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June 30 (Asia Today) — “Have you eaten?”

The National Museum of Korea’s new special exhibition, “Our Table,” begins with a familiar Korean greeting that reflects the central role food plays in everyday life and personal relationships.

The exhibition invites visitors to consider how an ordinary meal represents a record of culture and daily life stretching back about 3,000 years. Archaeological objects, historical documents, paintings and folk materials trace how Koreans have grown, prepared and shared food over the centuries.

“Our Table,” which opens Wednesday and runs through Oct. 25, is the museum’s first special exhibition offering a comprehensive examination of Korean food culture.

Fifty-one institutions and private collectors contributed 684 objects grouped into 488 entries. The display includes five state-designated Treasures and two items recognized as National Folklore Cultural Heritage.

The exhibition is divided into two sections: “Our Table Through Life” and “Our Table Shaped by Nature.”

Visitors first encounter charred rice grains excavated from Heunam-ri in Yeoju, a Bronze Age site southeast of Seoul. The grains provide evidence of early rice cultivation on the Korean Peninsula and serve as a starting point for understanding the development of Korea’s rice-centered food culture.

The exhibition continues with a spoon and chopsticks excavated from the tomb of Baekje King Muryeong, a late 19th-century diagram explaining traditional table-setting rules and cookbooks from several historical periods.

One display places a wooden cutting board excavated from a third- or fourth-century site in Gochon-ri, Busan, beside Park Soo-keun’s 1952 painting “Dried Yellow Corvina on a Cutting Board.”

By presenting objects separated by about 1,700 years, the exhibition illustrates the continuity of everyday work involved in preparing a meal.

Genre paintings offer another view of Korean dining customs.

In Kim Hong-do’s “Tavern,” a traveler wearing a traditional horsehair hat raises a bowl and scrapes up the final grains of rice. Kim’s “Midday Snack” and Kim Deuk-sin’s “Gathering to Eat and Drink by the River” portray people sharing food in fields and along a river during the Joseon Dynasty.

Seong Hyeop’s “Grilling Meat” depicts diners gathered around an iron griddle, presenting a scene that resembles modern Korean group dinners.

The second section examines how Korea’s seasons and natural environment shaped its cuisine.

Heo Gyun’s 17th-century book Domundaejak, written while he was in exile, records regional delicacies from across the country.

Other exhibits include a jar containing seafood excavated from the Seobongchong tomb in Gyeongju, bird eggs discovered at the Cheonmachong tomb and Byeon Sang-byeok’s painting “Hen and Chicks.” Together, the pieces document the history of seafood, meat and foods traditionally consumed for nourishment and health.

Charred soybean clusters dating from the third to fifth centuries are presented as possible early forms of meju, the fermented soybean blocks used to make soybean paste and soy sauce.

Charred perilla seeds from the Bronze Age and a Goryeo Dynasty celadon maebyeong vase that once contained honey further illustrate the long history of fermentation, seasonings and sweeteners in Korean cuisine.

The museum uses sounds of rice cooking, food-preparation videos and Korean words that imitate sounds and movements to create a multisensory exhibition without serving actual food.

Audio commentary by actor Ryu Soo-young and video interviews with food culture specialists are also available.

“Choosing the dining table as a museum exhibition subject is an invitation to reconsider both the roots of K-food and the scene closest to our everyday lives, which we have often taken for granted,” museum Director Yoo Hong-jun said.

“I hope the exhibition helps visitors recognize that our table was created through the natural environment of this land and the efforts of earlier generations who regarded food as something as precious as heaven,” Yoo said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260630010010708

June 30 (UPI) — President Donald Trump reported billions of dollars in income, revenue and other proceeds during his first year back in the White House, much of it tied to cryptocurrency ventures, according to his annual financial disclosure released Tuesday.

Trump reported at least $2.1 billion in income, revenue and other proceeds last year, according to his financial disclosure made public by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, with more than half tied to cryptocurrency.

Though Trump was initially skeptical about cryptocurrencies,, he embraced the digital currencies — and their supporters — during his third campaign for the White House. After being elected, he created what some analysts have called a crypto-friendly administration.

During his first year in office, he took several actions in support of the crypto industry, including signing a digital-assets executive order during his first week in office and creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve and U.S. digital asset stockpile.

The 927-page financial disclosure states the president reported more than $1.4 billion in cryptocurrency income and proceeds, including $635 million from his $TRUMP meme coin and nearly $800 million from World Liberty Financial, a Trump family-linked cryptocurrency venture.

The $TRUMP memecoin was a cryptocurrency Trump announced days before his inauguration. He announced the $MELANIA memecoin the day before he was inaugurated.

Memecoins are cryptocurrencies with little to no intrinsic utility, often derived from Internet memes and supported by online communities or fans.

After Trump announced the coins, critics accused him of attempting to profit from the presidency.

The disclosure also shows that Trump reported tens of millions in revenue from golf, resort and real estate-related holdings, including $121.9 million from Trump Doral, $77.5 million from Mar-a-Lago, $37.6 million from his Lamington Farm Club, $36.9 million from Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach and $31.6 million from his Jupiter Golf Club, among others.

June 30 (UPI) — American and Iranian delegates arrived Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, for “technical talks” to discuss the memorandum of understanding that created a cease-fire between the two countries.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said Tuesday that these are not high-level talks.

Unlike the recent talks in Switzerland with Vice President JD Vance and Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, these will be led by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. They will not meet in person and the talks will be mediated by Qatari officials. President Donald Trump‘s son-in-law Jared Kushner also participated.

