The Korea Herald

U.N. chief says disarmament talks may sink

GENEVA (AFP) ― U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned Tuesday that the U.N. Conference on Disarmament could fail because of a three-year stalemate over Pakistan’s reluctance to discuss nuclear power.“Today, this distinguished body is no longer living up to expectations,” Ban said at the first of three public sessions scheduled this year, in a speech read out by the top U.N. official in Geneva, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.“The tide of disarmament is rising, yet the Conference on Disarmament is in da

Jan. 25, 2012

Obama denounces inequality in key speech

U.S. president vows to step up pressure on China and prevent Iran from getting nuclear weaponWASHINGTON (AP) ― U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday used his annual State of the Union policy address to denounce America’s economic inequality, drawing a battle line with Republicans ahead of what is expected to be a tough fight for re-election.The nationally televised speech before a joint session of Congress, one of America’s grandest political events, put Obama back in the spotlight after month

Jan. 25, 2012

Obama denounces inequality in key speech

Iraqi town says justice failed victims of US raid

Iraqi security forces inspect the site of a blast after a bomb ripped through a group of workers in Sadr City in Baghdad on January 24, 2012. (AFP)HADITHA, Iraq (AP) _ In this town which saw 24 unarmed civilians die in a U.S. raid seven years ago, residents expressed disbelief and sadness that the M

Jan. 25, 2012

Iraqi town says justice failed victims of US raid

Fold-up car of the future unveiled at EU

BRUSSELS (AFP) - A tiny revolutionary fold-up car designed in Spain's Basque country as the answer to urban stress and pollution was unveiled Tuesday before hitting European cities in 2013.The "Hiriko", the Basque word for "urban", is an electric two-seater with no doors whose motor is located in th

Jan. 25, 2012

Fold-up car of the future unveiled at EU

JFK library releases last of his secret tapes

BOSTON (AP) _ Newly released final recordings President John F. Kennedy secretly made in the Oval Office include an eerie conversation about what would become the day of his funeral.While trying to arrange his schedule, Kennedy remarked that Nov. 25 was shaping up to be a ``tough day'' after his ret

Jan. 25, 2012

JFK library releases last of his secret tapes

Expats join anti-prostitution flash mob

Expats can commonly be found in Seoul’s large array of bars and restaurants on any given weekend. But on one recent Saturday, a group of 50 expats spent their night roaming the streets of Seoul, not looking for a fun night out, but rather to pick up cards and fliers advertising prostitution. The flash mob, which was organized through Facebook, called for all foreigners in Seoul to give a voice to the voiceless. “We know that this isn’t the most effective way to do things, but with a big group of

Jan. 24, 2012

Tears, joy as woman sets Antarctic crossing record

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ― British adventurer Felicity Aston became the first woman to ski alone across Antarctica on Monday, hauling two sledges around crevasses and over mountains into endless headwinds, past the South Pole and onward to the coastal ice shelf, persevering for 59 days in near-total solitude.She made it to her destination ahead of schedule, using nothing but her own strength to cover 1,744 kilometers from her starting point on the Leverett Glacier on Nov. 25 to Hercules Inle

Jan. 24, 2012

Tears, joy as woman sets Antarctic crossing record

Brothers reunited in Japan after six decades apart

KYOTO, Japan (AP) ― They no longer speak the same language, but two brothers separated nearly 60 years each think the other hasn’t changed a bit.Japanese-American Minoru Ohye celebrate his 86th birthday Monday with his only brother after traveling to Japan for a reunion with him.The brothers were born in Sacramento, California, but were separated as children after their father died in a fishing accident. They were sent to live with relatives in Japan and ended up in different homes.The reunited

Jan. 24, 2012

Brothers reunited in Japan after six decades apart

Giffords to resign from Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona announced Sunday she intends to resign from Congress this week to concentrate on recovering from wounds suffered in an assassination attempt a little more than a year ago that shook the country.“I don’t remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice,” the Democratic lawmaker said on a video posted without prior notice on her Facebook page.“I’m getting better. Every day my spirit is hig

Jan. 24, 2012

Saleh out, Yemenis remain cautious

SANAA (AP) ― The departure of leader Ali Abdullah Saleh for medical treatment is doing little to calm Yemen ― the opposition movement is skeptical that he’ll stay away and many are looking to presidential elections as the real test of regime change.A wave of mutinies against the air force commander provided the latest example of how Yemenis are impatient for reform and how tenuous the security situation remains in the key U.S. ally in the fight against al-Qaida.“The post-Saleh era has not starte

