China delaying customs clearance of textbooks to set back classes at S. Korean schools

Chinese authorities have delayed the customs clearance of textbooks to be used at South Korean schools in China, pushing back the schools' classes for the new academic semester, sources with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday.South Korean residents expressed concerns that the postponement of the customs clearance is due to a row between Seoul and Beijing over the planned deployment of a ground-based, anti-ballistic missile system in South Korea by the US military. (Yonhap)China has opposed the

Feb. 21, 2017

[Newsmaker] Trump names new national security adviser

US President Donald Trump named Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster to be his new national security adviser Monday, a week after sacking Mike Flynn accused of having inappropriate contact with Russia's ambassador."Gen. H.R. McMaster will become the national security adviser. He's a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience. I watched and read a lot over the last two days. He is highly respected by everyone in the military, and we're very honored to have him," Trump said at his Florida resort.Tr

Feb. 21, 2017

Trump calls NK 'really really important' subject, pledges to take care of it

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he will take care of the problem of North Korea, calling the communist nation one of "really really important subjects."Trump made the remark during a news conference announcing his new pick for labor secretary, arguing that his administration "inherited a mess" at home and abroad, including North Korea, and complaining about leaks of sensitive government information to the press. US President Donald Trump (Yonhap)"As you know, our administration inherited

Feb. 17, 2017

Australian foreign minister to visit S. Korea to discuss cooperation

Australia's top diplomat will visit South Korea later this week to discuss regional security issues and bilateral economic cooperation, its embassy said Thursday.Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will stay in the country for two days until Saturday, according to the Australian Embassy in Seoul.Julie Bishop (Yonhap)Bishop will visit the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan to pay tribute to Australian veterans of the Korean War. She will also tour the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas.Her visit

Feb. 16, 2017

Malaysian police detain another suspect in death of NK leader's brother: reports

Malaysian police on Thursday arrested another female suspect in connection with the latest killing of the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a Malaysian news report said. Police detained a second woman who was allegedly involved in the death of Kim Jong-nam following the previous day's arrest of the first suspect, according to Bernama, Malaysia's national news agency.  (Yonhap)Japan's Kyodo News said that the woman apprehended carried a South Korean passport.Kim Jong-nam -- the eld

Feb. 16, 2017

Mattis urges NATO allies to meet burden-sharing obligations

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday called emphatically for NATO members to meet their defense spending obligations, warning that the US could "moderate its commitment to this alliance" unless they do so."No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defense of western values. Americans cannot care more for your children's future security than you do," Mattis said in a speech to NATO defense ministers at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, according to text of

Feb. 16, 2017

Korea to dispatch more police officers to Philippines

South Korea's police said Tuesday they will send more officers to the Philippines to cope with increasing crimes against Korean nationals in the Southeast Asian country.Deputy Commissioner General Kim Guy-chan visited Manila for talks with Philippine police chief Ronald Dela Rosa to discuss a recent murder case involving a South Korean businessman.This photo provided by the National Police Agency shows Deputy Commissioner General Kim Guy-chan (L) talking with Philippine police officers at the So

Feb. 14, 2017

Japan's revised textbook guideline renews claim to Dokdo

Japan renewed its claim to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo in a revised guideline for school textbooks unveiled on Tuesday. The textbook guideline, posted on Tokyo's e-government website for public view before the official announcement, will apply to elementary school textbooks from 2020 and to middle school books from 2021.Dokdo (Yonhap)Currently, Japan is teaching its elementary and middle school students in social studies textbooks that Dokdo, called Takeshima in Japan, is its terri

Feb. 14, 2017

TPP withdrawal could weaken US status in Asia-Pacific: think tank

The United States' recent withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement is expected to weaken its economic and strategic status in the Asia-Pacific region, a state-run think tank in Seoul said Monday.Last month, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to pull out from the TPP, which was signed by his predecessor Barack Obama after seven years of negotiations with 11 countries.It has yet to be ratified due to US withdrawal.(Yonhap)"President Trump's decision to wi

