A top U.S. commander said Thursday questions remain over North Korea's purported advanced missile capability.Adm. Samuel Locklear, who leads the U.S. Pacific Command, pointed out the secretive nation has not yet proven that its mid-range and longer-range road-mobile missiles, Musudan and KN-02, can actually be deployed."At various stages of those capabilities, they have demonstrated or shown us something that looks like it might be real, but we have not seen, in the case of the Musudan or the ca

The United States and China said Thursday they had moved forward on a treaty that would ramp up investment but the two countries clashed over hacking and the case of fugitive Edward Snowden.Despite sometimes strained ties, U.S. officials said China had agreed for the first time to put on the table all areas -- not just those it selects -- in negotiations on a treaty that governs investment rules.U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in a statement that such a treaty would "work to level the pla

International flights to and from South Korea increased significantly from a year earlier in the first half on a growing number of South Koreans going overseas, the government said Friday.In the first six months of the year, the total number of international flights coming to and from the country totaled 167,237, up 9.64 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport."International traffic surged greatly from the same period last year, ref

Passengers who called emergency services minutes after a Boeing 777 crashed at San Francisco International Airport said not enough help had arrived and they were doing their best to keep the critically injured alive, according to the calls that portray a scene of desperation.Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash-landed Saturday when it came in too low and too slow, killing two passengers and injuring many others as it skittered and spun 100 feet (30 meters). Most of the injured suffered minor injurie

Lawmakers have overwhelmingly voted to back Ireland's first bill on abortion, legalizing the practice in exceptional cases where doctors deem the woman's life at risk from her pregnancy.Exhausted legislators applauded Friday's 127-31 vote. It capped a marathon debate that locked lawmakers in argument until 5 a.m. Thursday and, after a pause for sleep, through midnight Friday.While the outcome was expected given Prime Minister Enda Kenny's lopsided parliamentary majority, the debate revealed deep

박근혜 대통령은 11일 기업의 투자 여건을 획기 적으로 개선하기 위해 모든 규제를 네거티브 방식으로 전환하는 등의 과감한 규제개 혁 추진을 지시했다.박 대통령은 오전 청와대에서 제2차 무역투자진흥회의를 주재한 자리에서 "투자 는 일자리 창출의 핵심으로, 정부는 규제개혁을 더욱 과감하게 추진해서 투자환경을 개선해 가야 한다"고 강조했다.그러면서 "모든 규제를 네거티브 방식으로 전환하되, 네거티브 방식이 어려운 경우에는 실질적으로 네거티브 수준이 달성되도록 규제를 대폭 완화해야 한다"고 밝 혔다.네거티브 방식이란 법이나 규정에 정해진 규제 외에는 원칙적으로 규제하지 않도록 하는 것으로, 법이나 규정에 규제 대상을 미리 정해놓는 포지티브 방식 보다 규제완화의 폭이 훨씬 크다.박 대통령은 이와 관련, "2009년에 1만1천 개 남짓했던 등록규제 수가 2012년에 는 1만4천 개가 넘을 정도로 늘어났다"면서 "앞으로 정부입법으로 신설ㆍ강화되는 규제는 국무조정실의 규제영향 분석과 규제개혁위원회

국회 공공의료 국정조사 특위는 진주의료원 폐업 사태와 관련해 특위의 동행명령에 불응한 홍준표 경남도지사는 국회에서의 증언 및 감정에 관한 법률’ 위반 혐의로 검찰에 고발키로 10일 합의하고 해당 내용을 12일 전체회의에서 의결키로 했다. 홍 지사는 앞서 이번 사태와 관련해 국회 공공의료 정상화 국정조사의 증인 출석을 거부한 바 있다.홍 지사는 의원들의 동행요구에 대해 10일 오후 경남도의회에서 “2008년 BBK사건 당시 동행명령을 도입했다가 위헌 판결이 난 바 있다”며 “국회의원들이 이것도 모르고 5년 이하의 징역을 말하는데 국회가 무슨 사법기관이냐”고 맞대응했다.특위 측은 이에 “특별법에 의한 참고인의 동행명령은 위헌이지만 국회법상 증인에 대한 동행명령 규정은 여전히 살아있다. BBK 사건 이후에도 모두 4차례 동행명령이 발부됐고, 2011년 저축은행 비리 국조에서는 동행명령에 불응한 증인을 고발조치를 한 바 있다”고 반박했다.한편 홍 지사의 이러한 행보에 대해 야당뿐 아니라 여

The defense ministry said Thursday it will require surveillance cameras to be installed in all female barracks for better monitoring and enforcing stronger punishment of soldiers who commit sex crimes.The ministry reviewed the discipline and security of military troops in a meeting with senior officers and came up with a string of measures aimed at curbing sex crimes and suicides in barracks. "The ministry will appoint a sexual harassment counselor for each unit and require the establishment of

A Saudi princess was charged Wednesday with human trafficking for allegedly holding a domestic worker against her will and forcing her to work at a California condominium, prosecutors said.Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas identified 42-year-old Meshael Alayban as a Saudi princess who was charged with one count of human trafficking. If convicted, she faces up to 12 years in prison.Alayban was arrested after a Kenyan woman carrying a suitcase flagged down a bus Tuesday and told a pa

