McLEAN, Va. (AP) -- Federal worker Greg Guthrie had held out hope after Donald Trump's election to president that his professed advocacy for the American worker would extend to the federal workforce, too.That hope diminished after Trump on Monday issued an executive order implementing a hiring freeze across the federal government, with exceptions only for military, national security or public safety personnel.So while Guthrie wasn't shocked to learn Trump had imposed the hiring freeze, he was di

KABUL (AFP) -- Deported after years of living in Germany, 26 young Afghans arrived in Kabul Tuesday with only one thought in mind: fleeing this war-torn country.Escorted by 80 German police officers, their plane landed shortly after 7:30 a.m. -- the second batch deported under a disputed Afghan-EU deal signed last October and aimed at curbing the influx of migrants."What would you have me do here? There is only death!" said 19-year-old Ramid Afshah, returning from Germany after five years -- a c

President Park Geun-hye met with her lawyers for the first time in nearly a month on Tuesday to discuss their next steps in her impeachment trial, one of the attorneys said.The meeting was held inside a reception room at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, where Park and her lawyers reviewed key issues of her case and recent developments emerging from the eight hearings held so far at the Constitutional Court, according to Lee Joong-hwan. The talks lasted 80 minutes. Special counsel Park Youn

South Korean soprano Sumi Jo's concerts in China have been canceled in what is believed to be China's retaliation against Seoul's plan to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system on its soil, the singer said Tuesday."I'd like to tell you that my tour in China has been canceled. I have prepared for the concerts for the past two years and they didn't even give me a reason (for the cancellation)," the Grammy-winning Korean diva wrote on her Twitter account. "It is very unfortunate to see the

BAGHDAD (AP) -- The U.N. and several aid organizations said Tuesday that an estimated 750,000 civilians are still living under Islamic State rule in the western part of Mosul, the next target of a U.S.-backed Iraqi offensive launched three months ago.Lise Grande, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said the cost of food and basic goods is soaring, water and electricity are intermittent and that some residents are forced to burn furniture to keep warm.Iraqi and Kurdish forces launched a m

LONDON (AFP) -- Britain still intends to start talks on leaving the European Union by the end of March, despite a Supreme Court ruling that the government must first obtain parliamentary approval, Downing Street said Tuesday."The British people voted to leave the EU, and the government will deliver on their verdict -- triggering Article 50, as planned, by the end of March," a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May's office said."Today's ruling does nothing to change that."Brexit minister David

BUCHAREST (AP) -- Romania's president has nominated a regional politician as the next prime minister, after turning down an economist who could have become the country's first female Muslim premier.President Klaus Iohannis on Friday endorsed Sorin Grindeanu, 43, to become premier. Grindeanu is a member of the Social Democratic Party that won Dec. 11 elections, and chairman of the Timis county council. Parliament needs to approve him.The nomination came after Iohannis declined to endorse Sevil Sh

South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday said it cannot require President Park Geun-hye to testify in her impeachment trial that enters the argument phase next week, dismissing demands by lawmakers who voted to remove her over a corruption scandal.The nine-justice court also confirmed the dates when some witnesses will testify but delayed a decision on whether to make companies answer whether they were really forced into sponsoring foundations controlled by the president's jailed friend, Cho

SHANGHAI (AFP) -- China is the world's second-largest economy and has one of the fastest growth rates of any G20 nation, but its  stock markets have been among the worst performing in the world this year.Starting with a botched attempt to reduce volatility that instead triggered a spectacular meltdown, Chinese bourses have spent the year struggling against feckless policymakers, massive capital flight and a languishing currency.The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index (SCI) closed Friday down 12.3

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Friday named a new vice cultural minister in his first exercise of personnel authority as the acting president.Hwang tapped Song Soo-keun, who heads the strategy division of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as the ministry's first vice minister in charge of overall cultural policies.The prime minister's office said the decision came as Song holds a variety of experience in the cultural sector as well as public relations.Hwang has b

