By successfully firing a rocket that put a satellite in space, North Korea let the far-flung buyers of its missiles know that it is still open for business. But Pyongyang will find that customers are hard to come by as old friends drift away and international sanctions lock down its sales. North Korea's satellite and nuclear programs were masterminded by the late leader Kim Jong Il, who ruled for 17 years under a ``military first'' policy and died a year ago Monday. An offshoot of the policy was

A North Korean satellite launched into space last week appears to be malfunctioning but could remain in orbit for several years, a leading expert in the United States said Tuesday.North Korea says the satellite is working. Even if it isn't, its successful launch into space marks a milestone in the impoverished country's technological advances, especially given accusations that the rocket launch was actually a test of systems that could be used to launch long-range missiles targeting the U.S.Data

An assassin slit the throat of Egypt's last great pharaoh at the climax of a bitter succession battle, scientists said Monday in a report on a 3,000-year-old royal murder.Forensic technology suggests Ramses III, a king revered as a god, met his death at the hand of a killer, or killers, sent by his conniving wife and ambitious son, they said.And a cadaver known as the "Screaming Mummy" could be that of the son himself, possibly forced to commit suicide after the plot, they added.Computed tomogra

The United States has no other choice at this time but to ratchet up pressure on North Korea, which has repeatedly defied international obligations, the State Department said Monday.The department, however, strongly indicated its intention to continue engaging Pyongyang either bilaterally or multilaterally, looking for signs that the nation will change its attitude. "What's left to us is to continue to increase the pressure on the North Korean regime," department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said

North Korea unveiled the embalmed body of Kim Jong-il, still in his trademark khaki jumpsuit, on the anniversary of his death Monday as mourning mixed with pride over a recent satellite launch that was a long-held goal of the late authoritarian leader.Kim lies in state a few floors below his father, national founder Kim Il Sung, in the Kumsusan mausoleum, the cavernous former presidential palace. Kim Jong-il is presented lying beneath a red blanket, a spotlight shining on his face in a room suff

The 76-year-old media baron said Sunday his engagement to 28-year-old Francesca Pascale _ part of a support group called ``Silvio, we miss you'' _ is ``official''.Berlusconi's second wife left him in 2008, citing alleged dalliances with young women. He is now on trial on charges of having sex with an underage woman and using his office to cover it up.Newspapers described Berlusconi's appearance on Canale 5 _ one of his television networks _ as attempt to boost falling approval rates ahead of an

A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of central Indonesia Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, sending panicked people rushing into the streets but there was no tsunami alert.The quake struck at 0916 GMT more than 160 kilometers south-southeast of Gorontalo in central Indonesia's Sulawesi island at a depth of 18 kilometers.The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics agency (BMKG) measured it at 6.0 at a depth of 10 kilometers."The epicenter was in the sea but it

Japan's premier-in-waiting Shinzo Abe came out fighting Monday after his sweeping election victory, saying there can be no compromise on the sovereignty of islands at the centre of a dispute with China.China reacted with alarm to Abe's victory, after his conservative Liberal Democratic Party crushed opponents in national polls and he immediately restated Tokyo's claims."The Senkaku islands are Japan's inherent territory," Abe told a press conference, referring to an archipelago Beijing calls the

South Korea held talks with China Monday to discuss ways to prevent illegal Chinese fishing in South Korean waters, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. The talks, the second of their kind since the first one in Beijing last year, were held in Seoul. During the talks, South Korea called on China to take aggressive actions to ban illegal fishing in the Yellow Sea close to South Korea, the ministry said in a news release.Illegal Chinese fishing in South Korean waters has long been a serious issue

State prosecutors said Monday that they have received classified documents related to the 2007 inter-Korean summit meeting that can help sort out the ongoing legal battle over allegations that late President Roh Moo-hyun disavowed the de facto sea border between South and North Korea.The Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office confirmed it received transcripts of the summit meeting held in Pyongyang from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) as part of its ongoing investigation into claims and count

