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The price for the final 2026 World ⁠Cup match in Seattle hit nearly $4,000 but dipped as low as $1,549 ⁠on Tuesday.

Ticket prices for ‌the United States’ highly anticipated round of 16 game against ⁠Belgium on ⁠Monday plunged by more than 30 percent before rebounding slightly early Saturday evening.

The get-in price for the final 2026 World ⁠Cup match in Seattle hit nearly $4,000 on June 1, according to ticket-tracking service TicketData.com. After dipping to as low as $1,549 ⁠on Tuesday, the get-in price spiked to $2,836 after the USA solidified their spot in the round of 16 with a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, the get-in price has steadily declined in the ‌days since. It dropped to $1,423 on Saturday afternoon – a 32 percent decrease over the past three days – but the get-in price rebounded to $1,635 at 6pm Eastern Time (23:00 GMT).

That late boost pushed the USA-Belgium game from the fourth-highest get-in price to the second-highest price among the eight round of 16 matches. Mexico’s game against ⁠England in Mexico City on Sunday sits ⁠at $3,574.

ROUND OF 16 TICKET PRICES*:

• Mexico-England, 7/5 (Houston): $3,574
• USA-Belgium: 7/6 (Seattle): $1,635
• Argentina-Egypt: 7/7 (Atlanta): $1,599
• Brazil-Norway: 7/5 (New Jersey): $1,537
• Portugal-Spain: 7/6 (Dallas): $1,367
• Switzerland-Colombia: $959 (Vancouver): $972
• Paraguay-France: 7/4 (Philadelphia): $914
• Canada-Morocco: 7/4 (Houston): $721

*TicketData.com as of 6 p.m. ET on July 4.

The significant drop in the ⁠get-in price for the US-Belgium game is somewhat surprising considering the Red Devils’ base camp ⁠is located just 16 kilometres (10 miles) south of Seattle ⁠Stadium at the Sounders FC Performance Center. Monday will mark Belgium’s third match in Seattle following a 1-1 draw with Egypt in the group stage and a ‌dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Senegal in the round of 32.

Canada was the first team eliminated from the round of 16 ‌with ‌their 3-0 loss to Morocco on Saturday. The get-in price for that match dropped 14 percent from $838 over the final 72 hours.

Iran has marked the second day of funeral processions for its late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Masses of supporters came to view his body despite a sweltering heatwave, with water misters installed at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Hall and volunteers distributing cold drinks to mourners.

July 3 (Asia Today) — Anthropic, the developer of the Claude artificial intelligence model, is in early discussions with Samsung Electronics about manufacturing a custom AI chip, according to a U.S. technology news report.

The Information reported Thursday, citing multiple people familiar with the discussions, that Anthropic is considering using Samsung’s 2-nanometer manufacturing process and advanced chip-packaging facilities.

The project remains at an early stage. Anthropic has not begun detailed chip design, testing or manufacturing, the report said.

Samsung’s 2-nanometer process is among the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies available. Smaller manufacturing nodes can allow more transistors to be placed on a chip, potentially improving computing performance and energy efficiency.

Advanced packaging places processors, high-bandwidth memory and other chip components closer together. The shorter distance can increase data-transfer speeds and reduce bottlenecks when running large AI models.

Anthropic is studying the functions and performance required for the chip as well as how it could be integrated into servers, people familiar with the matter said. The company is also reportedly holding discussions with several chip-design companies.

Anthropic is considering using processors developed by Microsoft and British chip startup Fractile as it evaluates different approaches to expanding its computing infrastructure.

The company hired Clive Chan in June. Chan was the second hardware engineer to join OpenAI’s custom-chip program and worked on the project from its early stages.

Chan announced his departure from OpenAI and move to Anthropic in a June 7 post on the social media platform X. He said he was drawn by the opportunity to begin climbing a new technological mountain from the bottom.

The recruitment suggests Anthropic is building an internal team capable of designing specialized processors as competition with OpenAI expands from AI models into hardware and data-center infrastructure.

Anthropic raised $65 billion in a Series H investment round completed May 28, giving the company a post-investment valuation of $965 billion.

The funding was led by Altimeter Capital, Dragoneer, Greenoaks and Sequoia Capital. Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Micron participated as strategic infrastructure partners.

Anthropic said the three semiconductor companies provide technologies that play important roles in supplying memory, storage and logic chips.

Samsung is the only one of the three companies that also operates a large contract chip-manufacturing business, raising expectations that its relationship with Anthropic could expand beyond memory supplies.

A manufacturing agreement with Anthropic would give Samsung another major AI customer as the South Korean chipmaker seeks to challenge Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in the market for advanced processors.

Samsung previously signed a $16.5 billion agreement to manufacture next-generation AI chips for Tesla. Google is also reportedly considering using Samsung to manufacture part of a future tensor processing unit.

The potential Anthropic contract could strengthen Samsung’s position as demand for alternatives to Taiwan Semiconductor’s manufacturing capacity increases.

Major technology companies are developing specialized processors to reduce computing costs, improve energy efficiency and gain greater control over their AI infrastructure.

Google has developed several generations of its tensor processing units, while Amazon Web Services operates its Trainium processors for AI training.

OpenAI and Broadcom unveiled Jalapeño, OpenAI’s first custom inference processor, on June 24. Inference refers to the process through which a trained AI model generates responses to user requests.

OpenAI said the processor was developed from initial design to production in nine months. Early deployment is expected by the end of the year.

Broadcom Chief Executive Officer Hock Tan described Jalapeño as the beginning of a multigeneration processor roadmap. The companies plan to install the chips in large-scale data centers operated with partners including Microsoft.

Anthropic said its custom-chip work would not replace its existing relationships with hardware suppliers.

“Nvidia GPUs, Google TPUs and AWS Trainium chips will continue to play a central role in our computing resources,” the company said in response to a request for comment from The Information.

South Korea on Monday unveiled a wider semiconductor investment plan under which Samsung and SK hynix are expected to invest about 800 trillion won ($523 billion) over the next decade.

The plan includes four new semiconductor fabrication plants and expanded production of high-bandwidth memory and advanced packaging technologies used in AI systems.

Samsung has faced yield problems in some previous advanced manufacturing processes. Yield refers to the percentage of usable chips produced from each semiconductor wafer.

The performance and production stability of Samsung’s 2-nanometer process are therefore expected to be critical to its ability to compete with Taiwan Semiconductor for major AI-chip orders.

An industry official said Samsung has become more selective about accepting manufacturing orders, focusing resources on projects considered commercially and technologically viable.

Anthropic is entering the custom-chip competition later than several major AI and cloud-computing companies. However, rapidly rising demand for AI infrastructure is creating opportunities for specialized processors.