A new South Korean victim of Japan's wartime sexual enslavement has registered with the government, increasing the total known victims to 239 and the current number of survivors to 40, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said on Friday."The elderly woman has recently applied for registration after she got to know about the government support program," a ministry official said. The ministry declined to disclose her identity following the wishes of those caring for her.The ministry has prov

The government's plan to foster mega-sized investment banks (IBs) will likely be hampered by a controversial rule that restricts their investments in the real estate sector, industry observers said Friday.Under the government's plan, IBs with 4 trillion won (US$3.3 billion) or more in equity capital will be eligible for short-term corporate lending, such as the issuance of commercial papers.Securities firms with equity capital of 8 trillion won or more will be able to launch investment managemen

BRUSSELS (AFP) -- The European Commission launched legal action on Thursday against authorities in seven EU nations including Germany and Britain for failing to crack down on emissions cheating exposed by the Volkswagen "Dieselgate" scandal.The commission, the EU's executive arm, "is today acting against seven member states on the grounds that they have failed to fulfil their obligations" under EU law, said a statement.The Dieselgate scandal blew open when Volkswagen admitted in September 2015 t

LONDON (AFP) -- Britain will ban junk food ads aimed at children from both print and social media from next year, the advertising rules watchdog said Thursday, a move welcomed by campaigners against child obesity.The new rules, which come into effect in July 2017, extend an existing ban on television ads for "high fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) food or drink products"."The new restrictions will lead to a major reduction in the number of ads for HFSS food and drinks seen by children," the Committees o

President Park Geun-hye, mired in a high-profile corruption scandal centering on her confidante, remained silent Thursday, as political parties barreled towards an impeachment showdown.Since she signaled her determination to accept an impeachment trial during talks with the leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party Tuesday, the embattled leader has kept a wait-and-see stance, failing to deliver on a pledge to hold a press conference to explain her stance on the scandal.On Friday afternoon, the Nationa

South Korea on Wednesday approved three major defense projects, including a long-range rocket system, to help bolster its capabilities to better counter growing North Korean military threats.The government's approval comes amid mounting geopolitical uncertainties surrounding the Korean Peninsula as Pyongyang ratchets up its saber rattling and many countries in the region feel uneasy about Donald Trump's surprise victory in last week's U.S. presidential race.During the 2017-2020 period, Seoul wil

PARIS (AP) -- Donald Trump's election in the U.S. has given a new boost to conservative leaders in what may be the next major populist battleground, France, where far-right leader Marine Le Pen is convinced that her anti-immigration, anti-Islam views can lead her to the presidency in five months.Former President Nicolas Sarkozy, running to get his job back, says that Trump’s election shows that politicians must listen to "the wrath of the people.""Mr. Trump wants to defend American interests? Fi

BRUSSELS (AFP) -- The EU said Wednesday that draft budgets from Italy and seven other eurozone countries risk breaking the bloc's rules, setting up a row with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi ahead of a crucial referendum.The European Commission said the budgets for Spain and Portugal were also problematic, just a year after the two countries became the first to officially face sanctions for public over-spending.But the commission, the executive arm of the European Union, dropped a threat to suspend

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the central Seoul on Saturday to attend the latest massive rally to demand President Park Geun-hye's resignation over the growing scandal involving her close confidante.Police expected about abour 220,000 people joined the candlelight rally at the public square near Seoul City Hall, while organizers forecast up to 1 million people turned out. It is expected to be the largest rally to be held in South Korea this century to date.The police deployed some 25,0

Posco chairman Kwon Oh-joon (Yonhap)The chief of South Korea's top steelmaker Posco was grilled overnight by prosecutors until Saturday morning over an allegation that the sale of its former unit was related to an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye's close friend, prosecutors said.Kwon Oh-joon, 66, returned home at about 7:10 a.m. after about 12 hours of intensive questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, they said.He is the first head of a major So