Japan has revised its economic growth estimate for the last quarter downward after finding that capital investment slowed more than expected in July-September. The government said Monday that the world's third-largest economy grew an annualized 1.1 percent in the last quarter, less than half the pace of the previous quarter. The previous estimate had put growth at 1.9 percent. The economy grew at a 4.3 percent pace in the first quarter of the year and 3.8 percent in April-June.Prime Minister Shi

China announced a ban on the serving of shark fin and bird's nest soup at official banquets Sunday, as part of a sweeping government crackdown on corruption and excessive spending.Shark fin has effectively been off the menu at official dining tables since 2012 when Beijing pledged to bar the popular yet controversial delicacy as part of its anti-extravagance campaign.Demand for shark fin has plummeted after many high-end hotels and restaurants stopped serving the dish, along with other expensive

South Korea is preparing to hold high-level talks with the United States this month on major issues of mutual concern, including North Korea and tensions among regional powers, a diplomatic source said Sunday. Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kyou-hyun plans to visit Washington in mid-December for the strategic dialogue with Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, said the source.It would be their first one-on-one meeting since Kim's visit here in June.To be mainly discussed are ways to restart the si

Pro-EU Ukrainian protesters on Sunday toppled a statue of the Soviet Union's founder Vladimir Lenin in Kiev after hundreds of thousands massed for a new protest in an increasingly tense standoff with President Viktor Yanukovych's government.The protesters had filled Independence Square in central Kiev and surrounding streets to bursting point to denounce Yanukovych's rejection of an EU pact under Kremlin pressure, in the biggest protests since the 2004 Orange Revolution.In a hugely symbolic deno

호주에서 자택근무자들이 1년에 하루를 지정해 알몸으로 일하고, 그 모습을 사진으로 찍어 올리는 행사가 인기를 끌고 있다고 현지언론이 6일 보도했다.호주의 한 소상공인 커뮤니티인 "플라잉 솔로(Flying Solo)"가 주최한 이 행사는 6일 개최되었다. 참여자들은 집에서 자신이 알몸으로 일하고 있는 사진을 찍어 플라잉 솔로의 페이스북 페이지에 올렸는데, 이들 중 세명을 선정해 소정의 상품이 지급될 예정이라고 한다.플라잉 솔로의 창립자인 로버트 게리쉬는 현지 언론과의 인터뷰를 통해 "우리 (소상공인) 커뮤니티의 에너지와 정서를 뭔가 즐거운 것으로 연결할 수 있는 방도를 찾고 있었다"며 행사의 의의를 설명했다.이 행사는 자택근무자들로부터 호의적인 반응을 끌어내고 있는데, 플라잉 솔로 측은 작년에 열린 1회 행사에 500여명이 참가했으며 올해 참가자는 더 많을 것이라고 추산했다.행사에 참가한 한 여성 작가는 "아무도 나를 볼 수 없기 때문에, 마음대로 할 수 있다"면서 자택근무의 장점을

Ulsan Hyundai, the runner-up in the top division football league this year, named a new head coach on Friday, two days after an abrupt resignation of the former bench boss.The K League Classic club said former national team defender Jo Min-gook will take over as the head coach. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.Jo, 50, had coached Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dolphin FC in the National League, the country's top semi-professional competition, since 2009, and this is his first coaching post in

South Korean stocks closed 0.22 percent lower Friday as investors awaited job data from the United States to be released later in the day, analysts said. The local currency gained against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 4.36 points to 1,980.41. Trading volume was low at 198.5 million shares worth 3.25 trillion won ($3.07 billion) with losers outpacing gainers 435 to 374.Analysts said investors maintained a wait-and-see approach toward November's U.S.