TrendForce projects that shipments of servers using cloud companies’ custom application-specific integrated circuits will grow 44.6% in 2026. Shipments of servers using general-purpose graphics processors are expected to grow 16.1%.

Nvidia remains the dominant supplier of AI processors, but the development of chips by OpenAI, Google, Amazon and other technology companies could gradually reduce their reliance on its hardware.

— 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=20260703010001110

July 3 (Asia Today) — South Korea will provide 14.9 trillion won ($9.7 billion) in emergency financing and expand tax and trade-insurance support for small and midsize companies struggling with higher import costs caused by the weak won.

The government announced the measures Friday during an emergency economic meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun Cheol at Government Complex Sejong.

The package is intended to improve liquidity for companies facing rising raw-material costs and financing pressures as the won remains weak against the U.S. dollar.

The government will redirect 13.8 trillion won ($9 billion) in unused capacity from a 23.7 trillion won ($15.5 billion) policy-financing program previously established in response to the Middle East crisis.

An additional 1.1 trillion won ($719 million) in new financing will also be provided. The government said the total could be increased depending on demand and the pace at which available funding is used.

The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency will establish a special emergency stabilization fund for companies affected by the exchange rate.

Small companies that import raw materials or components worth at least 20% of annual sales will be allowed to apply without meeting an existing requirement that sales or operating profit must have fallen by at least 10%.

The Export-Import Bank of Korea will increase its special crisis-response program from 7 trillion won ($4.6 billion) to 8 trillion won ($5.2 billion).

The bank will also increase its maximum interest-rate reduction from 2 percentage points to 2.2 percentage points.

A new ultralow-interest loan program will provide financing at rates close to the state-run bank’s own funding costs for companies affected by the high won-dollar exchange rate.

The Korea Technology Finance Corp. will raise the coverage ratio for its emergency business stabilization guarantees from 95% to 100%. The reduction in guarantee fees will increase from 0.3 percentage points to 0.4 percentage points.

Companies already using government policy loans may also receive repayment deferrals and loan-maturity extensions.

The government will expand import insurance and currency fluctuation insurance to help businesses manage exchange-rate risks.

Small and midsize companies without an export record will be allowed to purchase import insurance, which was previously more difficult for companies focused primarily on the domestic market to obtain.

Import insurance premiums will be discounted by 50% through April 2027.

Companies facing higher costs for essential imported raw materials may also receive up to twice the normal loan-guarantee limit from the state-run Korea Trade Insurance Corp.

The amount available under the government’s currency fluctuation insurance program will increase from 1.2 trillion won ($785 million) to 1.3 trillion won ($850 million).

Premium discounts for small companies will double from 15% to 30%.

Eligibility for the insurance will also expand from selected raw-material importers to companies importing nearly all categories of goods, excluding luxury products.

The government will establish a separate 10 billion won ($6.5 million) export-voucher program for companies affected by the exchange rate.

The maximum trade-insurance premium support available through the voucher system will temporarily double from 10 million won ($6,500) to 20 million won ($13,100).

The government also plans to allow insurance support to be paid in advance rather than reimbursed after the insurance contract ends.

Small companies borrowing from the Export-Import Bank of Korea will be offered a free option to convert loans between the won and foreign currencies or between two foreign currencies.

Tax relief will be provided alongside the financing programs.

Payment deadlines for corporate income tax, value-added tax, individual income tax and customs duties may be extended for companies experiencing exchange-rate-related financial difficulties.

The government will also provide consulting to help companies reflect currency movements in agreements that link subcontracting payments to changes in raw-material costs.

Companies that effectively operate the system may receive incentives, including exemptions from certain government-initiated investigations into subcontracting practices.

Financial institutions will receive credit under a government evaluation index for providing assistance to small companies affected by the weak won.

Regional export support centers will serve as one-stop contact points for companies seeking information on financing, insurance, tax relief and other assistance.

The government said it would continue reviewing the difficulties faced by businesses and consider additional measures if needed.

— 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=20260703010001157

The Potomac isn’t just the name of a river, it’s part of a much older story. Al Jazeera’s Emma Withrow explains, from Alabama to Yosemite, our latest online interactive explores the Native American origins of 50 names across the United States, what they mean, and how they were originally pronounced by Indigenous speakers.

July 4 (UPI) — President Donald Trump pardoned 11 people, including nine Clean Air Act violators, claiming they were just “fixing their car.”

The pardons were mostly for men who were prosecuted under the President Joe Biden administration for using, installing or selling “defeat devices,” software used to bypass emissions controls.

“It is my Great Honor to have just signed Pardons for six people who were persecuted by the Biden Administration, and were in, or being sent to, prison, for ‘fixing their car.’ While I know this sounds ridiculous, it is nevertheless a fact, and part of the Weaponization and Stupidity that our Country had to endure during four long years of Sleepy Joe Biden. I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” the president posted on Truth Social Friday afternoon.

Lawyer Stewart Cables and lobbyist Jeff Daugherty, who represent five of the defendants, identified them to CBS News. They said Ryan and Wade Lalone, Matt Geouge, Tim Clancy and Mac Spurlock received pardons.

A White House official later confirmed the pardons to CBS News and said that five others had also been pardoned, three for similar pollution violations. Along with those already mentioned, the official identified the others as Joshua Davis, Barry Pierce, Aaron Rudolf, Adam Kidan, Jack Harvard and Jonathan Achtemeier.

“Thanks to God for putting it on Trump’s heart to approve these pardons, and thank God for Donald Trump,” Daugherty told CBS. He said Trump “is the only president who would have taken an interest in these parties, and the reason is he’s the only president to face such ferocious weaponization himself.”

A press release from the Justice Department in February 2025 announced the conviction of Achtemeier, saying “From the comfort of his home, this defendant caused environmental damage across the country, tampering with pollution controls on diesel trucks so that they spewed 30 to 1,200 times the pollutants of a legally configured truck,” Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller said. Miller now works in private practice.

Trump last fall granted clemency to Troy Lake, a Wyoming mechanic who served seven months in prison for violating federal emissions laws for disabling air pollution-control equipment on diesel engines.

In January, the Department of Justice ordered prosecutors to drop all cases and investigations related to the defeat devices.

Two of those pardoned Friday were convicted of crimes not related to pollution.

Jack Harvard was convicted of bank fraud charges in Texas in the 1980s and now runs the Texas Safari Ranch in Clifton, Texas, and Adam Kidan was sentenced to 70 months in prison in 2006. Kidan pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges related to his attempt, along with lobbyist Jack Abramoff, to purchase a casino for $147.5 million with a counterfeit wire transfer document. Kidan is a donor to Republican campaigns.

July 4 (UPI) — Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, spent his second Fourth of July as the pontiff at Lampedusa, Italy, an island at the forefront of the European migrant crisis, and appealed to Americans to treat immigrants with “compassion and generosity.”

