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The European Union said Tuesday that it had definitively cancelled a two million euro ($2.3 million) grant to the Venice Biennale over Russia's presence at the world's biggest contemporary art show. "Cultural events, funded by European taxpayers’ money, should safeguard democratic values, foster open dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression – values which are not respected in today’s Russia," said European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier, announcing the move. The Biennale opened in May with Russia taking part for the first time since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It had previously been banned in protest at the war. Kyiv and the EU protested…

Step outside almost anywhere in India this week, and the sky tells you nothing useful. It is white, wall to wall, horizon to horizon. That should not be happening. Not this year. Not with a Godzilla El Nino sitting in the Pacific Ocean, an informal nickname climate watchers have given to an exceptionally powerful warming event, first used for the 1997-98 El Nino and again in 2015-16. Scientists tracking this year's version describe it developing at an unprecedented pace, with a near-certainty of lasting into early 2027. A Godzilla El Nino is meant to starve India's monsoon, not drown it in clouds. So why is 95 per cent of the country cloudy right now?…

US ‘open’ to negotiations with Iran but Tehran not ‘serious’, Rubio says US Secretary of State says Iranian control over Strait of Hormuz sets ‘dangerous precedent’, as attacks continue. Published On 22 Jul 202622 Jul 2026 United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio says his country is willing to negotiate an end to the war on Iran but accuses Tehran of not being “serious” about talks. “The United States remains open and willing to engage in positive and constructive negotiations and discussions, provided that the commitments made are honoured,” Rubio said about Iran at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Manila on Wednesday.…

Key events 'We are bringing the war back home, to Russia,' Zelenskyy says after overnight strikes Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the overnight attack on “logistics hubs involved in supplying the Russian army with drone component, navigation equipment and other gear.” “We are, quite justly, bringing the war back home – to Russia. Peace is needed, and Ukraine has presented the Russian side with every proposal. They must be forced to turn to diplomacy.” Morning summary: But can they do it on a Wednesday morning in Brussels? EU ambassadors are meeting in Brussels today in a bid to sign off on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia…

Imagine sitting in a virtual room and coming face to face with yourself — ten years older, slightly grayer, but unmistakably you. Not a fantasy. Not a filter. Just you, aged by a decade, staring back. That's the core of an experiment developed by Jean-Louis van Gelder, a criminologist and psychologist at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Freiburg, Germany. His team has just published findings showing that confronting people with a digitally aged version of themselves —their "future self" — can sharpen long-term thinking and help them act on their own goals. The science of the future self The setup is deceptively…

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The University of Seoul campus in northern Seoul / Courtesy of University of Seoul The University of Seoul has been selected for two new projects under the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s initiative to cultivate talent for regional innovation and growth. The university said it will conduct two projects — the “Seoul ANCHOR 10 Challenge” and the “Seoul Youth Employment Academy University plus” program. The projects are part of the Seoul ANCHOR program, which was formerly known as the Seoul RISE (Regional Innovation System \& Education) initiative. With the latest selection, the university will carry out a total of four projects and eight programs under…

This El Niño is fast morphing into a whopper, and its impact will be felt across a broad range of soft commodities around the world that will drive up the prices of many of the basic foodstuffs that land on your table. Commodities expected to see price spikes include cocoa — and hence chocolate, coffee, rice and sugar. On the domestic front, the main concerns are focused on summer grain crops, notably the staple maize. The effects will be uneven, with some supply chains cushioned by ample stocks. And a few agricultural regions may get a boost from the good rains that the weather pattern typically brings to them. But there are two dark clouds of…

Josh makes pizza at Fiddler's Pub in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, May 23. Courtesy of Eddie Tam SUWON, Gyeonggi Province — This week’s food spot isn't really a traditional restaurant, but a lively pub serving up some of the most sought-after handmade pizzas in the area. To make sure every single pie comes out right, the kitchen only makes a limited amount each week. You can only get them on designated "pizza nights," and you have to preorder through a slot reservation system before they sell out. Located in Suwon's southeastern Yeongtong District, Fiddler’s Pub has quietly become a favorite hidden gem, especially for the local expat community. The guy…

Cheong Seang-hoi, CEO and president of Koramco REITs Management and Trust / Courtesy of Koramco REITs Management and Trust Asset managers’ ability to source, structure and manage investments has become increasingly critical amid high interest rates and a prolonged property market correction, which have heightened uncertainty across Korea’s real estate investment industry. Cheong Seang-hoi, CEO and president of Koramco REITs Management and Trust, described the current market environment not simply as a downturn, but as a proving ground for asset managers. In a recent interview with The Korea Times, he said Koramco views the ongoing market correction as…

Visitors eat and cheer together in the outdoor garden of Korea House, a hub promoting Korean sports and culture during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris, July 31, 2024. Korea Times file Korea has spent more than two decades perfecting the art of the cross-border pop phenomenon. Now, government officials are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property rights to ensure the nation’s cultural juggernaut doesn't run out of steam. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) jointly announced, Wednesday, the launch of a 150 billion won ($108 million) K-Culture Value-Up Fund. The…