Witkoff and Kushner met with the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.

The discussions will “produce documents that will be elevated to principles in the high-level meetings to agree upon,” al-Ansari said.

Some of the topics expected to come up are: Financial restrictions and lifting sanctions on Iran, how to establish the free flow of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, the future of Iran’s nuclear program, the potential release of Iran’s frozen assets and regional security, CNN reported.

A recent uptick in attacks in the strait could make the talks more contentious.

Iran insists that the MOU gives it authority over the strait and has threatened ships that don’t travel on Iranian-mandated routes.

“If vessels pass through other routes, we will oppose it, we will try to prevent it, and if anything happens to those vessels, the responsibility will be their own,” Gharibabadi said on Monday, according to Iranian state media.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday that the discussions will be about the MOU.

“What will probably take place in Doha tomorrow is a discussion with the Qatari side on the implementation of some provisions of the memorandum of understanding, including the provision concerning the release of Iran’s restricted assets,” Baghaei said.

June 30 (UPI) — The Trump administration has lifted export restrictions on artificia lintelligence company Anthropic’s Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, the company said Tuesday evening.

“We’ve received notice that the Department of Commerce has lifted export controls on Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5,” Anthropic said in a statement, CNN reported. “We’ll begin restoring access tomorrow, and will share an update soon.”

The statement came not long after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick posted on social media about Anthropic, saying “we have worked closely with Anthropic to analyze and approve Fable 5 to ensure alignment across the U.S. government and strengthen America’s leadership in AI.”

Anthropic disabled customer access to Fable, a consumer version of its Mythos AI model with more safeguards, and Mythos itself several weeks ago after the export ban June 12. The ban required the company to suspend all use by foreign nationals inside or outside the United States, including Anthropic employees.

In a statement then, Anthropic said its understanding was that “the government it has become aware of a method of bypassing, or ‘jailbreaking,’ Fable 5.”

“We reviewed a demonstration of this specific technique being used to identify a small number of previously known, minor vulnerabilities,” the company said. “These vulnerabilities all appear relatively simple, and we have found that other publicly available models are able to discover them as well without requiring a bypass.”

The government loosened some of the restrictions on Mythos on Friday, Politico reported.

Anthropic and the U.S. government have had a rocky relationship. Anthropic leaders’ concerns about military and intelligence usage of its products caused issues with the Department of Defense.

President Donald Trump called it a “radical left, woke company” and ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic products, while Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, called the company a supply chain risk to national security.

Anthropic has sued the Trump administration to reverse the blacklisting, and that lawsuit is ongoing.

June 30 (Asia Today) — South Korean battery materials producer EcoPro Group is expanding its investment in an Indonesian nickel smelter to more than double its access to the critical mineral used in electric vehicle batteries.

EcoPro and its subsidiary EcoPro BM plan to increase their combined stake in the Bahodopi Nickel Smelting Indonesia project to 39%, becoming major shareholders and taking a leading role in its development. The smelter is under construction at the International Green Industrial Park on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

The total investment is estimated at about 1.5 trillion won, or $967 million, based on an exchange rate of 1,550.77 won per dollar.

EcoPro completed the first phase of its Indonesian investment over the past four years, securing rights to about 29,000 metric tons of nickel. Once the second phase is completed, the group expects its total nickel supply rights to reach about 65,000 metric tons.

The group also plans to increase the BNSI smelter’s annual production capacity from the originally planned 66,000 metric tons to 90,000 metric tons. EcoPro said that would be enough nickel for batteries used in about 2 million electric vehicles.

The investment is part of EcoPro’s effort to secure raw materials directly and reduce the cost of nickel-rich cathode materials used in nickel-cobalt-manganese batteries.

EcoPro said it intends to establish an integrated supply chain covering nickel, precursors and cathode materials. The company said the structure is designed to meet U.S. requirements limiting reliance on prohibited foreign entities in clean-energy supply chains. U.S. tax rules restrict access to certain clean-energy credits when components or critical minerals receive material assistance from such entities.

EcoPro expects greater control over raw-material procurement to improve its cost competitiveness and strengthen its ability to win orders from global battery-cell manufacturers and automakers.

EcoPro BM will finance the investments through a 1.2 trillion won, or about $774 million, rights offering. Its board approved the issuance of 9,900,990 new common shares Tuesday.

Of the proceeds, 915 billion won, or about $590 million, will be used to acquire the BNSI stake and complete remaining investments in EcoPro BM’s Hungarian subsidiary.

An additional 135 billion won, or about $87 million, will be used as operating capital, including purchases of raw materials. The remaining 150 billion won, or about $97 million, will finance production facilities.

EcoPro, the group’s holding company, plans to subscribe for more than 120% of the shares allocated to it. The company said the decision demonstrated confidence in the Indonesian mineral business and a commitment to minimizing concerns about the dilution of shareholder value.

“This rights offering is a strategic decision to establish an early position in the global nickel market and improve our competitiveness in nickel-cobalt-manganese cathode materials,” EcoPro BM Chief Executive Officer Choi Moon-ho said.

“By combining EcoPro’s high-nickel technology with a decisive cost advantage, we will work to secure leadership in the global market for nickel-based batteries,” Choi said. EcoPro BM’s official English-language materials identify its chief executive as Choi Moon-ho.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260630010010768

June 30 (Asia Today) — South Korea is seeking to connect the growth of its commercial space industry with stronger national security capabilities as emerging technologies blur the boundaries between the private and public sectors.