Leo visited Lampedusa, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea between Tunisia and Malta, instead of celebrating the day in the United States.

Soon after his arrival, he released a letter to Americans about the 250th Anniversary of the country’s birth, reflecting on the principles that have shaped the United States for two and a half centuries, particularly religious freedom and human dignity.

In the letter Leo said that, “among the principles that have guided the development of this country is the God-given dignity of every human life, each person being endowed with an inherent worth that calls for reverence, protection and care … and of building a society in which the vulnerable, the suffering and the forgotten are always met with compassion, solidarity and love.

“Defending human life also includes welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contribution have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning. In every generation, those who have arrived seeking freedom, opportunity and a place to belong have helped to shape the nation’s character. To receive them with compassion and generosity is not only an act of charity, but also a recognition of the dignity that belongs to every human person,” Leo said.

He said he hopes Americans “honor the courage and vision of those who came before them by strengthening their communities, respecting their differences and working together toward a more perfect union.”

Upon landing at Lampedusa, the pope visited the “Door to Europe,” a piece of art that is a memorial to thousands of migrants who died or disappeared trying to cross the sea.

He also visited the Cemetery of the Nameless in Cala Pisana to pray over the graves of migrants who died at sea. The graves are marked with crosses made from the wood of boats that sank off the island’s coast, Euro News reported.

Leo then visited Molo Favaloro, a site where migrant boats are brought to shore. He unveiled and blessed a plaque dedicated to Pope Francis there. The quay there will now be named Molo Francisco. Francis visited the island in 2013.

The pope met and shook hands with 15 migrants brought from a migrant housing center run by the Red Cross. It now houses 138 people, including 51 unaccompanied minors. On Friday night, the Italian coast guard rescued 17 people aboard a small boat, Euro News said.

“By deciding to name Molo Favaloro after Pope Francis you are giving a sign of the bond my predecessor forged with your community and with migrant brothers and sisters: the Pope has stood by you in these very demanding times. And today I am here to tell you that the Pope continues to walk alongside you, to support you and encourage you,” Leo wrote in a letter to the mayor of Lampedusa.

On Friday, Leo gave a virtual speech to Philadelphia when he was awarded the Liberty Medal. The medal has been awarded since 1989 and was managed by the Philadelphia Foundation until 2006, when it became part of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

July 4 (UPI) — Three children were killed Friday when a severe storm capsized a boat in Wisconsin, police said.

The privately owned, recreational motorboat had six adults and four children aboard on Geneva Lake, and all children were wearing life jackets.

When a storm hit, the boaters tried to find their way to safety but were overwhelmed by high winds and waves. The boat capsized and later sank.

Rescuers were able to quickly help the adults and one child out of the water, but three were still missing. After an intensive search, they found all three. Rescuers took lifesaving measures on the scene and on the way to a hospital, but all three children were pronounced dead.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of those, not only of those people, but the people who were injured as a result of the storm. We know that there were many injuries, people transported to local hospitals and diversion from the hospitals because of the number of injuries,” Walworth County, Wisc., Undersheriff Tom Hausner said.

The storm hit at about 12:10 p.m., and 911 calls began coming in around the same time, Hausner said.

A source told CBS News Chicago that the three victims are believed to be younger than 13.

The deaths are under investigation by the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

A squall line of storms moved into northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin Friday morning and early afternoon, with wind gusts of up to 60 mph, The New York Times reported. Nearly 514,000 homes and businesses in Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin were without power Friday night.

July 3 (Asia Today) — A U.S. battery joint venture between South Korea’s LG Energy Solution and Honda has begun mass-producing lithium-ion cells for energy storage systems at its Ohio plant, the company said.

L-H Battery Company began production Thursday at its factory in Jeffersonville, Fayette County.

The cells will be supplied through LG Energy Solution Vertech, the South Korean company’s North American energy-storage system integration subsidiary.

They are expected to be used in utility power grids as well as commercial, industrial and residential energy-storage systems across the United States.

The Ohio plant was originally built primarily to manufacture batteries for Honda electric vehicles.

The partners adjusted the factory’s production strategy as growth in the electric-vehicle market slowed and changes in the U.S. regulatory and policy environment increased uncertainty for automakers and battery manufacturers.

The joint venture decided to prioritize the faster-growing energy-storage market while maintaining the flexibility to produce cells for other applications.

It plans to consider manufacturing batteries for hybrid-electric vehicles at the plant as market conditions evolve.

Honda said in May that it would convert part of the joint venture’s electric-vehicle battery production lines to make batteries for hybrid vehicles.

The company also said it would use the Ohio battery facilities for other applications as it restructures its North American vehicle and battery production network.

Honda canceled plans in March to develop and launch three electric-vehicle models that had been scheduled for production in North America, citing changes in the business environment.

The start of storage-battery production marks a significant step in LG Energy Solution’s strategy to manufacture more energy-storage products within North America.

Demand is rising as utilities add renewable-energy capacity and seek batteries that can store electricity when supply exceeds consumption.

Artificial intelligence data centers are also increasing electricity demand and creating a need for additional power-generation, transmission and storage infrastructure.

Energy-storage systems can help stabilize power grids by storing electricity during periods of low demand and releasing it when demand rises.

LG Energy Solution has been converting or adapting electric-vehicle battery facilities to produce storage batteries as manufacturers respond to slower electric-vehicle growth.

The company plans to operate five energy-storage battery manufacturing sites in North America.

The network includes plants in Holland and Lansing, Mich., the NextStar Energy facility in Windsor, Ontario, the Ultium Cells factory in Spring Hill, Tenn., and the L-H Battery Company plant in Ohio.

LG Energy Solution said it aims to secure more than 50 gigawatt-hours of annual energy-storage battery production capacity in North America by the end of 2026.

The company said batteries manufactured in Ohio will support projects serving power grids, businesses and homes.

BloombergNEF has projected that the U.S. energy-storage market could expand to 485 gigawatt-hours in 2030 and 976 gigawatt-hours in 2035.

“Energy storage systems are an important future business for L-H Battery Company and will become a core business pillar along with the production of battery cells for hybrid-electric vehicles,” L-H Battery Company Chief Executive Officer Koo Ja-hoon said.

Chief Operating Officer Rick Riggle said the company has hired employees and begun production since the joint venture was established in 2023.

“This start of mass production is significant because it goes beyond simply operating a plant and establishes a stable production base for our North American business,” Riggle said.

LG Energy Solution and Honda formally established L-H Battery Company in 2023 to manufacture lithium-ion batteries in Ohio.

The joint venture was initially designed to support Honda’s expanding electric-vehicle production in North America.