박근혜 대통령은 6일 한국을 방문중인 조 바이든 미국 부통령과 청와대에서 접견과 오찬을 잇따라 하고 중국의 방공식별구역(CADIZ) 일방적 선포 문제에 따른 한국의 방공식별구역(KADIZ) 확대 등 동북아 지역정세와 북핵문제, 한미간 포괄적 전략동맹의 심화발전 방안 등을 놓고 폭넓은 의견을 교 환했다,윤병세 외교부 장관은 접견 후 브리핑에서 "박 대통령은 방공식별구역과 관련한 우리 정부의 입장을 설명했으며 바이든 부통령은 박 대통령의 설명과 한국측의 노력을 평가했다"며 "양측은 앞으로 이 문제에 대해 긴밀한 협의를 계속하기로 했다"고 밝혔다.이와 관련, 윤 장관은 KADIZ 확대안에 대한 바이든 부통령의 입장에 대해 "지금 시점에서 미국 측이 저희 측의 상세한 설명과 노력에 대해 평가(appreciate) 했다는 것에 함의가 있음을 잘 주목해달라"고 설명했다. 이로 미뤄 박 대통령은 바이든 부통령에게 국익을 고려할 때 이어도와 마라도, 홍도 영공을 포함하는 KADIZ 확대가 불가피하

이수근이 공소사실을 인정했다.6일 서울중앙지법 형사단독14부(신명희 부장판사) 심리로 열린 첫 공판에서 수억 원을 걸고 휴대전화 이용 사설 스포츠토토 도박을 한 혐의로 기소된 방송인 이수근은 법정에서 공소사실을 모두 인정했다.이수근은 자신의 혐의와 증거에 대해 모두 인정, “첫 도박 기사가 나오고 이렇게 재판에 나오기까지 하루하루가 꿈이길 바랐다”면서 “뉘우치는 자세로 깊이 반성하고 있다”고 말했다.특히 이수근은 “스스로 도박을 끊은 것은 물론, 지금까지로도 연예인으로서 사망선고를 받은 것이나 마찬가지”라면서 “연예인이기에 역차별 받지 않도록, 방송을 통해 스스로 팬들에게 반성하고 사과할 수 있도록 기회를 달라”고 말해 눈길을 끌었다.이수근 변호인도 재판부에 “오랜 무명 생활 끝에 늦깎이로 사랑을 받았다. 어려운 가정 형편에도 불구하고 대중 앞에서 미소를 지어야 하는 스트레스를 조금만 이해해 달라”며 선처를 구했다.더불어 같은 혐의로 기소된 토니안과 탁재훈도 최후 진술에서 모든 혐의

South Korea enshrined the remains of 666 soldiers on Friday, more than 60 years after they were killed in the three-year Korean War that ended in a truce in 1953.Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and 400 other government and military officials attended an enshrinement ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery for the remains excavated this year. A total of 731 sets of remains were recovered after searching 77 former battlefield sites from March to November, of which 666 have

South Korean stocks traded almost flat late Friday morning as investors took to the sidelines ahead of the release of U.S. jobs data, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 2.55 points, or 0.13 percent, to 1,987.32 as of 11:20 a.m.Blue-chip shares traded mixed, with tech giant Samsung Electronics falling 0.14 percent while top chipmaker SK hynix added 3.07 percent. Flat panel maker LG Display advanced 4.7 percent.Mobile carriers also traded mixed, with No. 1 S

"1969년 5월12일 새벽, 보안경찰이 (요하네스버그 인근) 올란도 집에서 위니를 연행했다. 경찰은 (어린) 제니와 진지가 치맛자락을 붙잡고 매달리는 위니를 질질 끌고 갔다…위니마저 철창에 갇혀 있다는 사실을 생각하는 것만큼 감옥에서 괴로운 일은 없었다. 비록 겉으로는 담대한 척했지만 속으로는 매우 불안하고 걱정이 됐다…며칠 동안 잠을 잘 수가 없었다.""어머니의 죽음은 과연 내가 옳은 길을 택한 것인가라는 질문을 다시 하게 했다. 민족의 행복을 내 가족의 행복보다 앞세우는 게 올바른 선택인가? 내 가족은 내게 (민주화) 투쟁에 참여하도록 요청하거나 바라지도 않았다. 하지만 나의 투쟁 참여는 가족에게 고통을 안겼다."만델라의 자서전 '자유를 향한 머나먼 여정'(LONG WALK to FREEDOM)에 기술된 그의 고백이다. 케이프타운 앞바다 로벤섬 교도소에 갇혀 있던 그는 어머니의 임종을 지켜보지 못했을 뿐 아니라 장례식에도 참석할 수 없었다.만델라는 남아공 민주화 투쟁의 상징으로

