Seoul shares tumble 4% on renewed US-Iran tensions; won strengthens

South Korean stocks tumbled 4 percent Wednesday as renewed hostility between the United States and Iran pushed up crude prices and fueled inflation worries. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index closed at 6,562.72, down 273.08 points, or 3.99 percent, ending a two-session winning streak. Overnight, the US launched a new round of airstrikes against Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz, driving oil prices higher and fanning inflation worr

2026-09-02 16:23:19:00

1 rescued after tugboat capsizes in waters off Busan

A tugboat capsized in waters off the southeastern city of Busan on Wednesday, with only one of eight crew members aboard rescued so far, the Coast Guard said. The 286-ton vessel overturned in the waters just southeast of Busan at about 1:30 p.m., prompting the Coast Guard to dispatch rescue personnel and equipment to the scene. One of the vessel's crew members was rescued by a cargo ship passing near the area. Oceans Minister Hwang Jong-woo instructed authorities to mobilize all available resour

2026-09-02 14:58:13:00

Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty in second national security case

Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security under a Beijing-imposed law that has effectively stifled the city's once-thriving pro-democracy movement. It was the second prosecution of Wong, a former student leader in the pro-democracy movement and one of its most recognizable faces, under the national security law introduced in Hong Kong in 2020 to quell massive anti-government protests

2026-09-02 14:14:34:00

China's Xi lands in Egypt as Iran war reshapes Middle East alliances

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in ‌Egypt Tuesday, his first visit to the Arab world's most populous nation in a decade, as countries across the Middle East reassess security and economic ties amid the fallout of the Iran war. The conflict has disrupted global energy markets and raised questions about whether regional countries ‌can count on the United States as a long-term security partner. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi welcomed Xi at Cairo International Airport, where they walk

2026-09-02 14:12:52:00

US aircraft carrier arrives in Thailand after months at sea

A US aircraft carrier at the centre of controversy over conditions on board arrived in Thailand Wednesday for its first port call in nine months. The 5,000 sailors and Marines on board the USS Abraham Lincoln, arriving from the war in the Middle East, are headed for the Thai resort of Pattaya, a rest-and-recreation stop for US troops since the Vietnam War. Tugs guided the huge nuclear-powered carrier, dozens of warplanes lined up on its flight deck, towards the port of Laem Chabang on Wednesday

2026-09-02 12:26:23:00

UN faces contentious Iran nuclear vote ahead of General Assembly

France said Tuesday the UN Security Council will vote this month on renewing the mandate of a panel monitoring sanctions on Iran, setting up a potential showdown with Russia and China, which oppose the sanctions regime and oversight mechanisms. The ‌mandate of the panel, which supports the work of the UN sanctions committee on Iran, is due to expire on Sept. 26, during the annual meeting of world leaders at the UN General Assembly. The US-Israeli war with Iran is ⁠expected to top the agenda. Out

2026-09-02 12:00:35:00

Anti-gang force for Haiti won't reach staffing goal: spokesperson

A United Nations-backed armed force tasked with helping local police in Haiti to combat gangs will not be fully staffed by October as planned, its spokesperson said Tuesday. Announced by the UN Security Council last year, the Gang Suppression Force was expected to ramp up between April and October to a planned capacity of 5,500 uniformed personnel and 50 civilian staff. "We continue to receive new troops who will bolster the ranks," GSF spokesperson Igor Rugwiza told Radio Magik 9 in the Haitian

2026-09-02 11:58:24:00

Venezuela’s main airport partially resumes commercial flights after deadly earthquakes

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's main airport partially resumed commercial operations Tuesday, nearly 10 weeks after two devastating earthquakes struck the South American country. A temporary area with metal structures was erected in the parking lot of the Simon Bolívar International Airport, located in the Maiquetía area of ​​La Guaira state, to serve passengers while repairs continue. The airport, about 20 kilometers north of Caracas, was closed after severe damage to its runways, control

2026-09-02 11:56:10:00

Lee says now is time to expand economic pie, rather than welfare

President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday it is unrealistic to pursue both economic growth and welfare expansion for now, stressing that priority should be placed on expanding the economic pie rather than welfare. The president wrote the message on his X account, uploading a media column that argued the government's budget bill for next year relatively lacked spending on "distribution." "Giving up growth while expanding welfare should never happen. Pursing the expansion of both growth and welfare i

2026-09-02 11:34:18:00

Gender minister nominee says aware of concerns over keeping Assembly seat

Gender Minister nominee Yong Hye-in said Wednesday she is aware of concerns over retaining her National Assembly seat to take her newly nominated position, sidestepping questions about calls for her to resign from parliament. Yong has faced growing calls to give up her parliamentary seat after she earlier said she would keep her seat even after being appointed to the Cabinet position, breaking from convention for proportional representatives. "I will well prepare for the confirmation hearing and

2026-09-02 11:00:07:00