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Around a hundred migrants on Sunday tried to climb the fence that separates Morocco from the Spanish exclave of Melilla. Spain's Interior Ministry said 52 of the migrants from sub-Saharan African countries managed to get across the 6-meter (19.6 ft) high structure. The migrants tried to storm the barbed wire fence at dawn, but Spanish and Moroccan security forces prevented "around half" from entering Melilla. Read more: Spain's 'Sea of Plastic': Where Europe gets its produce, migrants get exploited Several injuries reported Four Spanish border police officers and one migrant were injured in the incident. Police arrested one of the migrants for assaulting an officer. The others were taken to a temporary migrant accommodation center where they were given new clothes. Video images published by local newspaper El Faro de Melilla showed sweaters and jackets stuck to the razor wire that tops the border fence, left behind by the migrants. Read more: Dozens of migrants drown off … [Read more...] about Migrants force entry into Spain’s Melilla exclave

Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Hyundai E&C) is set to be part of a $737 million deal to build a hydropower plant in the European country of Georgia.The major local builder announced in a statement Monday that the company and its Turkish partner Limak received a notification that JSC Nenskra Hydro, a joint venture between the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-Water) and the Georgian government, intends to award them the project.Hyundai E&C will receive $332 million for the turnkey project, which means that contracted companies will be completely in charge of every step throughout the construction. It is the first time the Korean company has won a construction project in Georgia.The project seeks to construct a 280-megawatt hydropower plant, a dam and two tunnels on the Nenskra River in northwestern Georgia. The plant is expected to generate 1,219 gigawatt-hours per year, which will be enough electricity for around 600,000 people in Georgia to use for one full … [Read more...] about Hyundai E&C nabs plant contract in Georgia

Im Jong-seokMoon’s former chief of staff vows to devote himself to unification movementIm Jong-seok, President Moon Jae-in’s former chief of staff, announced his decision to not run in next year’s general elections Sunday, fueling speculation that more senior politicians of the ruling party will follow his suit. Im, 53, posted a message on his Facebook to announce his decision to not run in the April elections. “I will leave the politics of the establishment and return to where I was,” Im said. “From now on, I want to devote myself to the unification movement.” Im was a prominent student activist during the 1980s, particularly famous for having orchestrated an illegal propaganda visit by another activist, Lim Su-kyung, to North Korea in 1989. He started his political career by winning a lawmaker seat in 2000. He was reelected in 2004 and later served as the deputy mayor of Seoul. He worked on Moon’s presidential campaign and served as the … [Read more...] about Heavyweights’ resignations cause shockwaves

The government said Monday it could apply price caps on planned property developments in more locations.On Nov. 8, the government capped prices in 27 neighborhoods in Seoul, mostly in the affluent Gangnam District south of the Han River, in order to cool off the real estate market.Those measures, however, may drive up prices in other neighborhoods.According to the Korea Appraisal Board, average apartment prices last week in Yangcheon District in western Seoul, which was unaffected by the Nov. 8 measures, rose 0.11 percent from the previous week. That compared to an average rise of 0.09 percent in Seoul.“If there is overheating or signs of instability in the real estate market, we will implement required measures such as additional locations for the preconstruction price cap,” said Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom during a meeting at the Export-Import Bank in Yeouido, western Seoul.Kim’s comments came after similar warnings by Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki and … [Read more...] about More new developments could get price caps

With just a little over a month left before the 52-hour workweek is applied to small- and medium-sized companies, the government said Monday it would implement a grace period to allow affected firms to prepare for the shorter hours.The new workweek cap has applied to large companies with over 300 employees since July last year. It is scheduled to take effect on companies that have between 50 and 299 workers, which currently operate based on the 68-hour maximum, from the start of next year.The government has faced mounting pressure to ease the rules from unprepared smaller firms as a bill intended to alleviate business concerns through a new work hour system remains adrift in the National Assembly amid disagreement between the ruling and opposition parties.“In case the flexible work bill is not passed […], the government will take all available measures,” said Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jae-kap during a briefing at the Government Complex in Sejong. “We … [Read more...] about SMEs get relaxed 52-hour week