Egypt's opposition said Sunday it will keep up protests against a referendum on a disputed draft constitution but stopped short of advocating either a boycott or a ``no'' vote less than a week before the ballot.The opposition was still pushing for Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to cancel the Dec. 15 referendum, saying they reject the process entirely and refuse to call it legitimate.The referendum over a disputed draft constitution has deeply polarized Egypt and sparked some of the bloodiest

World News Dec. 10, 2012

President John Dramani Mahama was declared the winner Sunday of Ghana's recent presidential election, according to provisional results, despite widespread technical glitches with the machines used to identify voters, and over the protest of the country's opposition, which alleges vote-rigging. Armored tanks surrounded Ghana's electoral commission and police barricaded the road around the electoral offices as the election body's chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan announced that Mahama had polled 5.5 mill

World News Dec. 10, 2012

North Korean naval officers responsible for the communist country's deadly sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010 have been awarded a hero's title, a defector claimed Friday."The captain, co-captain, chief engineer, and boatswain of the submarine which had attacked the warship Cheonan, were awarded the title of the DPRK (North Korea) hero sometime in Oct., 2010," Ahn Cheol-nam (alias) said during an event held by the Korea Peace Forum.Ahn, who previously worked at the North Korean cabinet, de

North Korea Dec. 7, 2012

Japanese authorities issued a tsunami alert for the northeast coast Friday after a powerful 7.3-magnitude undersea earthquake struck, setting buildings in Tokyo swaying violently.Media reports said a one-meter-high wave could sweep ashore in an area badly hit by the March 2011 tsunami that devastated a large swathe of the northeast coast, killing thousands.Residents of at least one town, Minamisanriku in Miyagi prefecture, were advised to evacuate to higher ground, reports said, suggesting other

World News Dec. 7, 2012

South Korea's pop sensation Psy will vie for three gongs at the 2012 World Music Awards (WMA) for his smash hit "Gangnam Style."The 34-year-old singer-rapper was nominated for best song, best video and best male artist, according to the WMA's official Web site on Friday.The music video for "Oppa You're My Style," a sequel to "Gangnam Style," was also listed as a candidate for the best video award.Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, was rocketed to global fame due to the Internet popularity of

Performance Dec. 7, 2012

Laos has ratified its membership of the World Trade Organization, state media said on Friday, the latest step in the small Southeast Asian nation's 15-year effort to join the global body.The Laotian parliament on Thursday formally gave its approval, paving the way for the country's entrance to the 157-member organisation in early 2013, according to a report in the government mouthpiece Vientiane Times.It said most lawmakers "supported the government's decision to join the WTO, saying it was a go

World Business Dec. 7, 2012

A medical doctor was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a retrial on Friday for murdering his pregnant wife.The 32-year-old doctor surnamed Baek initially received the same jail sentence by a district court and an appeals court for strangling his nine-month pregnant wife to death during an early-morning quarrel early last year.The Supreme Court, however, overturned an appeals court's conviction and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court for reconsideration, citing a lack of objective evidenc

Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2012

South Korea's state-run electricity distributor issued a power shortage alert Friday due to a surge in electricity consumption caused by cold temperatures.The Korea Power Exchange issued the "watch" warning, the fourth-highest level, at 11:25 a.m. as the country's electricity reserve dropped below 4 million kilowatts for more than 20 minutes.The company's "attention," the third-highest level, comes when the reserve level drops to between 2 million and 3 million kilowatts. The second-highest warn

Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2012

Accepting South Korea's request, a U.S. congressional institute has put off the publication of a diplomatically sensitive report on history disputes among Northeast Asian nations, an informed source here said Thursday.The Congressional Research Service (CRS) had planned to issue the report last week.The South Korean government reviewed the draft and took issue with some of the contents, according to the source.In a draft report, the CRS first introduces China's claim that Korea's ancient Koguryo

Politics Dec. 7, 2012

South Korean stocks started higher Friday following overnight gains on Wall Street, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 0.3 percent, or 5.84 points, to 1,955.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading.No. 2 home appliance maker LG Electronics advanced 1.08 percent after last session's sharp drop due to a cartel fine by the European Union.Top steelmaker POSCO gained 1.66 percent and second-largest carmaker Kia Motors climbed 0.49 percent.The Dow Jones Industrial

Dec. 7, 2012

The United States has moved naval ships with ballistic missile defense to the periphery of the Korean Peninsula to keep close tabs on Pyongyang's possible rocket launch, the top U.S. military commander in Asia and the Pacific said Thursday."It should seem logical that we will move them around so we have the best situational awareness," Adm. Samuel Locklear, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, said at a press conference in the Pentagon.He commands the 325,000-strong forces that have become more vit

North Korea Dec. 7, 2012