Retail chain Homeplus' logo is seen in Seoul, July 21. Yonhap The Seoul Bankruptcy Court has resumed corporate rehabilitation proceedings for Homeplus, after the retail chain secured 200 billion won ($130 million) in debtor-in-possession (DIP) loans from financial institutions affiliated with Meritz. The decision came as a huge relief for Homeplus employees, as well as workers in related services such as cleaning and security, and thousands of small and medium-sized suppliers. Yet the resumption of rehabilitation proceedings does not guarantee that the hypermarket chain — once the nation's second-largest retailer at its peak — will successfully…

Samuel Len, head of AI Content Team 2 The world's biggest pop group could have chosen virtually any backdrop for its latest teaser. Instead, BTS stood beneath the graceful eaves of Seonhyewon, a centuries-old hanok, a traditional wooden courtyard house, in Seoul, where polished floors, paper doors and quiet open space carried as much visual weight as the seven members themselves. It was a setting built not for spectacle but for reflection — an unlikely stage for one of the world's most recognizable entertainment acts. Built for reflection, contemplation and the slow rhythm of daily life, these traditional structures are increasingly serving as stages…

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at an unknown location, in this still image taken from handout video released July 21. Reuters-Yonhap NEW YORK — New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said late Tuesday that the city would not be able to execute an arrest warrant issued by the world’s top war-crimes court for Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu , but urged the federal government to do so. In the video Mamdani described the Israeli prime minister as a “war criminal” and said he is not welcome in New York City. “It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” he said in a…

Oliver Veillechner, vice president of BMW ALPINA, introduces the carmaker's new high-end brand during a media event at a hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of BMW Korea BMW Korea will introduce ALPINA, the German automaker's ultra-luxury marque, in 2027, as it seeks to capitalize on growing demand from affluent consumers and expand its presence in the country's high-end automotive segment, the carmaker said Tuesday. The upcoming launch marks the arrival of BMW Group’s newest luxury brand in roughly 25 years. The brand will be positioned above BMW’s flagship lineup but below Rolls-Royce in the group’s luxury vehicle portfolio. BMW ALPINA is designed to…

From top left, clockwise, are Mom's Touch restaurants in Tokyo's Shibuya, Harajuku and Akitsu districts, and Chigasaki, Kanagawa prefecture. Courtesy of Mom's Touch Major fast food company Mom's Touch said Wednesday it will open 11 restaurants in Tokyo by the end of this year, expanding its network across Japan’s Kanto region to 16. The company also said it aims to increase that number to 100 restaurants nationwide by the end of next year. Currently, Mom's Touch, which opened its first Japanese restaurant in Shibuya district in 2024, operates four company-owned restaurants and one franchise location in the country. To support its franchise expansion,…

Volvo Car Korea CEO Lee Yoon-mo, right, poses with Oscar Bertilsson Olsborg, head of global commercial operations at the carmaker, during a launch event showcasing the all-electric ES90 sedan in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Volvo Car Korea Volvo Car Korea introduced the all-electric ES90 flagship sedan on Wednesday, featuring what the carmaker described as “unusually aggressive pricing" aimed at broadening the appeal of premium electric sedans in one of its most important markets. Starting at 72.94 million won ($49,200), the ES90 is priced at a level that undercuts comparable luxury electric vehicles. The price is more than 50 million won below…

Delegates from the World Heritage Committee listen to a tour guide at the Busan Modern \& Contemporary History Museum, Tuesday. Yonhap The Korea Heritage Service and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO unveiled findings from a joint research initiative on Tuesday, examining how heritage sites intersect with memory and conflict on the sidelines of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee at BEXCO in Busan. The event, themed "Unveiling Shared Pasts and Shaping Common Futures," drew roughly 100 attendees, including national delegations to the World Heritage Committee, UNESCO representatives and advisory personnel, and international heritage…

IU performs during her concert at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, Sept. 20, 2024. Courtesy of EDAM Entertainment K-pop singer and actor IU is drawing public attention for a rare ear disorder after worsening symptoms of patulous Eustachian tube (PET) dysfunction forced her to postpone her upcoming album release and cancel a scheduled September concert. With news of her ear condition already having disrupted her highly anticipated comeback plans, many are asking what exactly PET dysfunction is and why it poses such a devastating setback for a vocalist. On Monday, the 33-year-old artist opened up about her ongoing struggle on the fan communication…

Korea Customs Service officers demonstrate a baggage inspection for drug smuggling at a dedicated narcotics screening station in the arrivals hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Korean customs authorities seized a record 1,007 kilograms of narcotics intended for the domestic market in 767 cases during the first half of the year, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) said Wednesday. The haul was equivalent to about 33.58 million doses, based on a 0.03-gram dose. While the number of cases rose 24 percent from a year earlier, the total weight fell 62 percent because last year's figures included…

LS Marine Solution’s GL2030, a specialized vessel built for offshore submarine cable installation. Courtesy of LS Marine Solution LS Marine Solution has upgraded its submarine cable installation vessel GL2030, expanding its ability to take on large-scale offshore wind and high-voltage direct current transmission projects as demand grows for undersea energy infrastructure. LS Marine Solution said Wednesday it completed modifications to GL2030, increasing the vessel’s cable loading capacity from 4,000 tons to 7,000 tons. The upgrade allows the vessel to carry more submarine cable in a single voyage, enabling continuous installation over routes longer…