The expansion of security concerns into space, drones and artificial intelligence has increased the importance of the Korea AeroSpace Administration, which is responsible for developing the country’s aerospace industry.

The agency is working with the National Intelligence Service and other government organizations on satellite cybersecurity and broader aerospace security policies.

Hyunjoon Kwon, director general for aerospace policy at the agency, told Asia Today in an interview Friday that space is no longer solely a scientific field.

“Space has moved beyond science to become a domain that can affect both security and industry,” Kwon said. “We need a mutually reinforcing relationship between the market and the public sector.”

Asked how the global space security environment is changing, Kwon said competition is no longer limited to the number of satellites a country possesses.

“The key question is how reliably a country can use and protect satellite communications and satellite imagery,” he said.

Space-based services have been used directly in military operations and critical national infrastructure since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Kwon said.

Countries also face increasingly complex threats, including GPS jamming and spoofing, disruptions to satellite communications, cyberattacks and the collision or uncontrolled reentry of objects in space.

Kwon said the agency is developing a national space situational awareness system to strengthen South Korea’s ability to monitor and predict space-related risks.

It is also preparing a cybersecurity response framework to protect space-based services used by the private sector, government and military.

South Korea has rapidly accumulated capabilities in launch vehicles, satellite development and satellite data applications, Kwon said. Its military space capabilities have also expanded.

However, the country still needs to strengthen its domestic production of critical materials, components and software, he said.

Other areas requiring improvement include space situational awareness, satellite cybersecurity and the creation of a sustainable commercial market for space services.

“That is why the growth of private space companies and greater independence in core technologies are becoming even more important,” Kwon said.

Cooperation among the private sector, government and military has entered a stage of institutional development since the establishment of the Korea AeroSpace Administration, he said.

The cooperative channels include a future defense science and technology policy council with the Defense Ministry, an aerospace project memorandum with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and a satellite cybersecurity consultative body with the National Intelligence Service.

Kwon said the cooperation now extends beyond individual projects to include policy, technology and security.

The agency is seeking to create a structure in which private-sector technology is connected to government and national security requirements, while public and defense demand supports the growth of commercial companies.

Kwon also discussed the government’s recently announced strategy to foster innovative companies in emerging security industries.

“Aerospace is a strategic field that influences both security and industry, extending beyond the boundaries of science and technology,” he said.

Satellite communications, satellite data, unmanned aircraft and space materials and components have significant commercial growth potential while also meeting direct security needs, Kwon said.

The agency plans to focus on establishing a cycle in which the creation of new industries strengthens national security capabilities and security demand encourages further technological innovation.

The plans include developing core technologies for a space data center under the K-Moonshot initiative and building a national platform that will make satellite information available for broader use.

The agency also plans to develop artificial intelligence-powered unmanned aircraft and electric or hybrid vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260629010010198

Mexican football fans did their best to give Ecuador a sleepless night ahead of their World Cup match in the round of 32 in Mexico City.

From midnight until the early hours of the morning, dozens of fans gathered outside the Westin Hotel in Santa Fe, an upscale area on the outskirts of the capital, using loudspeakers, horns, and motorcycles to disturb the visiting team’s rest.

Team hotel serenades are a deeply entrenched, highly polarising tradition in Latin American football. While they began as a passionate way for fans to rally behind the home team, they have increasingly evolved into a psychological weapon designed to rob visiting players of a good night’s sleep.

After the incidents in Mexico City, the Ecuadorian football federation said on Tuesday it had filed a formal complaint with organisers.

“Such conduct stands in stark contrast to the principles of fair play, equity, and unity that a World Cup should embody,” the federation, known as FEF, said in a statement.

“The FEF respectfully calls upon the competent authorities to pay greater attention to these events and to adopt the necessary measures to safeguard the safety of our players, coaching staff, and fans.”

The fan ambush, organised on social media, added to a chaotic arrival for Ecuador. The disruption capped off a gruelling logistical nightmare for the South American team, which had deliberately planned a last-minute Monday night arrival to mitigate the effects of Mexico City’s 2,200-metre (7,300-foot) altitude.

To combat the physiological toll of thin air, sports scientists generally recommend two contrasting approaches: an extended acclimatisation period of at least two weeks, or the “fly-in, fly-out” method — arriving as close to kick-off as possible before acute symptoms set in.

That is the route that teams from the major sports leagues in the United States use when they come to play in Mexico City.

But Ecuador’s journey from Columbus, Ohio, was plagued by delays from the start. Ecuador coach Sebastián Beccacece complained that their flight was delayed by more than three hours, though he did not specify whether he had factored in the two-hour time difference between the cities.

“A flight delay, then the transfer to the hotel — it ended up being a nine-hour journey; we took three hours longer than scheduled,” Beccacece said. “But the team is doing well and is excited — obviously facing an opponent that posted good results in the group stage.”

Additionally, the team landed at Felipe Ángeles International Airport, located 65 kilometres from their hotel. The squad was forced to navigate the trek to Santa Fe through Mexico City’s notoriously heavy traffic, which was further paralysed on Monday by heavy night rain.

Rescue teams in Greece are combing through the rubble for survivors after a four-story apartment building in Athens collapsed on Tuesday. Four people have since been rescued from beneath the debris. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the collapse.

June 30 (UPI) — The Department of Justice and 17 state attorneys general filed suit against five egg producers for alleged “unlawful coordinated manipulation of egg prices,” a press release said Tuesday.

The department’s Antitrust Division filed suit against Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman’s Egg Ranch, Centrum Valley Holdings, Versova Holdings and Versova Management Cooperative for unlawful coordinated manipulation of egg prices, the release said.