The revised production strategy allows the companies to use the plant for energy storage and hybrid vehicles while retaining the ability to respond if electric-vehicle demand recovers.

— 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=20260703010001209

In the city of Nabatieh, ambulance teams, civil defense units, scouts, municipal workers, and residents joined forces in a large cleanup campaign to remove rubble and reopen streets following extensive destruction caused by the Israeli war on Lebanon.

The United States is about to celebrate its 250th birthday, but as millions across the country prepare to gather this weekend for parades, concerts and festivals, an intense heat wave has settled over much of the eastern US.

Officials across the region are warning that the extreme heat could pose serious health risks over the Fourth of July weekend.

Here’s what you need to know about how the weather will affect the celebrations.

What is America’s 250th anniversary?

It has been 250 years since the United States adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Unlike a typical Independence Day, this year’s celebrations are unfolding on a much bigger scale, capping years of preparation and planning.

Landing in the midst of a highly polarised moment in American politics, planning for the anniversary has also been contentious.

A decade ago, Congress tasked a bipartisan commission known as America250 with organising the celebrations.

But last year, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to put his own “Freedom 250” planning committee in charge of many of the anniversary’s marquee events, including the Great American State Fair on the National Mall.

Initially, a variety of musicians were announced as performers for the fair, including country singer Martina McBride, the soul group The Commodores and the pop duo Milli Vanilli. But many withdrew in late May and early June over concerns over the fair’s affiliation with Trump.

Last week, in lieu of the performers, the US president delivered a speech to open the fair, billing himself as the “Number One Attraction anywhere in the World”.

He has also promised to mark the July 4 holiday in Washington, DC, with “the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all”.

What will celebrations look like across the country?

Among thousands of smaller, locally organised celebrations nationwide — including historical reenactments, picnics, concerts and fireworks displays — some of the highest-profile events include:

• Washington, DC: Hundreds of thousands are expected to arrive in the city, where the Great American State Fair will be held along the National Mall, the 2.5 km (1.5 mile) promenade linking the US Capitol to the Washington Monument. It will feature state pavilions, food, live music and a Ferris wheel. Trump has also promised “the largest fireworks show in history.” Around one million people attended the fireworks display for the US’s bicentennial anniversary in 1976.
• Los Angeles: As part of its America’s Block Party event, America250 will hold a benefit concert hosted by Queen Latifah, featuring artists such as Chris Stapleton, Maren Morris and the Smashing Pumpkins.
• Philadelphia: The city where the Declaration of Independence was signed is hosting one of the country’s biggest commemorations, including the burial of a 400kg (900 pounds) time capsule, containing artefacts from across the country, meant to be opened at the next semiquincentennial in 250 years.
• New York: More than 40 tall ships are expected to sail into New York Harbour with almost 20,000 sailors aboard, while more than 200 aircraft fly overhead.
• Boston: Celebrations will include the annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular — a free concert followed by a fireworks display — and a public reading of the Declaration of Independence from the balcony where it was first read aloud to Bostonians in 1776.

How will the heat affect celebrations?

Some celebrations are already being disrupted, with organisers forced to adapt to extreme heat.

On Friday, the Great American State Fair temporarily closed as temperatures reached over 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of Washington, DC.

But the capital was not the only area affected by the extreme heat.

In Philadelphia, for example, officials announced that the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade was cancelled, after initially planning to shorten the route to mitigate heat-related risks.

A celebration in Pennsylvania’s Lower Windsor Township was also rescheduled for July 8, while in nearby Norristown, officials cancelled another parade, citing safety concerns.

The heat is also affecting transportation. Amtrak announced several train cancellations in the northeast region and warned that other trains could face delays due to high temperatures, which can affect railway infrastructure.

“Extreme heat can cause rail, bridge and overhead wires to expand,” it said in a statement on Thursday. “As a precaution, Amtrak may enact heat restrictions, which can require locomotive engineers to operate trains at lower speeds, resulting in potential delays.”

What will it actually feel like outside?

While air temperatures in cities such as Philadelphia and Boston are expected to reach around 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), high humidity can make it feel significantly hotter.

That’s because humidity makes it harder for sweat to evaporate and cool the body. Weather agencies use the heat index, often called the “feels like” temperature, to estimate what people will actually be experiencing.

Experts also warn that cities can become even hotter than forecasts suggest as concrete, asphalt and steel absorb heat.

“The number on your phone may actually not reflect the true temperature profile that you’re going out into,” Vijay Limaye, a climate scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told The Associated Press.

What precautions are officials taking?

Aside from changing or cancelling some Fourth of July events, cities across the eastern United States are rolling out broader measures to help people cope with the heat.

In New York City, for example, more than 200 teams of government workers and volunteers are checking on homeless residents and directing people to hundreds of cooling centres, including public buildings, mobile cooling vans and outdoor sites equipped with misting fans.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged people to stay inside and avoid “extraordinary temperatures”. He also asked residents to set their air conditioners to 26 degrees Celsius (78 Fahrenheit) to avoid straining the power grid.

Boston is offering residents free admission to several air-conditioned museums, while Providence, Rhode Island, has extended hours at public pools and water parks.

How can people stay safe?

The National Weather Service (NWS) recommends drinking a lot of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty, especially if you’re spending an extended amount of time outside and taking hourly breaks in shade or air conditioning.

Health authorities also urge people to occasionally check in on seniors and other vulnerable populations.

Alcohol can make dehydration worse, so experts also recommend limiting drinking during long outdoor events.

Signs of heat illness include cramping, rapid pulse, heavy sweating, hot red skin, dizziness, confusion, nausea and vomiting, according to the NWS. If you see any of those warning signs, seek medical attention immediately.

Russian forces have claimed capture of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region after roughly a nine-month battle. The city sits within Ukraine’s “fortress belt,” a defensive network of cities forming Donbas’s main defensive line. Ukrainian officials denied the city fell.

July 3 (Asia Today) — Japan has become an increasingly affordable destination for foreign visitors, but the weaker yen has sharply reduced the ability of Japanese households and businesses to buy goods and services from abroad.

The yen’s real effective exchange rate, a broad measure of its inflation-adjusted value against the currencies of Japan’s trading partners, fell to 65.93 in May, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Friday.

That was less than half the 141.77 recorded in December 1986, when the nominal dollar-yen exchange rate was near levels recently seen in foreign-exchange markets.

The comparison indicates that even when the dollar-yen rate appears similar to its level 40 years ago, the yen’s actual external purchasing power is substantially weaker.

The real effective exchange rate is not based on the yen’s value against one currency, such as the U.S. dollar.

The index combines exchange rates with multiple trading partners, gives each currency a weight based largely on trade and adjusts for differences in inflation. The Bank for International Settlements and the Bank of Japan publish the data with 2020 set at 100.

