By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 8:32 PM
S. Korea said that financial authorities are in close communication with the U.S. Treasury Department after S. Korea on its FX monitoring list. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 8:21 PM
Despite sluggish domestic demand, S. Korea's stock market is surging, driven largely by a semiconductor supercycle led by SK Hynix and Samsung ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 8:13 PM
Leaders of South Korea's Democratic Party and People Power Party shook hands at ex-PM Lee Hae-chan's funeral Friday, their first in months. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 8:07 PM
Taiwan's first homebuilt conventional submarine completed its first submerged sea trial Thursday, a step in an eight-boat program to deter China. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 7:55 PM
S. Korea's Innovation Party said the court scrapping the 3% PR threshold warns big parties and urged Democrats to amend the election law. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 7:05 PM
While Russia and Ukraine continue targeting each other's energy infrastructure amid their war, backup systems are critical for ensuring safety. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 5:55 PM
Four Nigerien military personnel were injured and 20 attackers were killed during an attack on the Diori Hamani International Airport. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 4:55 PM
Lebanon said it will hand over some 300 Syrian prisoners out of more than 2,500 being held in Lebanese prisons and detention facilities, ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 2:14 PM
Six British ministers of Parliament, including two peers, no longer are sanctioned by China, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Friday. ... Read full Story
Catherine O'Hara is best-known for her role as Kate McCallister in the Home Alone movie series, alongside Schitt's Creek and Beetlejuice. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 12:25 PM
he Argentine government authorized private companies to import and sell liquefied natural gas -- a move that removes the state from those operations. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 11:05 AM
The Supreme Court of Panama invalidated the contract of a Hong Kong subsidiary to operate ports on the Panama Canal, ruling it is unconstitutional. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 10:34 AM
Venezuela's National Assembly has OK'd easing oil sector regulations, seeking to attract private and foreign investment in the nation's main industry. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 9:56 AM
Getting into business with China was "dangerous," Donald Trump said amid a visit by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hopes will boost U.K. growth. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 7:41 AM
Iran must forgo its nuclear program and stop the killing to avoid being attacked by U.S. forces massing in the Gulf, warned President Donald Trump. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 4:58 AM
South Korean stocks closed a tad higher Friday to extend their winning streak to a fourth session to a new record high as investors scooped of artificial intelligence (AI) shares despite concerns over a bubble. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 4:49 AM
Personal information of about 4.5 million members of the Seoul city government's public bike sharing service was believed to have been leaked in 2024, according to data compiled by Yonhap News Agency. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 4:36 AM
South Korea and Japan agreed Friday to resume joint naval search and rescue exercises for the first time in nine years, according to the defense ministry. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/30/2026 4:21 AM
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said a sweeping regional development initiative is on track to "transform" the country, state media reported Friday. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 1/29/2026 11:27 PM
S. Korea added 11 public institutions, raising the total to 342, delayed a decision on classifying the Financial Supervisory Service until next year ... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2026 is:
short shrift \SHORT-SHRIFT\ noun
Short shrift means “little or no attention or thought” or “quick work.” In religious use it refers to barely adequate time for confession before execution.
// Certain neighborhoods have received short shrift from the city government.
“[Charlie] Caplinger echoed the concerns of many speakers at the meeting, with charter captains saying the recreational fishing industry’s economic contributions were being given short shrift.” — Mike Smith, NOLA.com (New Orleans, Louisiana), 6 Nov. 2025
Did you know?
We’ve got a confession to make, but we’ll keep it brief: while it’s technically possible to make “long shrift” of something, you’re unlikely to find long shrift in our dictionary anytime soon. Short shrift, on the other hand, has been keeping it real—real terse, that is—for centuries. The earliest known use of the phrase comes from Shakespeare’s play Richard III, in which Lord Hastings, who has been condemned by King Richard to be beheaded, is told by Sir Richard Ratcliffe to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.” Although now archaic, the noun shrift was understood in Shakespeare’s time to refer to the confession or absolution of sins, so “make a short shrift” meant, quite literally, “keep your confession short.” However, since at least the 19th century the phrase has been used figuratively to refer to a small or inadequate amount of time or attention given to something.