  BANDER SERI BEGAWAN, BRUNEI — Korean duo of Yang Yong-eun and Kim Kyung-tae led the way in Day Two of the Royal Trophy golf tournament, Saturday, as the Asians come out firing on all cylinders to dominate the second session 3-1, winning two of the matches and claiming a half point in each of the other two. Given the seemingly hopeless position at the end of the first day’s Foursomes — they trailed 3 1/2 – 1/2, now they head into Sunday’s singles just one point adrift at 4 1/2 – 3

World leaders expressed shock and horror after a gunman massacred 20 small children and six teachers Friday in the U.S. state of Connecticut, in one of the worst school shootings in history.UN chief Ban Ki-moon wrote to Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy to give his "deepest condolences at the shocking murders," a statement said."The targeting of children is heinous and unthinkable," he added in condemning the "horrendous" crime.European Union diplomacy chief Catherine Ashton expressed "shock" at t

Egyptians began voting on Saturday on a new constitution supported by the ruling Islamists but bitterly contested by a secular-leaning opposition.Polls opened in Cairo, Alexandria and eight other provinces and are scheduled to close at 7:00 pm in the first round. The rest of the country votes on Dec. 22.Alexandria, the country's second largest city, was the scene of clashes on the eve of the referendum between opponents of the draft charter and Islamists after a cleric told worshippers at a mosq

 Canadian officials warn the public not to consume Butcher's Choice Hickory Barbecue Beef Burgers because they may be contaminated with E. coli. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Loblaw Companies Ltd. said the following products -- distributed nationally -- are being recalled.-- Butchers Choice Hickory Barbecue Beef Burgers 2013 FE 10 EST 752 0 60383 89364 4.-- Butchers Choice Hickory Barbecue Beef Burgers 2013 FE 01 EST 752 0 60383 89364 4.The recall is the result of E. coli O157:H7 produ

South Korea's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) forecast the country's economic growth to reach a record low next year since the 2008 financial crisis, a poll showed Saturday. According to a survey of 1,500 SMEs taken by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business (Kbiz), a majority of the companies polled predicted South Korea's economy will grow 2.9 percent in 2013, the lowest level since their 2009 prediction of 2.4 percent. Nearly 70 percent of the respondents regarded advanced

Hundreds of candidates vying for a seat in Japan's parliament made their final pitches on Saturday in an election expected to see the return of the country's old guard.Opinion polls show the Liberal Democratic Party on course for a convincing victory in Sunday's lower house election, with the Democratic Party of Japan led by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda set to be ousted.Hawkish LDP leader Shinzo Abe is predicted to return to the premiership, a job he held without much distinction in 2006-7, in

On China's economic front line with North Korea, rocket launches are far from traders' minds and few worry about sanctions impeding the flow of cars -- or pianos.China is by far North Korea's biggest trading partner and most of the business passes through its northeastern city of Dandong, where lorries piled high with tyres and sacks were being processed on Friday at a customs post.Some travelers waiting to cross to the North through an immigration checkpoint were carrying wreaths, apparently to

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Friday put North Korea at the top of a list of security challenges facing his country, along with an unfinished war in Afghanistan and al-Qaida-led terrorism.He pointed out the unpredictability of the secretive communist nation with nuclear weapons and various types of missiles."We still have the problem of North Korea and the unpredictability of North Korea," he said during a visit to an air base in Turkey, according to a transcript."We just saw that ha

A gunman killed 26 people, including 20 young children, at a U.S. school where his mother worked Friday as youngsters cowered in their classrooms and trembled helplessly to the sound of gunfire reverberating through the building. The mother was presumed among the dead.The 20-year-old killer, carrying two handguns, committed suicide at the school, and another person was found dead at a second scene, bringing the toll to 28, authorities said.The rampage in the northeastern state of Connecticut was

A Barbados man was cleared of rape Thursday after 18 months in jail when his alleged victims, both British tourists, said he was not the man who attacked them.A magistrate in Barbados dismissed the charges against Derick Crawford, 47, The Guardian reported. Rachel Turner, 30, from Hertfordshire and Diane Davies, 63, of Anglesey had campaigned for his release and said they would testify for the defense. "They are extremely gutsy women, extremely brave, and I am completely amazed at what they have