A lower figure indicates that the yen has weakened after inflation and trade relationships are taken into account.

The Yomiuri illustrated the difference using the price of a pizza.

Even when the nominal exchange rate is similar to the rate in the 1980s, prices in the United States have risen much more than prices in Japan over the past four decades. A Japanese consumer carrying the same amount of yen can therefore buy far less in the United States today.

The distinction helps explain why the current period of yen weakness differs from the weak-yen environment of the 1980s.

Japan’s long period of low inflation contributed to the decline.

After the collapse of the country’s asset-price bubble, consumer prices and wages remained stagnant for much of the period beginning in the 1990s. Prices continued to increase in the United States, Europe and many other economies.

The Bank of Japan’s large-scale monetary easing, introduced in 2013 to end deflation, also placed downward pressure on the yen’s nominal value.

The combination of low domestic inflation and nominal depreciation accelerated the decline in the currency’s real effective value.

Cheap Japan, expensive world

The weak yen has made hotels, restaurants, clothing and consumer products in Japan appear less expensive to South Korean travelers and other foreign visitors.

For South Koreans, the effects of yen depreciation are often most visible through lower travel costs in Tokyo, Osaka and other Japanese destinations.

Foreign visitors’ spending has supported department stores, convenience stores, drugstores, restaurants and regional tourism businesses across Japan.

The same trend can create competition for South Korean tourism destinations and retailers as consumers choose between spending money domestically and traveling to Japan.

The weaker yen has the opposite effect on Japanese households.

Japan imports much of its energy, food and industrial raw materials. A weaker currency raises the yen-denominated cost of those imports, increasing pressure on household budgets and companies that cannot fully pass their higher costs on to customers.

The prolonged decline of the currency has become a policy concern as Japanese consumers face higher prices for fuel, food and other imported goods.

Japanese companies experience both advantages and disadvantages from the exchange rate.

Manufacturers must pay more for imported energy, raw materials and components. Exporters, however, can convert overseas earnings into more yen and may be able to offer more competitive prices abroad.

The price advantage can affect South Korean companies competing with Japanese manufacturers in automobiles, machinery, materials and components.

South Korean exporters doing business in Japan may face a different challenge.

As the purchasing power of Japanese consumers and businesses declines, Japanese buyers may become more sensitive to the prices of imported South Korean products and services.

Japanese importers could seek lower contract prices while consumers turn toward less expensive alternatives.

The Japanese market may therefore remain large in nominal terms while becoming increasingly price-sensitive for foreign suppliers.

The real effective exchange rate does not directly measure every household’s standard of living. It does, however, show how the yen’s value has changed after accounting for trade patterns and differences in inflation.

Its decline suggests that the effects of yen weakness extend beyond making Japan a less expensive place for tourists.

The trend is changing Japanese households’ consumption power, companies’ purchasing structures and the competitive environment facing businesses in South Korea and Japan.

For South Korea, the weak yen offers the immediate benefit of less expensive travel to Japan.

It can also contribute to an outflow of domestic consumer spending, stronger price competition from Japanese exporters and greater resistance to foreign product prices inside Japan.

Japan has become cheaper for South Korean visitors, but much of the world has become more expensive for Japanese consumers.

That widening gap is likely to remain an important factor shaping tourism, consumption and export competition between the two countries.

— 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=20260703010001239

July 4 (UPI) — On this date in history:

In 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming U.S. independence from Britain.

In 1826, in one of history’s notable coincidences, former U.S. Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died, 50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

In 1863, Union troops defeated Confederate forces in a battle at Vicksburg, Miss.

In 1895, the poem “America the Beautiful,” by Wellesley College Professor Katherine Lee Bates, was published. The poem with music by Samuel A. Ward was published as a song in 1910.

In 1910, American boxer Jack Johnson took on former undefeated heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries, beating him in 15 rounds, to stake his claim as the as the greatest heavyweight in the world.

File Photo by Library of Congress/UPI

In 1939, Lou Gehrig gave his “luckiest man on the face of the Earth” speech in announcing his retirement from the New York Yankees. Gehrig had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a debilitating motor neuron disease. United Press writer Jack Cuddy wasn’t impressed with the Yankees’ “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day,” saying doctors made up his ailment to explain his unexpected retirement.

In 1976, Israeli commandos raided the airport at Entebbe, Uganda, rescuing 103 hostages held by Arab militants.

In 1986, more than 250 sailing ships and the United States’ biggest fireworks display honored the Statue of Liberty in its 100th birthday year.

In 1995, the British Parliament reconfirmed John Majors as prime minister.

In 1997, NASA’s Pathfinder reached Mars to become the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the planet in more than two decades. Pathfinder returned more than 16,000 images and some 8.5 million measurements back to Earth before its final transmission on September, 27, 1997.

File Photo courtesy of NASA

In 2006, North Korea test-launched seven ballistic missiles in what it called “routine military exercises,” causing a firestorm of anger among its neighbors and the United States.

In 2010, U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus took command of the Afghan war, acknowledging the “tough fight” ahead for NATO forces while pledging “We are in this to win.”

In 2013, the Statue of Liberty reopened to the public nine months after it was closed because of damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

In 2018, Hong Kong’s high court ruled unanimously that same-sex couples are entitled to spousal visas like married heterosexual couples.

In 2022, seven people died and dozens others were injured in a mass shooting during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Ill., near Chicago. Far-right activist Robert Crimo III, then 22, was charged with murder for the shooting.

A participant of the March Fourth rally to ban assault weapons holds a sign for Eduardo Uvaldo, a victim of the Highland Park shooting, outside the Senate office buildings at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on July 13, 2022. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

How can your team reach the final and win the World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.

Who: France vs Paraguay
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 16
Where: Philadelphia Stadium, US
When: Saturday, July 4, at 5pm (21:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 18:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.

Kylian Mbappe’s France have been the outstanding team so far at this World Cup and will be expected to get the better of Paraguay on Saturday and extend their run to the quarterfinals.

France look a very good bet to win their third World Cup, and they are certainly expected to overcome a Paraguay team ranked 41st in the world.

After winning the trophy in 2018 and losing the 2022 final on penalties, France are hoping to become only the third team in World Cup history to reach three consecutive finals, after West Germany and Brazil.

That remains a long way off but their performances so far suggest they will take some beating.

Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat of Sweden in the last 32, in which Mbappe scored twice and Bradley Barcola once, made it four wins in four matches with 13 goals scored.

But the Paraguayans head to Philadelphia with their confidence sky-high after their victory on penalties against Germany – which led to a national holiday being declared back home.

What happened in France’s last-32 game?

Mbappe scored twice, and Michael Olise was in scintillating form as France beat Sweden 3-0.

