VIENNA (AFP) -- OPEC on Tuesday revised upward its growth forecast for global oil demand in 2015 and maintained projected record levels of world consumption next year, despite turbulent market conditions spurred by financial instability in Greece and China.In its August monthly report, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said it was expecting world oil demand to grow by 1.38 million barrels per day -- some 90,000 more than announced in its July estimates.The cartel also stuck t

World Business Aug. 11, 2015

DUBLIN (AFP) -- Amnesty International was going through a fraught vote Tuesday on whether the human rights organisation should back decriminalising prostitution, following a heated debate on the divisive issue.Some 400 delegates from 70 countries have gathered in Dublin and will vote on the draft policy. If it passes, it will help form Amnesty's policy on the global sex trade."We want to see a legal framework in place whereby all elements of sex work are decriminalised," Thomas Schultz-Jagow, Am

World News Aug. 11, 2015

STOCKHOLM (AFP) -- The two suspects in a knife attack at an Ikea store in Sweden that left two dead are Eritrean asylum-seekers, one of whom has denied any involvement while the other is in critical condition, police said Tuesday.The motive for the midday attack on Monday in the central town of Vasteras was still unknown, deputy prosecutor general Eva Moren told reporters."The two suspects are both from Eritrea. They have been living at an asylum centre," she said, adding that the pair knew each

World News Aug. 11, 2015

ATHENS (AP) -- Greece has agreed on the broad terms of a new three-year bailout package with international creditors, with a few last details expected to be ironed out Tuesday.Finalizing quickly the deal for about 85 billion euros ($93 billion) in new loans would prevent the country from defaulting on its debts next week and secure its future in the euro."We are very close. Two or three very small details remain,'' Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said as he emerged Tuesday morning from all-ni

World Business Aug. 11, 2015

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (AP) -- Billionaire and Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump returned to Fox News Tuesday morning for the first time since attacking the network's host during a debate last week and again refused to rule out running for president as an independent candidate. While still considered a long-shot candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2016 election, Trump has been leading in the polls after stirring much controversy with contentious remarks about Mexican

World Aug. 11, 2015

THE HAGUE (AFP) -- Investigators probing the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine said Tuesday they had identified pieces that "possibly" come from a Russian-made BUK missile, where the plane crashed.International and Dutch investigators are probing "several parts, possibly originating from a BUK surface-air-missile system," said a joint statement from prosecutors and the Dutch Safety Board. "These parts have been secured during a previous recovery-mission in easte

World Aug. 11, 2015

Eric Thames of the NC Dinos on Tuesday became the first player in South Korean baseball to hit for the cycle twice in one season.The American slugger completed his second cycle of the season against the Nexen Heroes at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul. It was the 18th cycle in the 33-year history of the Korea Baseball Organization.Thames, formerly with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners, had his first cycle on April 9.Yang Joon-hyuk, a retired legend and the KBO's all-time leader in hits, is

Baseball Aug. 11, 2015

BERLIN (AFP) -- Eurozone leaders gathering for an emergency summit Tuesday should discuss humanitarian aid for the debt-mired country, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said."We must now cover their needs very quickly, the people there need help and we should not refuse it just because we're unhappy with the result of the referendum (Sunday on creditors' bailout terms)," Gabriel, who is also Germany's vice chancellor, told reporters Monday. "I hope this can happen quickly. I assume it will

World Business July 6, 2015

FRANKFURT (AFP) -- All eyes turned to the European Central Bank Monday following the resounding 'No' in Greece's referendum, as it is seen as the only institution capable of stemming market panic and preventing the Greek economy from collapsing.In Sunday's referendum, more than 61 percent of Greeks rejected creditor demands for further austerity in return for more bailout funds, sending Greece's eurozone partners scrambling to respond. Until now, the ECB has agreed to keep Greek banks -- and, by

World Business July 6, 2015

VIENNA (AFP) -- The last act of high-stakes Iran nuclear talks began Monday with foreign ministers seeking to resolve a few remaining issues blocking a historic accord on the eve of a final deadline.With ministers back in Vienna on a 10th day of talks, both sides warned however that success in their quest to nail down an agreement ending a 13-year-old standoff was far from guaranteed.On Sunday, US Secretary of State John Kerry, in Vienna since July 27 facing off against his Iranian counterpart M

World July 6, 2015

JOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Two bombs blamed on the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram exploded at a crowded mosque and a posh Muslim restaurant in Nigeria's central city of Jos, killing 51 people, officials said Monday.The blasts on Sunday night came hours after a woman suicide bomber blew up at a crowded evangelical Christian church service in the northeastern city of Potiskum, killing six people, according to witnesses.Also Sunday, extremists returned to northeastern villages attacked three days ear

World July 6, 2015

MANILA (AP) -- China is standing pat on its decision to reject arbitration by an international tribunal that will begin formal hearings this week to resolve a long-seething feud between Beijing and Manila over the South China Sea, the Chinese ambassador to Manila said Monday.The five-member tribunal starts hearings in The Hague on Tuesday to address China's contention that the arbitration body does not have authority to assume jurisdiction over Manila's complaint against Beijing.A high-level del

World July 6, 2015

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday it has added a high capacity version to its solid state drive line-up to meet various demands in the fast-growing market.The new SSD version with 2 terabyte capacity will lead its 850 PRO & EVO lineup, Samsung Electronics said.A SSD is a data storage device made with a NAND flash memory chip that saves data without power present and is more durable and faster than a hard disk drive.  "Samsung Electronics rolled out vertical NAND-based S

Technology July 6, 2015

GWANGJU (Yonhap) -- South Korea climbed to first place in the Summer Universiade medal standings Monday after a big day in shooting and judo.The host country swept both individual and team gold medals in the women's 25-meter pistol and the men's 50-meter pistol at Naju Jeollanamdo Shooting Range in Naju, South Jeolla Province, southwest of the main host city of Gwangju.Kim Ji-hye, Cho Mun-hyeon and Han Ji-young scored 1,738 points for the team gold in the morning, and then Kim claimed the indivi

Sports July 6, 2015

The two South Korean male filmmakers who have tied the knot in the first same-sex public wedding in South Korea asked Monday that they be recognized legally as a couple as they appeared in their first court hearing.The hearing drew public attention as it came weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court declared the federal ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.Kim Chokwangsu and Kim Seung-hwan got married in 2013 but are still seeking to get legal status as South Korea does not recognize same-sex mar

Social Affairs July 6, 2015