The Azores - the world's first certified archipelago

Repeated shark sightings at a waterfront park in Busan’s North Port have drawn crowds of curious visitors, prompting city authorities to step up safety measures while monitoring the sea creature’s return to open waters. A shark estimated to be at least 3 meters long was first spotted at around 8:57 a.m. on Friday in a waterway at the port’s Waterfront Park, according to city officials. Another shark sighting was reported at around 1:05 p.m. the following day. The creature was believed to be a basking shark, a species found in subtropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, including waters off the Korean Peninsula. Although the species is not known to be aggressive, city officials said it could still pose a danger if provoked or approached too closely. The Korea Coast Guard initially tried to guide the shark out of the narrow waterway. But it suspended the effort after the National Institute of Fisheries Science advised that forcing the animal away could trigger defensive or aggressive behavior. Instead of deterring visitors, the unusual sight quickly turned the park

Tickets for Korea’s high-speed KTX trains will be available for booking up to two months before departure starting next month, extending the current one-month window. Along with the booking window, KTX will introduce a set of operational improvements for foreign travelers next month to make the reservation process more convenient, the government said Sunday. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and KTX operator KORAIL, customers will be able to book seats up to two months in advance starting Oct. 1. The government said the extension is intended to make it easier for travelers to plan trips around the country. For foreign visitors in particular, many book flights to Korea at least two months in advance, but KTX tickets have only been available one month before departure, making it difficult to plan their itinerary within the country. “Travelers will be able to book KTX at the same time as purchasing airline tickets, making it easier to plan domestic trips and use KTX more conveniently,” the ministry said in a press release. “Korean travelers will also be a

Shinhan Financial Group is expanding its partnership with Vietnam’s Vingroup beyond motor vehicle finance into capital markets, it said Sunday. Shinhan Financial Chairman Jin Ok-dong met with Vingroup executives Thursday at Shinhan Bank Vietnam’s headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss new areas of cooperation. Vingroup, the Southeast Asian country’s largest private company by market capitalization, has interests ranging from real estate to electric vehicles. Shinhan’s relationship with the group has so far centered on vehicle finance, particularly for VinFast, its electric vehicle (EV) unit. Since 2024, Shinhan Bank Vietnam has provided a cumulative $100 million in loans to VinFast customers. Shinhan Vietnam Finance financed around 14,000 VinFast motorcycles in the first half of this year, with total financing reaching 15 billion won ($10.9 million). The two parties now plan to explore capital market opportunities, including equity and bond financing through Shinhan Securities Vietnam. Shinhan Bank Vietnam and Shinhan Vietnam Finance will also expand their vehicle finance bu

Former President Obama on Friday slammed President Trump over his handling of how to approach artificial intelligence (AI) amid "doomsday" warnings coming from some in the tech industry about the technology's potential existential threat to humanity. Obama said during an interview at Colgate University in New York that the federal government must regulate AI, before...

In an interview with The Times, Councilmember Nithya Raman addressed topics including homelessness, how her stance on the LAPD has changed over time, and her biggest mistake on the council.

As leading insurers have retreated from California, one carrier has stepped in to fill the gap.

In an interview with The Times, Mayor Karen Bass talked about her response to the Palisades fire, police hiring, her management style at City Hall and her biggest mistake as mayor.

Hong Kong police suspect a dog attack may have caused the death of a woman who was taken to hospital in the early hours of Sunday, the South China Morning Post has learned. A force spokesman said the woman was found unconscious beside a bicycle on Pok Wai South Road at 12.42am. She was taken to Pok Oi Hospital in Yuen Long, where she was pronounced dead at 2.09am. A source said that a preliminary review of surveillance footage appeared to show the woman being chased by multiple dogs while...

Hong Kong prosecutors are set to open the murder trial of three former relatives of slain socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung later this week, three years after her killing shocked the city and drew international attention. The High Court will hold the first trial hearing on Monday for parties to sort out preliminary issues. Jury selection is expected to take place later in the week before the prosecution delivers its opening statement. The 28-year-old influencer’s death came to light in February 2023,...

NSW leaders including Premier Chris Minns have decried the shocking crimes, with three of them alleged domestic violence-related murders.

Hong Kong authorities should shoulder a larger share of the cost of facilities jointly used by institutions at the Northern Metropolis university towns, a varsity president has said, while calling for dedicated research funding to encourage collaboration among campuses. Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, president of the private Saint Francis University, said that while individual institutions could finance the construction of their own campuses, the government should contribute more towards...

Hong Kong’s first post-colonial leader, Tung Chee-hwa, has been lauded as a pioneer of “one country, two systems”, a staunch patriot and a close friend of the Communist Party who also contributed to Sino-US relations, according to a eulogy delivered by a senior Beijing official. In his remarks at Tung’s state funeral on Sunday, seen by the South China Morning Post, Shi Taifeng – a Politburo member and first vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – also...