SINGAPORE, (AFP) - The United States will push its economic interests more aggressively to preserve its global leadership after being tied down by two wars in the past decade, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Saturday."We are shaping our foreign policy to account for both the economics of power and the power of economics," she said in a speech in Singapore en route to an Asia-Pacific summit in Cambodia to be attended by President Barack Obama.After a decade attending to "a war in Iraq tha

Nov. 17, 2012

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Friday reiterated US support for Israel's right to defend itself during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the conflict in Gaza."The president reiterated US support for Israel's right to defend itself, and expressed regret over the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives," the White House said in a summary of the conversation.Netanyahu, who initiated the call, expressed his deep appreciation for US investment in the

Nov. 17, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR,  (AFP) - Malaysia and Egypt have agreed to ask "international power brokers" to help stop escalating violence in the Middle East, the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian country said.Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said in a statement from his office that Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi called him late Friday to discuss the latest Israeli air strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza."Both countries agreed to ask international power brokers to influence Israel to stop its military aggress

Nov. 17, 2012

HAVANA (AP) -- Adela Hernandez, a biologically male Cuban who has lived as a female since childhood, served two years in prison in the 1980s for ``dangerousness'' after her own family denounced her sexuality.This month she made history by becoming the first known transgender person to hold public office in Cuba, winning election as a delegate to the municipal government of Caibarien in the central province of Villa Clara.In a country where gays were persecuted for decades and sent to grueling wo

Nov. 17, 2012

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has nominated Audrey Choi, a Korean-American investment banker, as a member of the Community Development Advisory Board, the White House said Friday.Choi, 44, was the only Korean-American member of Obama's transition team to prepare for his presidency four years ago. Nominating her to the position on the board, which advises on policies regarding the activities of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, Obama cited she brings "a depth of experi

Nov. 17, 2012

ULAN BATOR (AFP) ― Senior Japanese and North Korean diplomats resumed rare “tough” talks Friday, with Tokyo expected to press Pyongyang on its kidnapping of Japanese nationals and its arms programme.Japanese negotiator Shinsuke Sugiyama said the two sides held “serious” talks on Thursday in the Mongolian capital.“Although the consultation itself is not an easy matter, both sides have exchanged views sincerely,” Sugiyama told Japanese reporters Thursday night, after a nearly seven-hour session.“T

Nov. 16, 2012

A group of high-level Chinese officials plan to visit South Korea next week to discuss bilateral cooperation and explain policies under the new leadership, diplomats here said Friday. The six-member delegation, led by Chen Baosheng, vice president of the Communist Party’s Central Party School, will arrive here Tuesday, according to the Chinese embassy in Seoul. Other officials include Han Baojiang, director of the school’s Institute for International Strategic Studies, and Zhao Bingbing, an exec

Nov. 16, 2012

TOKYO (AP) ― Japan and North Korea have begun bilateral talks in Mongolia that Tokyo hopes will shed light on a series of decades-old abductions.The talks in Ulan Bator are scheduled to last through Friday. In August, lower-level negotiators from the two countries held their first bilateral talks in four years, but made little progress.Japan wants information on the abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korean agents in the 1970s and `80s. Japan believes at least one abductee may still be ali

Nov. 15, 2012

Jill Kelley, a Tampa socialite who helped expose CIA Director David Petraeus's career-ending affair, serves as an honorary consul of South Korea, diplomats here confirmed Wednesday."The appointment of Kelley as honorary consul followed normal procedures," said Kim Hee-beom, South Korea's consul general in Atlanta. He emphasized that there was no irregularity in tapping her for the largely symbolic post.Kim's jurisdiction covers Florida, since South Korea has no consulate there. Kelley, 37, is at

Nov. 15, 2012

South Korea won another term on the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday.South Korea's re-election reflects its efforts for promoting human rights around the world as a member of the 37-member council, South Korean diplomats here said.The U.N. General Assembly voted to pick South Korea and 17 other nations as members of the Geneva-based council for three-year terms beginning on Jan. 1, 2013.South Korea first became a member of the organization in 2006, when it was created to replace the U.N. Huma

Nov. 13, 2012

The ASEAN-Korea Center began on Monday a seven-week Korean language training session in Bangkok for officials from the Thai tourism, lodging and food and beverage industries to help them better accommodate increasing Korean travelers. The event is part of the institute’s Korean language education program launched early this year to improve communication skills of tourism workers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The participants will take basic courses involving reading, listening a

Nov. 12, 2012

For those asking for something to do this coming weekend that will also benefit a worthy cause, the British Embassy in Korea has the answer.The British Embassy is hosting a charity fundraiser on Nov. 16 for the BBC’s corporate charity “Children in Need” and local charity “Holt Ilsan Welfare Town” at the British chancery’s own Broughton’s Club in Aston Hall, locally known as the “Embassy Bar.”“Children In Need” provides grants to projects in Britain which focus on children and young people who ar

Nov. 11, 2012

With recent headlines around the world concerning Egypt focused on demonstrations against Muhammad-defaming videos and the pro-democracy Arab Spring, one cannot be blamed for forgetting the fact that Egypt is one of the world’s main tourist destinations. Some 10 percent of Egypt’s economy and more than 20 percent of its hard currency flows depend on tourism.The Egyptian Embassy in Korea, with the Egyptian Tourist Authority by its side, assured the Korean tour agencies and travel reporters on Tue

Nov. 11, 2012