South Korea's ruling party on Saturday demanded again that National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun offer a public apology for his remarks on the planned deployment of a U.S. missile defense system here.The Saenuri Party claimed he breached the obligation of maintaining political neutrality as the leader of the parliament.Delivering a speech Thursday to open the regular parliamentary session, Chung criticized the government's decision to allow the U.S. military to position the Terminal High Alti

Politics Sept. 3, 2016

A majority of South Koreans believe closer Seoul-Moscow ties will help promote their national interests, a survey showed Saturday.In the poll of 1,000 South Koreans, 77 percent of respondents said Russia is a "strategic cooperative partner" or will become one in the future, according to the research conducted in July by the Russia Institute of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul.It also conducted a similar survey on 1,600 Russians, 66 percent of whom were positive about the relations b

Social Affairs Sept. 3, 2016

Five high school students were killed in a car accident on Saturday after their car veered off a wet road and crashed into a wall in the southern city of Daegu.A 19-year-old, identified only by his surname Choi, was driving a rental car with four passengers when it hit the wall at 4:25 a.m.The five teens were immediately taken to a nearby hospital but later died.Police said they have identified three, while the remaining two are still unknown. Investigators added they will conduct a blood test t

Social Affairs Sept. 3, 2016

South Korean stocks are expected to stay in a tight range next week, as traders will have to digest a set of fresh data which will provide clues for a rate hike in the United States, market observers said Saturday.In particular, foreigners will likely slow their buying of local shares, they added.This week, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index edged up 0.04 percent to close at 2,038.31.The KOSPI's rise was limited by a series of "hawkish" remarks by Fed leaders following the Jackson H

Sept. 3, 2016

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- The U.S. International Trade Commission on Friday endorsed massive antidumping and countervailing duties that the Commerce Department imposed on steel product imports from South Korea. In July, the department decided to impose 64.7 percent of antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of cold-rolled steel flat products from South Korea's POSCO and 38.2 percent of duties on imports from Hyundai Steel, saying their products were sold in the U.S. at less than fair value

Industry Sept. 3, 2016

PARIS (AFP) -- Eight months after 195 nations concluded a hard-fought climate rescue pact, pressure is mounting to put its carbon-cutting promises into action as world leaders gather at G20 and UN meetings this month.The historic deal reached in Paris in December has been signed by 180 countries, but will only take effect after 55 nations responsible for 55 percent of greenhouse gas emissions have ratified it -- making it binding.China -- responsible for around 25 percent of global carbon emissi

World Sept. 3, 2016

MOSCOW (AFP) -- Uzbekistan will bury President Islam Karimov Saturday, as his death plunges the Central Asian nation into the greatest period of uncertainty in its post-Soviet history with no clear successor to the iron-fisted ruler.Karimov was pronounced dead late Friday after he suffered a stroke last weekend and fell into a coma, following days of speculation that authorities were delaying making his death public.The strongman's funeral will be held in his home city of Samarkand, central Uzbe

World Sept. 3, 2016

DAVAO, Philippines (AFP) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday branded the bombing of a night market in his home town that killed at least 14 people an act of terrorism, and announced extra powers for the military to combat the threat.Duterte said there were no confirmed suspects for the attack in the southern city of Davao just before 11:00pm on Friday, although he named two Islamic militant groups and drug lords as the potential culprits."We will treat this as a police matter abo

World Sept. 3, 2016

BOGOTA (AFP) -- Colombia's peace deal with FARC rebels will be formally signed on September 26, in a new milestone towards ending the half-century conflict, President Juan Manuel Santos said Friday."Peace will be signed on September 26 in Cartagena," announced Santos, ahead of an October referendum on final ratification of the historic accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.The emotional president called it "perhaps the most important announcement" of his life.Minutes later, FARC

World Sept. 3, 2016

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The FBI on Friday poured fresh fuel on the fire sparked by Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state, releasing heavily redacted notes on its probe, which White House rival Donald Trump seized on to attack her fitness for office.The 58 pages -- 14 of which were entirely blacked out -- showed that the FBI found no evidence her email system was compromised but decided it could not be ruled out because some of her mobile devices were not recovered."Th

World Sept. 3, 2016

BEIJING (AP) -- As Barack Obama embarks on what is likely to be his final trip to Asia as president, attention is returning to what is known as the U.S. ``pivot'' to the continent launched during his first term.   The policy adjustment aimed to reinforce alliances and shift military assets to a region that has grown in importance alongside the rise of China as a global economic and political power. A look at some of the impacts on different countries in the Asia-Pacific region:CHINA: KEY ECONOMI

World Sept. 3, 2016

North Korea's state-run news agency said Saturday the country was struck by a massive flood in the northern part of the country, with 15 residents missing.The Korean Central News Agency said this week's heavy rain led to the overflow of the Tumen River bordering China, resulting in "severe" damage in nearby cities.It said 44,000 people in North Hamgyong Province were evacuated after their houses were damaged.Fifteen others went missing in the northern city of Hoeryong, it added.A source familiar

National Sept. 3, 2016

TEHRAN (AFP) -- Iran and South Korea are to start trading in euros, legally circumventing US sanctions on dollar transactions with Tehran, a senior official announced Friday.After months of talks with Washington, at the urging of Iran, Seoul will "with US approval... convert South Korean won to euros without any direct intervention of dollars", Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid Baedinejad said on his Instagram page.If other countries with "local and limited currencies" also traded in euros, it would

Aug. 26, 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will expand a national monument off the coast of Hawaii, creating a safe zone for tuna, sea turtles and thousands of other species in what will be the world's largest marine protected area.Obama's proclamation will quadruple in size a monument originally created by President George W. Bush in 2006. The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument will contain some 582,578 square miles, more than twice the size of Texas.Obama will travel to the monument nex

World News Aug. 26, 2016

GENEVA (AFP) -- Humanitarian access to Syria's besieged areas is "wholly unacceptable", the UN said Friday as it announced that just one aid convoy had completed deliveries this month. The United Nations humanitarian office said a convoy with life-saving supplies finished its delivery on Thursday to Al-Waer, a besieged area of the district of Homs. "While we welcome yesterday's convoy, the level of access to besieged areas this month is wholly unacceptable," an OCHA statement said. The two-part

World News Aug. 26, 2016