The Real Madrid striker finished a superb move to break the deadlock just before half-time. Olise set up Paris Saint-Germain winger Barcola for the second goal on 53 minutes, and then delivered a delightful pass for Mbappe to complete a convincing victory.

Mbappe’s strikes saw him move level with Lionel Messi on six goals in the all-star golden boot race at this World Cup.

The France captain now has 18 World Cup goals in total, meaning he is just one behind Messi’s overall record of 19, a mark 27-year-old Mbappe will keep chasing.

What happened in Paraguay’s last-32 game?

The Germans trailed 1-0 at half-time to Julio Enciso’s 42nd-minute header from Matias Galarza’s cross on Monday.

It was a limp display by the four-time winners in the first period, but they drew level in the second half, when Kai Havertz scored eight minutes after the restart with a glancing header from Florian Wirtz’s ball in from the flank.

Germany then had a Jonathan Tah goal from a corner ruled out after a VAR review for a foul on Paraguay’s keeper, and with no further goal, the game went to spot kicks after extra time.

Havertz, who helped Arsenal end a 22-year wait to win the English Premier League title this season, missed the opening kick of the shootout. The forward’s side would miss three kicks in total, as Paraguay, who themselves missed two kicks, eventually prevailed 4-3.

Deschamps releases the handbrake

France have enjoyed plenty of success during Didier Deschamps’s 14 years in charge, but for a long time there was a sense that a pragmatic coach was not allowing his team to maximise their attacking potential.

Now at his last tournament before stepping down, that appears to have changed. Mbappe, Barcola, Ousmane Dembele and the brilliant Michael Olise seem unstoppable.

“There is an excellent rapport between the attacking players. They speak the same footballing language,” said Deschamps after the Sweden game.

But France’s coach says his side will not take Paraguay lightly.

“They are not here by chance. Germany are a top side, and they have that South American DNA, which means they get stuck in,” Deschamps said.

“And they have good players too. You can’t just qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup like that by chance.”

‘We also have our own strengths’

One Paraguayan player well-known in France is Julio Enciso of Strasbourg, who scored against Germany.

He recognises that few people will expect Paraguay to win as they aim to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup for just the second time.

“We also have our own strengths, and with our style of play, we’re going to try to make things difficult for any opponent,” said Enciso.

Extreme heat warnings

One potential opponent for both teams is the weather, with temperatures in Philadelphia set to reach 37 degrees Celsius (98 Fahrenheit) on Saturday.

This match will take place in the city where the American Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago, but celebrations for the occasion are at risk of being affected by storms.

France have already played in Philadelphia in this World Cup, and their 3-0 win over Iraq during the group stage was interrupted for two hours because of rain and thunder.

Coping with the conditions could be a challenge, and both sides will want to avoid the draining prospect of extra time and penalties.

The last meeting of the countries at a World Cup featured extra time and turned out to be one of the most pivotal moments in the modern history of the French national team.

On their way to winning the trophy for the first time on home soil in 1998, Les Bleus – with Deschamps as captain – edged Paraguay 1-0.

France vs Paraguay: Kickoff time, TV channel

• France: Bein Sports 1 (11pm, Central European Time)
• United Kingdom: BBC, ITV (10pm, British Summer Time)
• United States: FOX, Telemundo (5pm, Eastern Daylight Time)

To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.

France vs Paraguay prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives France a 78.8 percent chance of winning in regulation time, while Paraguay are at 7.6 percent.

The model estimates a 13.7 percent probability that the game will go to extra time.

Head-to-head

The two countries have faced each other five times, with France winning three of the games and two ending as draws.

France beat Paraguay 5-0 in their most recent encounter – a friendly in 2017 – in which Olivier Giroud scored a hat-trick.

• June 02, 2017: France 5-0 Paraguay (friendly)
• June 01, 2014: France 1-1 Paraguay (friendly)
• May 31, 2008: France 0-0 Paraguay (friendly)
• June 28, 1998: France 1-0 Paraguay (World Cup last 16)
• June 08, 1958: France 7-3 Paraguay (World Cup group stage)

Team news

Neither side has any suspensions or reported injury concerns.

France’s predicted starting XI:

(4-2-3-1): Maignan (goalkeeper); Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Barcola; Mbappe

Paraguay’s predicted starting XI:

(4-3-3): Gill (goalkeeper); Caceres, G Gomez, Canale, Alonso; Galarza, Cubas, D Gomez; Almiron, Avalos, Enciso

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have offered the clearest signal yet that they are considering the establishment of new Jewish settlements on what remains of the Gaza Strip after almost three years of their country’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the enclave.

Last Monday, Smotrich, who made his continued participation in the ruling coalition conditional on being granted increased control over Israel’s settlement enterprise, told reporters that his ministry had prepared plans for three settlements in northern Gaza, and that all that was needed to move forward was the green light from Netanyahu.

The following day, Netanyahu came close to providing it. Speaking on Israel’s staunchly right-wing Channel 14, he refused to rule out the prospect of settlements in Gaza.

“The question is whether you prefer to do or to talk,” the prime minister replied cryptically when asked whether the establishment of settlements was a possibility. “And yes, I prefer not to address it.”

Israel’s current settlements – in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem – are illegal under international law.

In clearing the way for any future settlements in Gaza – and for what Netanyahu euphemistically told Channel 14 viewers was the “voluntary migration” of its remaining population, a process widely characterised by international jurists as ethnic cleansing – Israel has killed more than 73,000 of its occupants.

At the same time, Israel has been accused by United Nations-backed experts of deliberately imposing a famine on survivors in Gaza and, most recently, of furthering its genocide in Gaza through the deliberate targeting of children.

The degree to which preparations are under way for the physical establishment of any settlements in Gaza – which previously had 21 illegal settlements before the Israeli government decided to dismantle them in 2005 – is difficult to ascertain. The area north of Gaza City has been largely razed by Israel, with its deliberate campaign to demolish Palestinian homes and institutions, destroying almost everything not hit with bombs from the air.

Supporters of settlements in Gaza see that now empty land as a perfect opportunity to cement a buffer between Israel and Gaza.

With elections due in Israel, it is beneficial for politicians such as Smotrich and Netanyahu to insinuate that this is now the plan.

“The Israeli public has been subjected to almost endless incitements to genocide since October 7,” said Neve Gordon, an Israeli professor at Queen Mary University of London. “People who watch legacy media in Israel have no understanding of the level of destruction in Gaza, or the kind of suffering that has gone on there.

“There are even spots, tourist spots, where some people in Israel go to watch the bombing. This is the constituency that statements like Smotrich’s are designed to appeal to. These are the people who would like to see more settlements in Gaza, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take it seriously ” he said. “[But] this isn’t just rhetoric. There is a definite and consistent push from across much of Israel’s politics to resettle the Gaza Strip.”