The department also “filed proposed settlements that will, if approved by the court, prevent these companies from engaging in such coordinated manipulation in the future.”

“No product more quintessentially represents affordability than the price Americans pay for eggs,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said in a statement. “These actions prove this department’s continued commitment to protecting competition and providing real relief for everyday Americans’ pocketbooks.”

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, the complaint alleges that Cal-Maine, Hickman’s and Versova coordinated to artificially inflate the daily quotations of Urner Barry Publications, a market reporting company whose publications affect prices that grocery stores, restaurants and others pay for eggs nationwide, the release said.

The complaint also alleges that egg price quotations dropped significantly from their peak after the companies learned of the department’s investigation and were told to save documents in March 2025, the release said.

The attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin joined the complaint and proposed settlements.

June 30 (UPI) — This year’s July 4 fireworks display in Washington, D.C.,will be the largest ever held there, organizers said Tuesday.

The pyrotechnics on the National Mall will also start later as the capital marks the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Jeff Carroll, interim chief of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, said the holiday will have “the largest display of fireworks our city has ever seen,” CBS News reported.

A representative for Freedom 250, the public-private partnership established by the Trump administration for the anniversary, said the fireworks will not begin until 10:30 p.m. and may start as late as 11 p.m., The Washington Post reported. Usually, the fireworks display starts about 9:30 p.m. However, Trump has said that he’ll speak at 9 p.m., calling the event “a rally.”

While the fireworks are usually about 17 to 25 minutes long, they are expected to be about 40 minutes long Saturday, The Post said. The event is also expected to include hours of military flyovers earlier in the day.

The event also has new rules banning attendees from bringing coolers, chairs, bags and more than one bottle of water. Tara McLeese, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Washington field office, said those who plan to watch the fireworks from the Washington Monument grounds should expect “TSA-style” security, CBS News reported.

As of Tuesday, the predicted high for Saturday in Washington, D.C., is 101 degrees, according to The Weather Channel. Record-breaking heat is expected to affect much of the United States this week.

A Freedom 250 representative said there will be four free hydration stations at the event and that organizers were “closely monitoring conditions.”

Stephen Vitale, CEO of Pyrotecnico, the company putting on the 2026 fireworks show, said it plans to set off more than 850,000 fireworks from 10 locations around the area, The Post reported. Vitale said the typical July 4 show over the National Mall has about 20,000 fireworks.

“Size always helps, but it’s about the beauty and the memories that people will have for generations,” Vitale said. “Fireworks are magical to people, and we help people walk away believing that’s the best fireworks display that they have seen or ever will see.”

Officials at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport said July 17 that it is expected to be closed July 4, with no scheduled flights toor from the airport after noon. They cited the flyovers and other aerial displays.

Grid operators warn the US heatwave could send electricity demand near record levels before the Fourth of July holiday.

Power grid operators in the United States are warning that a dangerous heatwave could put more strain on an electric grid already under pressure from surging energy consumption.

A stretch of extreme heat is expected to intensify across much of the central and eastern parts of the country this week, peaking from Tuesday through Thursday.

That heatwave is likely to continue through one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, as millions of Americans prepare for Fourth of July celebrations on Saturday.

Temperatures this week are forecasted to climb above 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) from Boston to Washington, DC, pushing up demand for air conditioning.

The heatwave coincides with two major events on the US calendar. Saturday’s holiday marks the 250th anniversary of the US’s independence, and millions are expected to gather for barbecues, parades and fireworks.

The extreme temperatures also come as the FIFA World Cup has reached the knockout stage, with many host cities, including New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, expected to feel the heat.

Humidity could push the heat index as high as 46 degrees Celsius (114 Fahrenheit) in some places, while overnight temperatures will offer little respite.

The US’s largest regional grid operator, PMJ Interconnection, is forecasting record summer electrical demand of 166.3 gigawatts for Thursday evening, surpassing the previous summer peak set two decades ago, in 2006.

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the state’s grid operator, is also expecting electricity demand to approach record highs, while the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), which covers 15 states in the Midwest and South, could also see its peak demand record challenged.

Authorities at MISO say they will rely on PMJ for support in covering consumer needs.

In a May report, PMJ’s executives warned of a “fundamental mismatch between how fast demand is growing and how quickly new supply can be built and connected to the grid”.

New power plants, they said, now take twice as long to build and cost twice as much as they did a decade ago.

Meanwhile, there has been increasing pressure on electrical grids from new technology like data centres and electric vehicles.

In May, PMJ said hyperscale data centres were “adding load at an unprecedented pace”.

Experts say the artificial intelligence (AI) boom is colliding with climate change, with tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude being processed in vast, energy-hungry data centres.

The most energy-intensive are the hyperscale facilities that require between 100 and 300 megawatts of electricity, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.

Many of those are concentrated in northern Virginia, which sits within PJM’s service territory and is widely described as the world’s largest data centre hub.

Researchers have also identified what they call a “data heat island effect”, finding that land surface temperatures around AI data centres rise by an average of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), with some locations seeing increases of up to 9 degrees Celsius (16.2 degrees Fahrenheit).

The National Weather Service in the US warns that long periods of extreme heat create significant stress on the body.

It has urged people to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated and keep close to air conditioning or cooling centres.

A 2024 report from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that 21,518 deaths in the United States from 1999 to 2023 were heat-related.

The highest number came in the final year of the report’s analysis, 2023. That year, 2,325 people died from causes attributed to high temperatures.

