OSLO, Norway (AP) — Norway began burying the dead on Friday, a week after an anti-immigrant extremist killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage.Mourners of all ages vowed they would not let the massacre threaten their nation's openness and democracy.An 18-year-old Muslim girl was the first victim to be laid to rest since the gunman opened fire at a political youth camp and bombed the gove

International July 30, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) — In an unforgiving display of partisanship, the Republican-controlled House approved emergency legislation Friday night to avoid an unprecedented government default and Senate Democrats scuttled it less than two hours later in hopes of a better deal."We are almost out of time" for a compromise, warned President Barack Obama as U.S. financial markets trembled at the prospect of eco

International July 30, 2011

LA PAZ, Bolivia -- South Korea and Bolivia agreed on Friday to cooperate on a lithium battery business with the two countries seeking to set up a joint venture here to produce parts for rechargeable batteries.In April 2009, the two countries signed a deal to develop lithium resources in the South American country, which boasts nearly half of the world's known reserves.The deal allows South Korean

Politics July 30, 2011

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey made a two-day trip to South Korea earlier this week, the militaries of South Korea and the U.S. said Saturday.Dempsey, the nominee to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in South Korea on Thursday and held talks with the outh Korea's JCS chairman and toured the inter-Korean border vllage of Panmunjom on Friday before returning home

Defense July 30, 2011

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON -- North Korea and the United States have completed this week's talks in New York, which both sides called "constructive."Speaking to reporters separately, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan and Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, gave no details on whether substantial progress was made in their two-day discussions."Talks were

North Korea July 30, 2011

Recent heavy rains in North Korea have slightly injured 96 people and destroyed thousands of houses in a border city alone, an international relief agency said Thursday.   Among the injured people, 14 patients were moved to a nearby hospital in Kaesong, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said in a report, without elaborating on their conditions.   The relie

North Korea July 21, 2011

Entertainment July 6, 2011

BEIJING (AFP) - China said Tuesday it was investigating U.S. oil giant ConocoPhillips‘ role in a spill off its eastern coast that authorities kept hidden from the public for nearly a month.ConocoPhillips’s China unit in a partnership with the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) operates the oil field in Bohai Bay, where the spill was detected on June 4 but only made public

International July 6, 2011

TOKYO (AFP) - The smartly-dressed Japanese husband and wife stand side-by-side, surrounded by close friends, in front of a clergyman-like figure. He asks them to smash their wedding rings with a hammer.Hiroki Terai is a self-styled "divorce planner" who conducts solemn ceremonies during which he invites couples to show their disaffection for one another before they -- in most cases -- walk away sm

World News July 6, 2011

The Marine Corps on Wednesday arrested a private for allegedly aiding the recent shooting spree on a seaside unit, a military official said.According to the official, the private, whose name was withheld, is accused of failing to stop the shooter, a corporal named Kim, when Kim was taking out ammunition from a locker to load a rifle.Kim opened fire inside the barracks on the Ganghwa Island unit we

Social Affairs July 6, 2011

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is almost certain to succeed in his pursuit of a second term after the Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution of support.   If Ban, a South Korean national, is appointed by the U.N.General Assembly in a formal vote, expected Tuesday, he willcontinue to lead the 192-member organization through 2016.   "The Security Council adopted by

World News June 18, 2011

South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan beat American great Michael Phelps for the first time in a California meet on Saturday.   Park finished first in the men's 100-meter freestyle final ofthe Santa Clara International Grand Prix in California with arecord time of 48.92 seconds.   The 21-year-old defeated Phelps who touched in 49.61 seconds.Graeme Moore of the United States came in third at 49.70 sec

More Sports June 18, 2011

South Korea's Marine Corps guards shot at a civilian airplane flying near the tense Yellow Sea border with North Korea, misidentifying it as one of the communist country's military planes, a military source said Saturday. No damage occurred, the source said.   Two soldiers guarding the southern coast of Gyodong Island inIncheon, 80 kilometers west of Seoul, fired their K-2 rifles at theAsiana Airl

North Korea June 18, 2011

North Korea's growing dependence on China, reflected by the launch of new joint economic zones along their border, drives discord among parties seeking to curb North Korea's nuclear weapons drive, experts here said Friday.   Jonathan Pollack, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution,pointed out that China is taking advantage of the flexibleimplementation of the U.N. Security Council resolution

North Korea June 18, 2011