The ruling Saenuri Party is considering pushing to convene a one-day plenary meeting of the National Assembly to elect a new parliamentary speaker and two vice speakers, officials familiar with the issue said Monday.The Saenuri Party also said it could hold the plenary parliamentary session by itself if the main opposition Democratic United Party and other opposition parties refuse to cooperate, t

Politics June 25, 2012

Prosecutors  have charged a Swedish professor with aggravated assault after he allegedly cut off his much younger wife’s lips and ate them because he believed she was having an affair.The 52-year-old man, whose name was withheld, was also accused of slicing his wife’s arms in the attack.The assault was first reported by a Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet in May and prosecutors classified the case as

World June 24, 2012

South Korea's antitrust watchdog said Sunday it has imposed 1.51 billion won (US$1.3 million) in fines on the Korean unit of Dutch electronics giant Philips for preventing South Korea's online shopping malls from offering discount prices.The move by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is the first punitive action against a foreign company for blocking price cuts following the implementation of a free

Industry June 24, 2012

Britain's Prince William celebrates his 30th birthday on Thursday, triggering a clause in his late mother Diana's will which could see him receive a 10 million pounds inheritance.The late Princess of Wales left the bulk of her estate to sons William and Harry, who were aged 15 and 12 when she died in 1997, but the executors ruled that the inheritances should not be handed over until both turned 30

World News June 24, 2012

A 29-year-old mother was in custody after police in Kansas City, Mo., found her emaciated 10-year-old daughter locked in a closet, authorities said.The woman was arrested Friday and her boyfriend also was detained, The Kansas City Star reported.The girl, who was found alone in a closet that smelled of human waste, appeared to way about a third of what a normal 10-year-old would weight, police said

June 24, 2012

Sniff your way to love? Singles who attend so-called pheromone parties haven't ruled it out.The get-togethers _ which have been held in New York and Los Angeles and are planned for other cities _ ask guests to submit a slept-in T-shirt that will be smelled by other participants.Then, voila! You can pick your partner based on scent, or so the theory goes.The parties started as an experiment in matc

Culture June 24, 2012

Police in Florida said they arrested a 400-pound woman who was spotted sitting nude on a bench at a bus stop.Fort Lauderdale police said Patricia McCollum, 52, was spotted by officers sitting nude on the bus bench Wednesday and was arrested on a charge of exposure of sexual organs in public, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Friday.McCollum said during a court appearance Thursday she is curr

World News June 24, 2012

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak arrived in Colombia on Saturday to make a final push for a free trade deal between the two countries and to pay tribute to the nation for fighting alongside the South during the Korean War.South Korea and Colombia are in the final stages of free trade talks and Lee's trip is expected to provide the negotiations with important momentum, officials have said. That

Foreign Affairs June 24, 2012

The largest luxury cruise ship to arrive in South Korea docked in the port of Jeju Saturday as the resort island moves to build itself into one of the leading tourist destinations in Northeast Asia.The Voyager of the Seas cruise liner arrived early in the morning at Jeju Port to the fanfare of local authorities and traditional performances.Jeju prepared special garlands and plaques for the passeng

Travel June 24, 2012

Wrapping up a three-month probe, a special prosecutor team failed Thursday to disclose what drove a cyber attack on the National Election Commission's Web site last year, despite suspicions the ruling Saenuri Party tried to influence the results of the October by-elections.The special prosecution investigation came after opposition parties voiced doubts about the results of an initial probe into t

Politics June 21, 2012