June 30 (UPI) — Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., said Tuesday he was hospitalized with depression, a diagnosis that kept him off Capitol Hill for nearly four months without explanation.

He made the announcement on the House floor upon his return to Washington, D.C.

“I’m grateful that I accepted help,” Kean said. “Asking for help is not a weakness. It is a strength.”

Kean was last present in Congress during a March 5 vote. He missed more than 140 votes in his time away, during which the reason for his absence was never revealed.

The congressman said he went to the hospital for testing and doctors diagnosed him with depression and encouraged him to stay for treatment. He said during his treatment he learned he had been dealing with depression for longer than he realized.

“Now, when people hear the word ‘depression,’ many people think … it means feeling sad, but depression is so much more than that,” Kean said Tuesday.

“It is physical, it is emotional and until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”

Kean, who first joined the U.S. House in 2023, is up for re-election this year.

The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for all individuals born on US soil, ruling that children born in the country remain entitled to citizenship under the Constitution.

SEOUL, June 30 (UPI) — The labor unions of Home Plus and Korea Zinc on Tuesday blasted MBK Partners, one of Asia’s leading private equity funds, over its troubled ownership of the former and the attempt to take over the latter.

“Although we are workers from different workplaces, we are all suffering in the face of the same capital greed. Korea Zinc and Home Plus are no different,” Home Plus union leader Ahn Soo-yong told a joint press conference in Seoul.

“Home Plus has now entered rehabilitation proceedings and stands on the brink of liquidation. But throughout this entire process, MBK, which should be held accountable, is evading responsibility,” she added.

MBK Partners acquired Home Plus from Tesco in a $5 billion deal in 2015. However, the discount chain entered a court-led rehabilitation program in early 2025 after years of mounting losses. MBK tried to sell Home Plus for more than a year with little success.

Against this backdrop, Home Plus has steadily reduced its store network in recent years. The retailer operated more than 140 hypermarkets across the country at its peak in the mid-2010s, but now has just 67 remaining.

“The hardship facing Home Plus is by no means a problem unique to Home Plus,” Korea Zinc union head Lee Eun-seon said.

“If MBK succeeds in taking control of Korea Zinc, the job insecurity and workplace destruction now being experienced by Home Plus workers will inevitably become the grim reality for Korea Zinc employees as well,” he said.

Korea Zinc has been locked in a prolonged control battle with MBK, which teamed up with zinc manufacturer Young Poong early last year to pursue a takeover bid. The two sides clashed at shareholders’ meetings in 2025 and 2026 in a series of heated proxy battles.

The share price of Korea Zinc fell 4% on the Seoul bourse on Tuesday, while the broad KOSPI rose 0.97%. Neither MBK nor Home Plus is publicly listed.

June 30 (UPI) — Security forces across South Africa were braced Tuesday for demonstrations coinciding with anti-immigrant and vigilante groups’ self-declared deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country, amid fears that the protests could turn violent.

Tuesday’s events follow weeks of rallies that have been blamed for inciting violence against migrants in the country, both illegally and legally, by people who believe they are taking jobs from South Africans, carrying out criminal offenses and overburdening schools, hospitals and other essential services.

March and March, one of the anti-migrant organizations, had used the threat of the protests to try to force the “immediate massive deportation of all illegal foreigners currently in the country” by June 30.

However, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s direct appeals for cool heads and for demonstrators not to engage in “intimidation, threats or ultimatums” appeared to have been heard with the Police Ministry reporting that, apart from some looting, the protests went off mostly without incident.

In Johannesburg, five people were arrested for allegedly looting a foreign-owned store in Soweto township while windows of apartments in Yeoville, home to many migrants from other African countries, were smashed by brick-hurling protesters, police said.

Five people were also arrested in Hammarsdale in KwaZulu-Natal province after they allegedly broke into a shop there.

Ramaphosa met leaders of the protests on Monday, ordering them not to resort to violence while acknowledging that the immigration system needed fixing.

“Some foreign nationals who live in South Africa are here lawfully. They work, study, raise families, invest in our economy and contribute positively to our society. They too are entitled to the protection of our laws and our Constitution. The right to protest and freedom of expression does not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence,” he wrote in his weekly blog.

Ramaphosa’s intervention came too late for many immigrants, frightened into leaving by the violence and anti-migrant sentiment in the country.

At least three foreign nationals have been killed in violent attacks in the past month: two Mozambicans when a mob razed a shanty settlement in the Western Cape and a Malawian man at another encampment near Durban during a march against undocumented immigrants that forced hundreds of migrants to flee to the safety of churches and mosques.

Nigeria evacuated 269 of its citizens on Monday — taking the number it has flown home to date to about 600 — with more flights planned over the next few days.

Gardener Kauga Nyirenda told CNN two men turned up at his home threatening to kill him if he didn’t go back to his native Malawi.

“They asked me: ‘When are you going to leave the country? We want to fix our country. If you don’t leave now, you’re going to leave in a coffin because we don’t need anyone after 30th of June,'” said Nyirenda.

In the run-up to Tuesday, about 25,000 others have been sent back to their home countries, mostly elsewhere in Africa, with about 50,000 people detained as illegal migrants since January, according to government agencies, with many of those in temporary camps for their own safety, pending repatriation processing.

Malawi has repatriated about 7,000 of its citizens. Ghana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe have also been laying on air and road repatriation transport for their nationals.

Official figures show there are at least three million documented foreign nationals in South Africa.

June 30 (UPI) — Britain is challenging Apple and Google for not allowing developers to pull users away from their app stores.