The city of Seoul got cleared of ultrafine dust coming from China on Friday, leading the Seoul government to lift the warning against the pollutant.Concerns, however, persist, as China still has a high level of the "particulate matter (PM) 2.5," a nanoscale particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter and largely made up of sulphate and nitrate particles.The city and the surrounding areas experienced unprecedentedly thick layers of ultrafine pollutants on Thursday, prompting th

The thing about Nelson Mandela was that he made the rest of us want to be almost as noble as he.Imprisoned for 27 years, the anti-apartheid leader who had declared at his 1964 trial that he was willing to die for his beliefs in human dignity and racial equality emerged from that experience not filled with hatred, but courtly, magnanimous, humble and good-humored. His very demeanor served as the rebuttal to all those who peddled fear and foretold disaster and bloodshed should black South Africans

The world knows Nelson Mandela as a man who forever changed the course of modern history and who will surely continue to leave his mark long after his death Thursday at the age of 95.You may know that he spent 27 years in prison, that he led South Africa out of apartheid and that he served as his nation's first black president.But did you know about the role of rugby in his legacy? His musings on Valentine's Day? The lessons he taught sympathetic prison guards during his time behind bars? Here a

“Good men and women, men such as Mandela resisted and taught us to resist fear ... to resist oblivion,” she said.The Security Council said in a statement later that “Mandela will forever be remembered as someone who gave up so much of his life in the struggle for freedom, so that millions could have a brighter future.”The U.N. General Assembly in 2009 adopted a resolution declaring Nelson Mandela International Day, the first ever international day in honor of an individual. It is celebrated ever

July 18, 1918 -- Born to Hendry Mphakanyiswa, a Thembu chief, and Nosekeni Qunu in the Umtata district of the Transkei, at a time when virtually all of Africa was under European colonial rule.1940 -- Expelled from University of Fort Hare, a leading institution for blacks, for role in a student strike.1942 -- Joins African National Congress, South Africa's main campaigner for black equality. 1943 -- Receives BA from Fort Hare after completing correspondence courses through University of South Afr

He emerged into bright winter sunshine, stepped onto the lush field and pulled on a cap. His long-sleeve green rugby jersey was untucked and buttoned right up to the top, a style all his own. On the back, a gold No. 6, big and bold.Within seconds, the chants went up from the fans packed into Ellis Park stadium in the heart of Johannesburg: “Nelson! Nelson! Nelson!”Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, was wearing the colors of the Springboks and 65,000 white rugby supporters were

South Korean stocks opened almost flat Friday as investors took a wait-and-see approach on the U.S.jobs data for November, scheduled to be announced after the trading session, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 1.08 points, or 0.05 percent, to 1,983.69 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Tech shares moved up, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics adding 0.07 percent and flat panel maker LG Display rising 2.99 percent. Top chipmaker SK hynix moved up 0.73

South Korea was selected as the host of the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup here on Thursday.In a vote during FIFA's Executive Committee meeting in Brazil, South Korea edged out Azerbaijan for the right to host the world's premier youth football tournament.The U-20 World Cup will be the fourth FIFA-sanctioned competition that South Korea will stage, after the 2001 Confederations Cup; the 2002 World Cup, which it co-hosted with Japan; and the 2007 U-17 World Cup.South Korea is the third country to host