North Korea has developed a new "ultra-precision anti-ship rocket" that will be deployed soon at its naval units following a recent successful test-firing, its state media said Saturday.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "watched a test-firing of new type of an anti-ship rocket" to be equipped at naval units "before long," the Korean Central News Agency said in a report in English. "The ultra-precision anti-ship rocket blasted off from a rocket boat. The intelligent rocket precisely sought, tracked

North Korea Feb. 7, 2015

U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled a new national security strategy blueprint on Friday, reaffirming his commitment to end North Korea's nuclear program and make the world free of nuclear weapons.   "No threat poses as grave a danger to our security and well-being as the potential use of nuclear weapons and materials by irresponsible states or terrorists. We therefore seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons," Obama said.   "Our commitment to the denuclearization of the K

World News Feb. 7, 2015

The Islamic State group released about 200 Yazidis held for five months in Iraq, mostly elderly, infirm captives who likely slowed the extremists down, Kurdish military officials said Sunday.   Almost all of the freed prisoners are in poor health and bore signs of abuse and neglect. Three were young children. The former captives were being questioned and receiving medical treatment on Sunday in the town of Alton Kupri.   Gen. Shirko Fatih, commander of Kurdish peshmerga forces in the northern Ir

World News Jan. 18, 2015

U.S. academics and former senior officials met with North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator in Singapore on Sunday to get a feel for each other's positions amid a yearslong standoff over the North's nuclear weapons buildup.   Leon Sigal, director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council, a U.S.-based nonprofit, told reporters that the meeting would cover the North's nuclear missile programs. He said ``it's two ways of taking each other's temperatur

North Korea Jan. 18, 2015

A record 6 million people poured into Manila's rain-soaked streets and its biggest park Sunday as Pope Francis ended his Asian pilgrimage with an appeal for Filipinos to protect their young from sin and vice so they can instead become missionaries of the faith.   The crowd estimate included people who attended the pope's final Mass in Rizal Park and surrounding areas, and lined his motorcade route, said the chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Francis Tolentino.   The Vatic

World News Jan. 18, 2015

With the top seed in Group A secured at the AFC Asian Cup, South Korea on Sunday is scheduled to travel to Melbourne, the site of its quarterfinals match later in the week.   South Korea defeated Australia 1-0 here on Saturday for its third consecutive victory by that identical score. South Korea, chasing its first Asian Cup since 1960, finished at the top of Group A with nine points and will take on Uzbekistan, the Group B runner-up, in the quarterfinals. The kickoff for that showdown will be 6

Soccer Jan. 18, 2015

French police have released three of the 12 suspects arrested Friday in an anti-terror sweep following the attacks in Paris by Islamic extremists that killed 17 people and put Europe on high alert. Paris prosecutor spokesman Denis Fauriat said nine other suspects detained Friday will have their interrogations prolonged by 48 hours, a step allowed under France's tough anti-terror laws.Police in France, Germany and Belgium have arrested dozens of suspects in recent days as part of the anti-terror

World News Jan. 18, 2015

A US citizen who said he had crossed illegally into North Korea held a press conference in Pyongyang Sunday to denounce his own country's US political and economic systems.   The man identified himself as Arturo Pierre Martinez, aged 29 and from El Paso in Texas, CNN and the North's official KCNA news agency reported.   He entered the North from China in November, according to a North Korean statement cited by the broadcaster, just two days after the US spy chief James Clapper arrived in Pyongya

North Korea Dec. 14, 2014

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling party was headed for a landslide victory in lower house elections Sunday, according to projections released soon after polls closed.   The projections showed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party easily retaining its majority in the 475-seat House of Representatives. Exit polls have been reliable predictors of the final results in past Japanese elections.   The Liberal Democrats, a conservative party that has been in power for most of the post-World War

World News Dec. 14, 2014

A police officer who committed suicide after having been suspected of leaking a sensitive presidential document hinted the presidential office had pressured his colleague to provide false testimony, according to a suicide note released Sunday.   The police officer, identified only by his surname Choi, was found dead Saturday after apparently inhaling carbon monoxide gas from burning briquettes in his car.   His death was a new twist in the prosecution's investigation into the document, which was

Politics Dec. 14, 2014

Turkish police conducted raids in a dozen cities on Sunday, detaining at least 23 people _ including journalists, television producers and police _ known to be close to a movement led by a U.S.-based moderate Islamic cleric, the country's state-run news agency reported.    The government accuses cleric Fethullah Gulen's movement, a former ally, of orchestrating an alleged plot to try and bring down the government. It says the group's followers were behind corruption allegations that last year fo

World News Dec. 14, 2014

Prosecutors summoned a senior presidential official Sunday over his alleged role in the widening scandal involving a leaked presidential document.   The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office called in Lee Jae-man, presidential secretary for general affairs, for questioning. He became the second active presidential secretary to be summoned by prosecutors in the political scandal that has rocked the nation.   Investigators are trying to determine how often Lee came in contact with Jeong Yun-h

Politics Dec. 14, 2014

The presidents of South Korea and Rwanda exchanged views on expanding political and economic ties at a summit meeting held in Seoul on Wednesday.   The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Park Geun-hye expressed hope that the two countries will move forward to strengthen ties that have benefited both countries in recent years.   Park cited Paul Kagame's two previous visits to the country as playing a part in expanding ties, particularly among senior policymakers.   The chief executive also sa

Politics Oct. 29, 2014

GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of U.S. auto giant General Motors Co., has outlined a plan to compensate owners of its Cruze compact for exaggerated fuel economy claims, the government said Wednesday.   The transportation ministry said it recently received a plan from the country's third-largest original equipment manufacturer, stating that the combined mileage for the 1.8-liter version of the compact front-wheel drive car did not meet the stated 12.4 kilometers per liter of fuel.    The Cru

Mobility Oct. 29, 2014

The new head of KB Financial, South Korea's second-largest banking group, said Wednesday that he will hold the dual posts of chairman and bank president for the time being so as to strive for stability in the conglomerate that has been rocked by internal conflict.   In a meeting with reporters right after holding talks with members of the board, Yoon Jong-kyoo stressed that it's necessary for him to keep the two posts, so the banking group can overcome its past troubles and concentrate on moving

Oct. 29, 2014