The Competition and Markets Authority said Tuesday that Google and Apple have an “effective duopoly” on mobile phones by not allowing developers to engage with users or make purchases outside of the app stores.

The CMA said at least 90% of mobile devices in the United Kingdom are running on Apple or Google platforms. It said allowing “steering” away from the platforms by developers would increase market competition.

Both companies now charge a commission of up to 30% on in-app purchases. Google said it has already made the changes.

CMA Executive Director Will Hayter said choice is important for competition and consumers.

“We think it is important to give both app developers and users more choice about how they communicate and how they transact,” Hayter said in a statement. “This is not only because choice is inherently valuable but also because we see this as the best way to introduce some competitive pressure in a vital part of the mobile ecosystem that is otherwise sorely lacking such pressure.”

Hayter said the CMA isn’t trying to take away fees altogether.

“While it is only fair for Apple and Google to be compensated for the services they provide, any fees they charge must be justified through a robust, evidence-led framework involving due reference to both cost and value,” he said.

Apple responded that steering will make users less protected from scams.

“When users are directed away from Apple’s trusted payment infrastructure, they lose the protections they rely on Apple to provide. We will continue to make our concerns clear in our ongoing dialogue with the CMA,” an Apple spokesperson told The Guardian.

Morocco’s Ismael Saibari embraced his mother after scoring the winning penalty against Netherlands to reach the World Cup last 16. The players danced and cheered in the dressing room after the dramatic win in Monterrey, Mexico.

The Round of 32 has already delivered shocks, shootouts and scenes that will live long in World Cup memory.

After Paraguay stunned Germany and Morocco sent the Netherlands home on penalties, Tuesday brings three more games, with France, Norway and co-hosts Mexico all looking to avoid becoming the next big casualty.

Ivory Coast face Norway, France meet Sweden and Mexico take on Ecuador as three more places in the last 16 are decided.

Here is what we know:

What is Tuesday’s schedule?

• Ivory Coast vs Norway (noon/17:00 GMT) at Dallas Stadium, Texas, in the US
• France vs Sweden (5pm/21:00 GMT) at New York/New Jersey Stadium in the US
• Mexico vs Ecuador (7pm/02:00 GMT on Wednesday) at Mexico City Stadium in Mexico

What is the prediction for Ivory Coast vs Norway?

This will be the first competitive meeting between Ivory Coast and Norway.

Ivory Coast have found European opposition difficult at the World Cup while Norway have traditionally fared well against African teams. They have lost only two of their 19 meetings with CAF nations across all competitions.

The Opta supercomputer calculates Norway as the clear favourites to progress.

Across 25,000 pre-match simulations, Norway won in normal time 56.1 percent of the time, while Ivory Coast claimed victory in 21.6 percent. A draw after 90 minutes, sending the tie to extra time, occurred in 22.3 percent of simulations.

Norway are also strongly backed to reach the Round of 16 and equal their best-ever World Cup finish, while Ivory Coast will need to produce one of the tournament’s biggest upsets to keep their campaign alive.

What is the prediction for France vs Sweden?

France and Sweden are familiar opponents, having met 23 times across all competitions. France hold the advantage with 12 wins to Sweden’s six, while five matches have ended level.

Despite that long history, this will be their first-ever meeting at a FIFA World Cup.

The Opta supercomputer gives France a commanding edge heading into the Round of 32.

Across 25,000 pre-match simulations, France won in normal time 75.1 percent of the time, underlining their status as one of the tournament favourites. Sweden were victorious in just 9.5 percent of simulations, while 15.4 percent of matches were level after 90 minutes and required extra time or penalties.

What is the prediction for Mexico vs Ecuador?

Mexico and Ecuador have met only once before at the FIFA World Cup, with El Tri claiming a 2-1 victory during the group stage of the 2002 tournament.

Recent meetings have been far more evenly matched. The sides are unbeaten against each other in their last three encounters, with all three ending in draws, raising the possibility that this Round of 32 tie could be decided beyond 90 minutes.

The Opta supercomputer gives the tournament co-hosts the edge but expects a competitive contest.

Across 25,000 pre-match simulations, Mexico won in normal time 47.1 percent of the time, compared with 23.7 percent for Ecuador. A draw after 90 minutes occurred in 29.2 percent of simulations, making extra time a realistic possibility.

Factoring in extra time and penalties, Mexico’s chances of reaching the Round of 16 rise to 61 percent, while Ecuador are given a 38.9 percent probability of progressing.

Which teams have advanced to the Round of 16 and who has been eliminated?

The tournament has now moved into the Round of 32.  So far, these teams have advanced to the Round of 16:

• Canada (defeated South Africa 1-0)
• Brazil (defeated Japan 2-1)
• Paraguay (defeated Germany on penalties after a 1-1 draw)
• Morocco (defeated the Netherlands on penalties after a 1-1 draw)

What else is happening?

Morocco stuns Netherlands on penalties

Morocco beat the Netherlands 3-2 in a penalty shootout to reach the FIFA World Cup last 16 after a dramatic 1-1 draw following extra time in Monterrey.

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was the hero, saving Crysencio Summerville’s penalty before Ismael Saibari fired home the decisive spot-kick to send Morocco through.

Morocco will now face Canada in the Round of 16 in Houston on Saturday.

The match appeared to be heading for a Dutch victory after Cody Gakpo, playing just days after he and his partner announced the loss of their unborn child, put the Netherlands ahead midway through the second half.

Gakpo’s emotional World Cup goal

Cody Gakpo broke down in tears after scoring for the Netherlands against Morocco, just two days after he and his partner announced the loss of their unborn child.