A history of ethnic cleansing

A growing number of hardline religious Israelis have been seeking to resettle the Gaza Strip since the 2005 disengagement. Since then, analysts and historians have described concerted efforts by those supporting settlements to capture the institutions of Israeli public life, gaining dominant voices in the education system, the media and other areas of government.

Organisations such as the far-right settler group Nachala have openly championed the resettlement of the enclave. Months into Israel’s genocidal war, Nachala held a conference explicitly promoting Israel’s return to Gaza, entitled ”Settlement Brings Security and Victory”. It was attended by numerous government ministers, including Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Despite what critics describe as his success in establishing settlements on a scale unparalleled since the 1990s, Smotrich continues to struggle in the polls. His Religious Zionist party may not secure enough votes in the next election – which must be before the end of October – to meet the minimum threshold to get into parliament. That perhaps explains why Smotrich is eager to inflate the prospects of settlements in Gaza and attract more support from the Israeli right-wing.

Political advantage

The irony is curious for observers such as Orly Noy, the editor of the Hebrew-language Local Call magazine.

Smotrich “has been the most effective member of the cabinet in promoting the interests of the settlers in the West Bank”, she said. “He has really made a revolution in that sense,” referring to the judicial, economic, and infrastructure overhauls initiated under Smotrich’s watch, that he appears to be receiving little credit for among his base.

The stakes for Netanyahu are potentially more dramatic, analysts pointed out. Currently on trial on multiple corruption charges, the PM faces a jail sentence if found guilty.

Similarly, anger over his apparent determination not to hold an independent inquiry into his own government’s failings in the October 7 attack runs high, perhaps giving him a reason to suggest that he will move forward with building settlements and expelling Palestinians from Gaza.

“Look, if you want to distinguish yourself from the rest of the field ahead of the election, your time is now,” political analyst Ori Goldberg said. “This is your moment, and, if you want to propose imposing further hardship onto Palestinians, there is absolutely no Jewish member of [parliament] – apart from the [left-wing member of parliament] Ofer Cassif – who is going to oppose you.

“People don’t care anymore,” he said of the chances of the settlement of Gaza receiving any resistance from Israelis. “There’s just nothing [on the suffering in Gaza]. People have grown indifferent. There’s just a big black hole.”

Complicity

While the Israeli government may have no domestic qualms when it comes to building settlements in Gaza, it does have to contend with the international backlash – and that may be why the project does not move beyond the planning stage.

But would Israel face any real lasting consequences from building settlements in Gaza?

In the eyes of many, the Israeli government’s freedom to act comes from the unwavering diplomatic and military support of the US, as well as the financial support of Europe which, despite its occasional criticism, remains Israel’s foremost trading partner.

“In terms of international reaction,” author and fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, Hugh Lovatt said of the prospect of settlement in Gaza, “from 2023 onwards we’ve seen the greatest expansion of settlements since the [1990s] Oslo Accords, as well as plans to render the two-state solution obsolete”.

“And, while there’s been some criticism, there’s been very little action,” Lovatt said. “I don’t know if that would be any different were it to happen in Gaza. It’s true that Gaza has been the focus of a great deal of international – and specifically US – attention since the ceasefire that the West Bank has not.”

However, whether that attention would act as a check on Israel’s attempts to expand its settlements is unclear.

“Would Israel risk such a blatant move to block Trump’s Gaza plan? I’m not sure,” he said of the US president’s plan for Gaza, which while heavily criticised for allowing Israel to continue its presence in the Palestinian territory, makes no mention of Israeli settlements.

“And while Europe has a very poor track record so far, an expansion of Israeli settlements to Gaza could push European states to act,” he said.

July 3 (Asia Today) — A possible visit by Pope Leo XIV to North Korea will depend largely on Pyongyang’s attitude and the state of relations between North Korea and the United States, a senior South Korean cardinal said Friday.

“The possibility of Pope Leo XIV visiting North Korea depends on the position of the North Korean authorities,” Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik told reporters in Seoul. “Relations between North Korea and the United States are the most important factor.”

“If even a small door opens, it could become an opportunity to expand relations,” he said. “I hope that time comes soon.”

You, 74, is prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy. He spoke at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea offices in Seoul’s Gwangjin district while visiting South Korea for his summer vacation.

President Lee Jae Myung invited Pope Leo to visit South Korea during their June 15 meeting at the Vatican.

Lee asked the pope to attend World Youth Day, which will be held in Seoul from Aug. 3-8, 2027. The possibility of a papal visit to North Korea was also discussed.

You said he had felt strongly after Leo’s election in 2025 that the new pope could play a role in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“When Pope Leo XIV was elected last year, I had a strong intuition that he would do something for peace on the Korean Peninsula,” You said.

“When I shared that hope with him, he replied, ‘I hope that happens as well,'” the cardinal said.

You said conditions inside North Korea would have to change before a papal visit could realistically take place.

“There are Protestant ministers, Buddhist monks and Russian Orthodox priests in North Korea, but there is not a single resident Catholic bishop, priest or nun,” he said.

You said Catholics live in North Korea and some foreign diplomats posted in Pyongyang are also Catholic.

Having one or two resident priests at Jangchung Cathedral in Pyongyang could help create an atmosphere more favorable to a papal visit, he said.

North Korea officially recognizes the Korean Catholic Association and maintains Jangchung Cathedral, but the Holy See does not have formal diplomatic relations with Pyongyang.

Appointment of another Korean cardinal

Asked whether Pope Leo could appoint another South Korean cardinal, You said the decision rests entirely with the pontiff.

“A cardinal’s role is to advise the pope,” he said. “The appointment of cardinals is entirely at the pope’s discretion.”

You noted that Leo has not yet announced his first appointments to the College of Cardinals and said an announcement could come soon.

The Catholic Church in South Korea has produced four cardinals.

Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, who died in 2009, became South Korea’s first cardinal in 1969. Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk died in 2021.

Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, the retired archbishop of Seoul, and You are the two surviving South Korean cardinals.

Attention has focused on Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung of Seoul as a possible future cardinal because he leads the country’s largest archdiocese and serves as president of the local organizing committee for World Youth Day Seoul 2027.

During his Vatican meeting, Lee conveyed the Korean Catholic community’s hope that a serving cardinal could be appointed to a diocese in South Korea.

The pope responded that he would give particular consideration to South Korea’s circumstances if he appoints new cardinals, according to the presidential office.

Preparations for World Youth Day

You said the Vatican and the South Korean Catholic Church are making steady progress in preparing for World Youth Day.

The gathering is expected to bring Catholic young people from around the world to Seoul for religious services, cultural events and meetings with church leaders.

The main events traditionally include an opening Mass, a papal welcoming ceremony, the Way of the Cross, an overnight vigil and a closing Mass.