Jan. 24, 2012

Imprisoned by father at 10, freed at 20

JERUSALEM (AP) -- A young Palestinian woman who was imprisoned for 10 years in a series of dark rooms by her father said Monday she survived the ordeal by listening to the radio, dreaming of seeing sunshine again and finding small pleasure in an apple she was fed each day.Baraa Melhem, 20, said she was enjoying her first taste of freedom after a decade of isolation and threats of rape and abuse, and she hopes to use her experience to help others.“I have joy now. My life has begun,” the young wom

Jan. 24, 2012

Egypt’s 1st free parliament convenes

CAIRO (AP) ― It was a raucous beginning Monday for Egypt’s first democratically elected parliament.Islamist lawmakers added religious references to the oath of office. Liberal lawmakers improvised too, adding a pledge to protect the “revolution” that ousted Hosni Mubarak. Some wore scarves with words protesting military trials for civilians. Shouting matches erupted. Hundreds massed outside, calling on the ruling generals to step down.And millions of Egyptians watched it all unfold live on TV.Th

Jan. 24, 2012

France pushes ‘genocide’ bill, Turkey furious

PARIS (AP) ― France’s parliament voted Monday to make it a crime to deny that the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago constituted a genocide, risking more sanctions from Turkey and complicating an already delicate relationship with the rising power.Turkey, which sees the allegations of genocide as a threat to its national honor, suspended military, economic and political ties and briefly recalled its ambassador last month when the lower house of parliament approved the sa

Jan. 24, 2012

Pro-Europe candidates in election runoff in Finland

HELSINKI (AP) ― By selecting two pro-European candidates for a presidential runoff, Finnish voters rebelled against the image of their country as inward-looking and euroskeptic that took shape after the populist True Finns surged in last year’s parliamentary elections.The winner of Sunday’s presidential vote, Conservative Sauli Niinisto, will face Greens candidate Pekka Haavisto in a runoff next month. Niinisto got 37 percent while Haavisto got 18.8 percent of the votes, to secure a place in the

Jan. 24, 2012

U.S. court rules to let ‘downed’ animal meat into market

FRESNO, California (AP) ― The Supreme Court on Monday overturned a California law that would require euthanizing downed livestock at federally inspected slaughterhouses to keep the meat out of the nation’s food system.California strengthened regulations against slaughtering so-called “downer” animals after the 2008 release of an undercover Humane Society of the United States video showed workers abusing cows at a slaughterhouse.In a widely expected decision, the high court ruled that the state’s

Jan. 24, 2012

U.S. court rules to let ‘downed’ animal meat into market

Gingrich to Florida after S. Carolina win

Savoring unexpected victory over front-runner Romney, ex-house speaker seeks to stir up Republican raceWASHINGTON (AP) ― Newt Gingrich moves on to Florida savoring a major upset victory over Mitt Romney, who will be looking to reset his once front-running campaign with a focus on attacking his chief rival’s character.Romney is making his second run for the Republican presidential nomination, this time to unseat President Barack Obama in the November election. But the former Massachusetts governo

Jan. 24, 2012

Conscience prisoners released from Cuba

HAVANA (AP) ― Amnesty International said Monday that three Cubans held without charge for 52 days following their arrest at a protest were released last week, hours after the human rights group named them as prisoners of conscience.The release of the three also came a day after a hunger-striking dissident died, prompting condemnation from island dissidents, rights watchers, the United States and other nations. Amnesty had planned to designate Wilman Villar, 31, a prisoner of conscience but he di

Jan. 24, 2012

Warrant needed for GPS tracking: US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court ruled on Monday that police need a search warrant before tracking a suspect with a GPS device, in a case involving privacy and 21st century technology.The highest US court ruled 9-0 that police had violated the rights of a suspected drug dealer when they placed a GPS, or Global

Jan. 24, 2012

Afghan soldier 'killed French troops over US abuse video'

An Afghan soldier who shot dead four French troops has said he did it because of a recent video showing US Marines urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban insurgents, security sources told AFP.The attack on the soldiers, who were unarmed, came on Friday at a base in eastern Afghanistan and left 15 o

Jan. 24, 2012

Quake injures 100 in northeast Iran

TEHRAN (AP) ― An earthquake of moderate strength caused damage and injured 100 people in the city of Neyshabour in the northeast part of Iran Thursday afternoon, Iran’s state TV reported.The TV report said 17 of the injured were hospitalized and the others were treated for minor injuries and released.As the quake rumbled through the area, many residents of the city fled their homes into the streets. Rescue teams were still at work in the area late Thursday.The magnitude 5.5 quake shattered windo

Jan. 20, 2012