The forward chose to remain with the squad despite the tragedy and received a standing ovation from Dutch fans when he was substituted in extra time.

Saibari celebrates with his mum

A heartwarming moment goes viral as Ismael Saibari, who scored the decisive penalty kick against Netherlands, celebrates Morocco’s big win with his mother on the pitch.

Germany suffers shock early exit

Germany’s campaign came to a stunning end on Monday as Paraguay pulled off one of the greatest upsets in tournament history, winning a dramatic Round of 32 tie on penalties.

Paraguay took a deserved 1-0 lead into half-time after Julio Enciso headed home from Matias Galarza’s cross in the 42nd minute.

Germany responded eight minutes into the second half when Kai Havertz glanced in Florian Wirtz’s cross to level the match at 1-1.

With neither side able to find a winner in extra time, the tie went to penalties. Havertz missed Germany’s opening spot-kick and the Germans failed to convert three of their five attempts, allowing Paraguay to seal a famous 4-3 shootout victory and book their place in the last 16.

Paraguay declares national holiday after stunning Germany

Paraguay President Santiago Pena declared Tuesday a national holiday after the country’s shock penalty shootout victory over Germany secured a place in the FIFA World Cup last 16.

Paraguay stunned the four-time world champions 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw following extra time on Monday, pulling off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

Paraguay became the second South American nation to declare a national holiday after a surprise World Cup victory over Germany. Ecuador was the first, doing so after its 2-1 group-stage win over the four-time champions.

Translation: Giant Paraguay! Today, an entire country celebrates. It celebrates the victory of a team that represents the deepest part of our identity: the grit, the faith, and the strength of a people who never give up. Thank you, Albirroja, for gifting us this immense joy and for once again uniting millions of Paraguayans under the same flag. Decree No. 6280: the best things are worth the wait. Let’s go Paraguay! 

US homeland security chief celebrates Iran’s exit

US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he “danced a happy dance” after Iran were eliminated from the World Cup.

Iran missed out on the Round of 32 on goal difference after a stoppage-time winner against Egypt was ruled out for offside, with their elimination confirmed when Algeria and Austria drew 3-3 on Sunday.

Speaking during a World Cup briefing on Monday, Mullin said he was “glad they’re done, and they’re not coming back”, adding he was happy when Iran’s visas were revoked and the team left US soil. He also said Iran had required more attention from US authorities than any other team at the tournament.

The comments add to Mullin’s public dispute with the Iranian team. Earlier in the tournament, he alleged members of Iran’s travelling delegation had attempted to bring someone with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into the United States, an accusation the Iran Football Federation dismissed as “false, fabricated and entirely baseless.”

June 29 (Asia Today) — The Esther Prayer Movement began a five-day fasting prayer conference Monday in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, to pray for the salvation of North Koreans and what organizers call “gospel unification.”

The 36th Gospel Unification Conference, also called the Fasting Prayer Assembly for North Korea’s Salvation, will continue through Friday at the Osanri Choi Jasil Memorial Fasting Prayer Mountain.

Organizers use “gospel unification” to refer to reunification accompanied by religious freedom and the spread of Christianity in North Korea.

The interdenominational gathering brings Christians together to pray for what the organization describes as “a holy South Korea,” the salvation of North Koreans and gospel-based reunification.

The fasting prayer gathering began in January 2009 and has since been held twice a year, during the second week of January and the first week of July. The conferences run for five days and are livestreamed on YouTube for viewers in South Korea and abroad.

At its 35th conference in January, the organization announced a 40-day fasting prayer campaign for the country during 2026.

About 600 pastors and church members registered for the campaign, which is continuing throughout the year, organizers said. Members also participated in a 150-day special overnight prayer campaign from Jan. 17 through June 14.

The organization said the latest gathering is intended to draw attention to North Koreans living under the rule of the Kim family.

It said North Koreans are subjected to the state-sponsored deification of the ruling family and compelled to show reverence to statues and portraits of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

Lee Yong-hee, head of the Esther Prayer Movement, cited Hebrews 13:3, which calls on Christians to remember prisoners and people who are mistreated.

He also cited 1 Timothy 5:8, which says believers should care for their relatives and immediate families.

“The Korean church should fulfill its responsibility toward fellow Koreans,” Lee said.

Lee said he had recently heard accounts that North Korean Christians who fasted and prayed during the gatherings experienced what they described as divine grace, including speaking in tongues.

“Let the underground church in North Korea, Korean churches overseas and churches around the world unite and do their utmost in fasting and prayer to bring forward the day of gospel unification,” Lee said.

He said Christians should make every effort if greater participation in fasting and prayer could hasten that day.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260629010009929

June 30 (UPI) — A U.S. federal judge has sentenced exiled Chinese entrepreneur Guo Wengui to 30 years in prison for defrauding investors of more than $1 billion.

Guo, also known as Ho Wan Kwok and Miles Guo, is a Chinese national who made his fortune in Chinese real estate before fleeing China, in 2014, relocating to the United States around 2015.

He was arrested in March 2023 on a series of fraud and money laundrying charges. Federal prosecutors alleged that, beginning around 2018, he led a conspiracy that defrauded his online followers of more than $1 billion through investment and membership schemes tied to his anti-Chinese Communist Party movement and related business ventures.

In sentencing him on Monday to the three-decade punishment that the prosecutors had requested, Judge Analisa Torres in a Manhattan courtroom said Guo had “preyed on people seeking to bring democracy to China,” The New York Times reported.