You called for government assistance with preparations, including more flexible visa requirements for international participants.

Some critics have questioned whether special local ordinances or government support for the event could favor one religion.

You said the economic and diplomatic benefits generated by the gathering would exceed the value of the government assistance provided.

He said he hoped the event would leave young visitors with a positive impression of South Korea.

Asked about declining religious participation among young people, You said falling numbers of priests and candidates for the priesthood are concerns throughout the global Catholic Church.

“The first thing that is important is to listen carefully to young people and open our hearts to them,” he said.

Exorcism and Opus Dei

Reporters also asked You about exorcism and Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church that is under the Vatican dicastery’s jurisdiction for matters involving the Holy See.

You said young people have shown considerable interest in priests authorized to perform exorcisms.

“As the examples of Jesus in the Bible show, the devil clearly exists,” he said.

He stressed that exorcism must never be connected with demands for money.

He also said priests should avoid unnecessary physical contact during an exorcism, particularly when ministering to women, because such contact could raise ethical concerns or lead to misunderstandings.

Under Catholic canon law, a priest may conduct a formal exorcism only after receiving specific authorization from the local bishop.

You also addressed questions about whether Opus Dei could receive greater prominence under Pope Leo as the church considers declining birthrates and family issues.

Opus Dei emphasizes the pursuit of holiness through ordinary professional, family and social life.

You supported the establishment of Opus Dei activities in South Korea while serving as bishop of Daejeon.

He declined to speculate about the organization’s future position under the new pope.

“It is not a question that can easily be answered in one or two sentences,” You said. “There are complex discussions taking place within the Catholic Church.”

— 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=20260703010001262

July 3 (Asia Today) — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will travel to Türkiye and Mongolia next week to promote defense industry cooperation, strengthen the country’s ability to respond to future warfare and expand economic ties with the resource-rich Central Asian nation.

Lee will attend the NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday at the invitation of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, national security adviser Wi Sung-lac said during a presidential office briefing Friday.

He will then make a state visit to Mongolia from Thursday through Saturday.

The South Korean government said Lee’s participation in the NATO summit would provide an opportunity to promote the country’s defense products among members of the world’s largest military alliance.

Seoul also hopes to improve cooperation with NATO in emerging military technologies including drones, artificial intelligence and space systems.

Lee is scheduled to arrive in Ankara on Tuesday afternoon and hold talks with Rutte on strengthening cooperation between South Korea and NATO.

He will participate in a small-group meeting with Rutte and representatives of NATO’s four Indo-Pacific partners: South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Lee will also attend the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum, which brings together government officials and defense executives to discuss industrial production, investment and technological innovation.

He is scheduled to deliver a keynote address during a session titled “Shared Values, Stronger Industrial Base” and participate in a panel discussion.

Lee will attend an official welcoming dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Tuesday evening.

The South Korean president plans to hold bilateral meetings Wednesday with leaders of countries that have significant potential for defense and other economic cooperation. The presidential office said the schedules for those meetings were still being coordinated.

Wi said the visit would establish a foundation for South Korean defense companies to expand into NATO markets and participate in more resilient international supply chains.

South Korea is not a NATO member, meaning its weapons and communications systems must meet alliance standards to be integrated smoothly with equipment operated by NATO countries.

“We need to advance partnerships that strengthen interoperability in line with NATO standards so South Korean defense products can be exported smoothly to NATO allies,” Wi said.

South Korea has increased defense exports to European countries in recent years, particularly Poland, which has purchased K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light combat aircraft and Chunmoo multiple-launch rocket systems.

The government has set a goal of making South Korea one of the world’s four largest defense exporters.

Wi said Lee would use the defense industry forum to emphasize South Korean manufacturers’ technological capabilities and ability to deliver weapons quickly.

“We will directly communicate the excellence and rapid procurement capabilities of South Korea’s defense industry to NATO allies and partners,” Wi said.

The government also hopes South Korean armed forces and private companies can participate more actively in NATO innovation networks involving drones, space technology and other emerging defense systems.

Wi said such participation could give South Korean organizations opportunities to acquire critical technologies, conduct joint research and strengthen their ability to respond to future conflicts.

Mongolia state visit

Lee will travel to Ulaanbaatar on Thursday after completing his NATO schedule.

He will meet Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh for a summit followed by an exchange of agreements and memorandums of understanding and a joint news conference.

The two governments plan to issue a declaration titled “A Golden Era of South Korea-Mongolia Relations,” outlining a long-term vision for their strategic partnership.

Lee will deliver a keynote address Thursday evening at a South Korea-Mongolia business forum attended by government officials and business leaders from both countries.

The forum will focus on expanding cooperation in resources, supply chains, infrastructure and other industries.

Mongolia has significant deposits of coal, copper, rare earth elements and other minerals important to advanced manufacturing and clean-energy technologies.

South Korea, which depends heavily on imported energy and industrial resources, has sought to diversify its supply chains by expanding cooperation with Mongolia and other mineral-producing countries.

On Friday, Lee will visit a memorial honoring Lee Tae-jun, a Korean physician and independence activist who supported Mongolia’s medical development and Korea’s independence movement while living in the country in the early 20th century.

The president will then attend a luncheon with members of the Korean community in Mongolia.

Lee is also scheduled to meet Sandag Byambatsogt, speaker of Mongolia’s State Great Khural, and Prime Minister Nyam-Osor Uchral.

Khurelsukh will host a state dinner for Lee on Friday evening.

On Saturday, Lee and Khurelsukh will attend the opening ceremony of the Naadam Festival, Mongolia’s largest national celebration. Lee will attend as a guest of honor.

Naadam features traditional Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery and is one of the country’s most important cultural events.

Wi said the visit was expected to strengthen the strategic partnership between South Korea and Mongolia, expand practical economic cooperation and establish a closer partnership in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Mongolia established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1948, becoming the second country after the Soviet Union to recognize Pyongyang. It has maintained relations with both South and North Korea.

The presidential office said Mongolia’s traditional ties with North Korea could make it a useful diplomatic partner in efforts to reduce regional tensions and restart dialogue with Pyongyang.

“The two leaders will discuss peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as practical ways to ease regional tensions and build trust,” Wi said.

“They will also explore feasible paths toward resuming dialogue with North Korea,” he 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=20260703010001267

Dr. Mukesh Kapila, former UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, warns the current crisis in El Obeid, Sudan could be even worse than what unfolded in El Fasher in 2024-2025. However, he says sustained international attention and Al Jazeera’s continued coverage could help deter the RSF.

Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a message to a young Venezuelan earthquake survivor, who is recovering in hospital after having his leg amputated. Andres Mieles, who was also orphaned in the June 24 disaster, had requested a Ronaldo trading card to keep his spirits up – but the superstar himself had other ideas.