Three Israeli teens jailed for assaulting Palestinians

JERUSALEM (AFP) --  Three Israeli teenagers convicted of taking part in a brutal assault on a group of Palestinian youngsters in Jerusalem last August have been given jail terms, a copy of Sunday's district court judgement showed.Jamal Julani, 17, and three cousins, residents of Israeli-annexed Arab east Jerusalem, were attacked by dozens of Israeli youths in Zion Square, a busy bar and entertainment district of west Jerusalem.Julani was rushed unconscious to hospital but eventually released in

July 8, 2013

Saddam Hussein's half-brother dies of cancer

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Saddam Hussein's half-brother and former director of his feared general security services died of cancer on Monday in a Baghdad hospital, a senior official said.Deputy Justice Minister Busho Ibrahim told The Associated Press that Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, who had received several death sentences, was transferred to the hospital from prison as his health deteriorated at dawn. His body will be handed over to his family.Al-Hassan had lived in exile for a period after the 2003 U.S.-l

July 8, 2013

Chinese plane crash victims were student leaders

BEIJING (AP) -- The two 16-year-old girls killed in the San Francisco plane crash were close friends and top students who were on Asiana Flight 214 for the same reason: to get a taste of American education and possibly brighten their futures.Wang Linjia showed talent in physics and calligraphy; Ye Mengyuan was a champion gymnast who excelled in literature. Both were part of a trend among affluent Chinese families willing to spend thousands of dollars to send their children to the U.S. for a few

July 8, 2013

Ukraine raises awareness about Georyo-saram with concerts

The Ukrainian Embassy in Korea brought the Sevastopol City Symphonic Orchestra to Korea to raise awareness of the legal plight of some 30,000 ethnic Korean-Ukrainians, known as Georyo-saram here, currently residing in the Eastern European country. As many as half a million Georyo-saram reside in many other countries throughout the former Soviet Union in addition to Ukraine, such as Uzbekistan, Russia and Kazakhstan. During its tour in Korea, the Sevastopol orchestra performed a number of concert

July 7, 2013

Senior S. Korean official in Russia for security conference

A top foreign affairs aide to South Korean President Park Geun-hye attended an annual international security conference in Russia and held a series of bilateral talks on North Korea and other issues, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.Ju Chul-ki, the senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and security, has been in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok since Tuesday to attend a fourth meeting of ranking security officials from the United States, China and other major countries.The

July 3, 2013

N.K. nuclear envoy heads to Russia

Kim Kye-gwan, North Korea’s point man on nuclear issues, departed for Russia on Tuesday, the country’s state news agency said, in what appears to be its efforts to resume dialogue with neighboring countries over the nuclear standoff.Kim, the first foreign affairs vice-minister, and his party left to visit Russia, the North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a brief dispatch in English.“They were seen off at the airport by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kung Sok-ung, the Russian Ambass

July 2, 2013

Park discusses closer ties with India

President Park Geun-hye met with India’s national security adviser Tuesday and discussed ways to expand economic and security ties between the two countries, her office said. The national security adviser, Shivshankar Menon, was in Seoul as a special envoy of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, marking the 40th anniversary this year of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.Menon delivered a letter from Singh to Park during the meeting at the presidential office Cheong Wa

July 2, 2013

Korea asks U.S. to check on spying claims

South Korea has asked the United States to check on recent allegations that its intelligence agency bugged the South Korean mission there, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Tuesday.The South Korean Embassy in the U.S., along with European Union missions and 37 other diplomatic missions, was allegedly targeted by the U.S. National Security Agency, which tapped their phone calls and e-mails, according to media reports based upon documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.“(The South Kore

July 2, 2013

S. Korea to host special summit with ASEAN next year

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei ― President Park Geun-hye will host a “special” summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next year in celebration of 25 years of their diplomatic ties, Seoul officials said Monday. The decision was made at a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers on Sunday. The 10-nation bloc normally hosts a summit with Korea every year. “The event will provide a chance to expand and deepen the Korea-ASEAN relations and strengthen political and security cooperati

July 1, 2013

Irish Embassy joins social media with new Twitter account

The Irish Embassy in Korea announced on Wednesday that following the embassy’s Twitter account @Irishembkorea is a good way to keep up to date with events at Ireland’s diplomatic mission here, as well as the expatriate Irish community in Korea.Twitter followers of the Irish Embassy in Korea “will get updates and links from a range of things we think might interest you, with a particular focus on tweets from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy network around the world and great s

June 30, 2013

N.K. experiments on disabled children: rights group

A human rights group based in Seoul claimed at the British Embassy in South Korea on Friday that North Korea is conducting chemical and biological weapons experiments on disabled children.The bombshell allegation was delivered by Joanna Hosaniak, deputy director general of the Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, during a press briefing at the British Embassy announcing a report titled “The status of women’s rights in the context of socio-economic changes in the DPRK.” Hosaniak autho

June 30, 2013