During the trial, the prosecutors alleged that in around 2018, he created two nonprofit organizations, which he used to amass followers aligned against the CCP and who were inclined to believe his business advice.

In the years that followed, Guo established several investment opportunities that he advertised to his online followers, who gave him hundreds of millions of dollars over the years.

Prosecutors alleged that Guo had used the money he stole from his followers to line his own pockets, buying himself and cloase relatives luxuries, such as a 50,000-square-foot mansion, a $4.5 million Ferrari sports car and two $36,000 mattresses. He also used the money to finance a $37 million luxury yacht, they said.

Guo denied the accusations.

During sentencing Monday, Torres also imposed ann $889 million forfeiture order against Guo, chastising his “exploitation of a philanthropic purpose, his history of intimidation of critics and his refusal to accept responsibility,” The Guardian reported.

Yanping “Yvette” Wang, Guo’s former chief of staff, was sentenced to 10 years in January 2025 after pleading guilty to related wire fraud and money laundering charges. A second co-defendant, Kinn Ming Je, also known as Willian Je, has been charged with several fraud and money laundering charges.

Guo is also an associate of Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and former top aide to President Donald Trump.

Bannon was arrested in August 2020 aboard a yacht owned by Guo on charges related to a crowdsourced campaign to raise money to build barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border.

June 30 (UPI) — The Trump administration has filed lawsuits challenging Massachusetts and Rhode Island laws that offer in-state tuition benefits to certain undocumented immigrants, alleging they unlawfully discriminate against U.S. citizens.

The lawsuits announced Monday are the latest the Justice Department has filed against state laws that offer in-state rates, financial aid or scholarships to certain undocumented immigrants who meet state residency or education requirements, which generally consist of living in the state for a number of years and attending high school there.

Justice Department lawyers allege these laws are illegal because they offer noncitizens benefits denied to U.S. citizens from other states.

“The Department of Justice is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s promise that illegal aliens will not receive taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment over America’s own citizens,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said in a statement.

“As our nation marks 250 years of freedom, we will continue to challenge state laws that place aliens over citizens in clear defiance of Congress’ commands.”

Massachusetts has extended eligibility for in-state tuition benefits, financial aid and scholarships at Massachusetts state schools to qualifying undocumented immigrants since 2023, while Rhode Island has allowed qualifying undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition costs going back to 2011. Rhode Island then codified this law in 2021.

The lawsuits filed Monday ask the courts to enjoin enforcement of these laws, saying they violate a federal statute, enacted in 1996, that specifically bans offering in-state tuition to any noncitizen “unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit … without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident.”

Proponents of these laws, sometimes referred to as Dream Act laws, argue that without offering in-state tuition rates, post-secondary education will be kept out of reach for undocumented immigrants living in the United States, while such laws can reduce high school dropout rates as well as raise student incomes and tax contributions, among other economic benefits.

The Trump administration has been targeting these laws as part of President Donald Trump‘s aggressive immigration policy that has seen mass roundups and deportations of noncitizens.

In April 2025, Trump signed an executive order directing the attorney general to identify and stop the enforcement of state laws and policies “favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens,” specifically highlighting laws that “provide in-state higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-state American citizens.”

Since then, federal prosecutors have challenged laws in 12 states. Four lawsuits, against Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Nebraska, have resulted in orders permanently enjoining the states’ in-state tuition laws, while Kansas last week joined the Justice Department in seeking a proposed consent decree that must be approved by the court.

The remaining challenges are pending against Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, all Democratic-led states.

According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, about 20 states and Washington, D.C., provide in-state tuition to undocumented students, while 18 and the nation’s capital also provide state financial aid.

South Korean stocks ended nearly 1 percent higher Tuesday, led by gains in technology shares, as investors watched for a possible resumption of U.S.-Iran talks in Qatar aimed at easing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. The Korean won weakened against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 81.83 points, or 0.97 percent, to close at 8,476.47.

Investor sentiment improved after the United States and Iran were set to resume talks in Qatar aimed at easing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, alleviating concerns over a prolonged disruption to global oil supplies.

Overnight, Wall Street rebounded sharply as investors returned to tech stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.59 percent to close at a record high, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 2.07 percent and the S&P 500 advanced 1.18 percent.

Crude prices rose modestly as investors monitored implementation of the U.S.-Iran peace framework.

Trade volume was moderate at 444.61 million shares worth 41.08 trillion won (US$26.51 billion), with losers outnumbering losers 621 to 261

Institutions and individuals bought a net 2.93 trillion won and 833.45 billion won worth of shares, respectively, while foreigners sold a net 3.79 trillion won.

“Investors scooped up semiconductor shares following recent losses, while IT infrastructure and electricity stocks rose on hopes for major investment in semiconductor infrastructure in the southwestern region announced by the government and chipmakers,” said Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities.

Tech shares lifted the overall market.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 3.41 percent to 334,000 won, and chip giant SK hynix gained 0.84 percent to 1.65 million won. SK Square, the parent of SK hynix, advanced 3.48 percent to 1.69 million won.

Chip components maker Samsung Electro-Mechanics jumped 7.16 percent to 1.18 million won after announcing a 454 billion-won supply deal for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) for artificial intelligence servers to a U.S.-based customer.

Battery shares retreated on profit-taking after sharp gains the previous session.

LG Energy Solution plunged 9.61 percent to 362,000 won, and its smaller rival Samsung SDI sank 4.88 percent to 487,000 won.

The Korean won was quoted at 1,549.4 won per U.S. dollar as of 3:30 p.m., down 4.2 won from the previous session.

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