Feb. 13, 2017

Le Pen rallies supporters for French presidential launch

LYON (AFP) -- French far-right leader Marine Le Pen gave a major speech Sunday to formally launch her presidential bid with a programme featuring many of the themes that propelled Donald Trump to the White House.Le Pen, who leads the National Front, on Saturday published a list of 144 "commitments" built around putting France first, reclaiming sovereignty from the European Union, and clamping down on immigration.The 48-year-old is convinced that Trump and the Brexit vote in Britain point to the

Feb. 5, 2017

Court denies Trump request to immediately restore travel ban

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A federal appeals court denied early Sunday the Justice Department's request for an immediate reinstatement of President Donald Trump's ban on accepting certain travelers and all refugees.The Trump administration appealed a temporary order restraining the ban nationwide, saying late Saturday night that the federal judge in Seattle overreached by "second-guessing'' the president on a matter of national security.Now the higher court's denial of an immediate stay means the legal b

Feb. 5, 2017

Rights group says Philippine killings are extrajudicial

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Most of the thousands of killings of poor suspects under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug crackdown appear to be extrajudicial executions and may constitute crimes against humanity, Amnesty International said Wednesday.The London-based human rights group urged Duterte's government to adopt an approach that respects human rights in its fight against drugs and crime, and called on the police and judiciary to prosecute officers involved in unlawful killin

Feb. 1, 2017

Trump comments on Japan, China currencies rattle markets

TOKYO (AP) -- Japan is not deliberately weakening the yen to boost its exports, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday when asked in parliament about President Donald Trump's accusations of currency manipulation. Abe is expected to meet with Trump in Washington on Feb. 10. He said Japan would again explain to the US side its unprecedented monetary easing policies, which have pulled the yen lower against the dollar in recent years. "The criticism that our policies are intended to direct the yen

Feb. 1, 2017

Israeli forces begin evacuation of West Bank outpost

AMONA, West Bank (AP) -- Israeli forces began an operation to evacuate settlers from a West Bank outpost on Wednesday whose slated destruction could rupture Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's narrow coalition, dominated by ultranationalists who support settlements.Unarmed police in blue sweatshirts and black baseball caps made their way up the hill around midday Wednesday.  On the hilltop, youngsters erected makeshift barricades from smashed tiles, rusty metal bars and large rocks to slow their

Feb. 1, 2017

Mexicans begin to unite in fight against Trump's plans

(AP)--Mexicans are beginning to debate how to fight back against US President Donald Trump's aggressive stance on trade and immigration.Prominent political figures have suggested the country expel US law enforcement agents, stop detaining Central American migrants or no longer inspect northbound trucks for drug shipments. Some activist groups on Friday were calling for a boycott of American brands. Former President Felipe Calderon said Thursday that "we have to design a policy of retaliation'' f

Jan. 28, 2017

Trump's immigration curbs no surprise, those affected say

(AP) -- Many citizens of Muslim-majority countries affected by President Donald Trump's curbs on travel to the United States say they were hardly surprised the restrictions rank among his first orders of business.The new commander-in-chief had, after all, once called for a ``complete and total shutdown'' of Muslim arrivals, and in his inaugural speech vowed to eradicate ``radical Islamic terrorism'' from the face of the earth.But that doesn't make news of the clampdown sting any less for those o

Jan. 28, 2017

Women’s marches draw millions in resistance to Trump

More than two million people flooded the streets of Washington and other US cities and demonstrators around the world joined in as women opposed to Donald Trump led a peaceful, stunning rebuke against the new US president.As a sea of protesters brought downtown Washington to a standstill, streaming past the White House in pink “pussyhats,” Trump launched a withering attack on the media, accusing it of downplaying or even lying about the attendance at his swearing-in a day earlier.The new preside

Jan. 22, 2017