over president’s decision to remain in office after his term expiredGovernment troops and militias allied with the opposition have exchanged fire in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, damaging property and forcing some civilians to flee. The violence flared up ahead of planned protests on Thursday over president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to remain in of.
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