South Korean stocks traded 2.14 percent higher late Thursday morning, as blue-chip tech firms and steelmakers widened gains, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shot up 38.98 points to 1,863.14 as of 11:20 a.m.Top-cap tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics surged 3.5 percent and Hyundai Steel hiked nearly 5 percent. In contrast, large-cap insurers traded in negative territory, with Samsung Life Insurance losing 0.5 percent. The local currency was changing hands a

South Korea's central bank on Thursday raised its economic growth forecast for this year to 2.8 percent from its earlier estimate of 2.6 percent as the local economy is improving, aided by fiscal and monetary stimulus.  The forecast by the Bank of Korea (BOK) is higher than the government's revised growth forecast of 2.7 percent for this year. The central bank's 2014 growth projection was revised up to 4 percent from the 3.8 percent estimate made in April.The BOK's outlook revision comes as its

The financial regulator said Thursday it will require banks to build a two-pronged network system in a bid to avert cyber attacks after a series of online hackings into some of their websites. The Financial Services Commission (FSC), the country's top financial watchdog, said it plans to have large banks separate their network systems into two partitions -- one for internal use and the other for online use -- by next year. Under the measures, banks must split their main operating system first in

South Korea will stop the current bidding for fighter jets and revise the project as high price tags have made the chance of selecting a satisfactory contractor slim, a senior official said Thursday. The move comes after the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) carried out 55 separate biddings with three defense groups to buy 60 advanced jets with an 8.3 trillion won ($7.2 billion) budget, but the procedure was put on hold last week due to their expensive price tags. Boeing's F-15 S

South Korean stocks opened sharply higher Thursday, cheered by U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments in support of its easy-money policy, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 24.62 points, or 1.35 percent, to 1,848.78 in the first 15 minutes of trading.  Large-cap exporters pushed up the index, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics soaring 2.5 percent and steelmaker POSCO shooting up nearly 3 percent. Bernanke assuaged prevailing market

북한은 10일 금강산 관광 재개 및 이산가족 상봉을 위한 별도의 실무회담 개최를 전격 제의했다.북한은 이날 판문점 연락관 채널을 통해 금강산 관광 재개회담을 오는 17일, 추 석을 앞두고 이산가족 상봉을 위한 실무회담은 19일 개최할 것을 제의했다.북한은 두 실무회담의 장소로 금강산 또는 개성을 제안했다고 통일부는 전했다.북한의 금강산 실무회담 제안은 금강산 관광이 중단된 지 5년째 되는 날을 하루 앞두고 나왔다.우리 정부는 내부 검토를 거쳐 이산가족 상봉 행사를 위한 19일 적십자 실무접촉은 수용하되 장소는 판문점 '평화의 집'으로 하자고 북측에 수정제의했다.또 금강산 관광재개 회담 제의에 대해서는 "남북 당국간 개성공단 회담이 진행되는 현 상황에서는 개성공단 문제에 집중하는 것이 바람직하다"면서 현 시점에서 회담 개최를 거부한다는 입장을 전했다.북한은 우리 정부가 이산가족 상봉 회담의 장소를 수정 제의한 데 대해 아직까지 답변을 주지 않고 있다고 정부 당국자는 전했다.그러나 남북

South Korean stocks traded slightly lower late Wednesday morning, dented by losses in telecom companies and foodmakers, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slid 1.53 points, or 0.08 percent to 1,828.82 as of 11:20 a.m.Leading confectionery maker Orion fell more than 2 percent, with No. 2 mobile carrier KT Corp. dropping 1.4 percent. Top-cap Samsung Electronics continued to move in positive terrain, rising 0.7 percent. The local currency was changing hands at 1,

South Korean stocks opened almost unchanged Wednesday as investors took to the sidelines ahead of the release of Chinese export data scheduled later in the day, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 0.28 points, or 0.02 percent to 1,830.63 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Large-cap exporters led the climb, with Samsung Electronics gaining 0.5 percent and Hyundai Motor rising nearly 1 percent. Blue-chip state-run electricity provider Korea Electric Power

Conscripted K-pop star Rain was discharged from military service on Wednesday, receiving a warm welcome from his fans. The 31-year-old singer, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, served for 21 months as an "entertainment soldier" for an Army unit that provides TV and radio programming that promotes the military. All able-bodied men should serve roughly two years in the South Korean military, which is still technically at war with North Korea. Over 100 people, mostly from Japan, and reporters flocke

South Korean stocks closed 0.74 percent higher Tuesday as worries about a worsening Chinese economy eased, analysts said. The local currency rose sharply against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 13.50 points to finish at 1,830.35. Trading volume was light at 254.4 million shares worth 3.11 trillion won (US$2.71 billion) with gainers outpacing losers 499 to 286. "Some predicted a 6-percent level on-year growth for China. But investors seem to have d

Prosecutors said Tuesday that they will extend the imprisonment period for the head of the food and entertainment conglomerate CJ Group to further investigate him over alleged tax evasion and embezzlement.Chairman Lee Jay-hyun was locked up at the Seoul Detention Center on the southern outskirts of Seoul on July 1, shortly after a district court approved the prosecution's request for an arrest warrant for the country's 10th richest man.As Lee's first 10-day imprisonment period expires on Wednesd