BEIJING (AP) -- Cabbage sellers in China have been caught spritzing their product with formaldehyde to keep it fresh during long trips to market in the country's latest food safety scandal.China's food industry and regulatory agencies have been scrambling to clean up their reputations following a series of serious problems including melamine-tainted milk and pork laced with a banned growth promote

BEIJING (AFP) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday told a visiting North Korean official that the two countries should work towards "peace and stability" after a missile launch by Pyongyang, state media said.Speaking in a meeting with Kim Yong-il, a top official of North Korea's ruling Korean Workers' Party, Hu called for greater cooperation with its traditional ally, the state-run Xinhua news

OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Anxious to prove he's not insane, confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik told a court Monday that questions about his mental health are part of a racist plot to discredit his extreme anti-Muslim ideology.Breivik, who has admitted to killing 77 people in a bombing and youth camp massacre, said that no one would have asked for a psychiatric examination had he been a ``bear

The government said Monday it will spend more than 6.2 trillion won ($5.44 billion) this year to support women in jobs, through childcare and in other areas that could lead to an overall improvement of their social standing.Under the plan, the government will offer customized job support for women seeking reemployment, women in rural areas, marriage immigrants and other groups. The sum is about 70

SANFORD, Florida (AP) -- In a low-key event for such a high-profile case, the neighborhood watch volunteer awaiting his second-degree murder trial in the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin was released from a Florida jail on $150,000 bail.George Zimmerman was wearing a brown jacket and blue jeans and carrying a paper bag as he walked out of the jail around midnight Sunday. He was fo

A Busan woman who lost her eyesight after taking cold medicine has filed a compensation lawsuit against the government, the drug maker and other concerned parties, claiming her misfortune was caused by side effects of the drug, her law firm said Monday.According to the law firm CS, the 36-year-old, identified only by her family name of Kim, took the rare legal action against the government, the dr

South Korean and Chinese naval forces are close to agreeing on holding joint search and rescue exercises, a high-level government source said on Sunday. “China expressed the wish to hold joint SAR (search and rescue) exercises last Saturday during the inaugural South Korea-China strategic defense dialogue,” said the official. The talks were led by Air Force Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the ge

Hong, Sohn visit disaster-hit areas, vow support for restoration effortsParty leaders are giving up their summer vacations with drinks in the sun for trudging in the mud with shovels and galoshes, joining in nationwide restoration efforts after floods and landslides hit the nation last week.Ruling Grand National Party chairman Hong Joon-pyo deferred his Monday vacation plans to personally oversea

In an area normally known for its classical music scene, Seocho district on Thursday is now in disarray, some 24 hours after the torrential downpour that caused a landslide at Mount Umyeon. Sections of Nambu-Sunhwan-ro, a ring road, a few meters from the Seoul Arts Center, are still submerged in waist deep mud, water, tree branches, trash and even a hypodermic needle. Firefighters and soldiers cle

Downpour to dump a total 650mm on capitalThe northern areas of the country are expected to see another 250 millimeters of rain up until Friday, raising concerns of further flood damage, according to the country’s weather service on Wednesday. According to the Korean Meteorological Administration, most areas throughout Seoul, Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong and Gangwon Provinces are expected to see 50

North Korean soldiers are gathering for a massive military drill involving land, sea and air forces on its western coast, according to a government source on Tuesday. “We noted preparations for a military exercise from the North’s naval base in Nampo and its aerial base in Onchon in South Pyongan Province,” the source said.“Warships and fighters have been assembled there, and although it depends o

The number of petitions against racial and religious discrimination doubled last year from five years earlier.The National Human Rights Commission said Tuesday that it received 64 complaints in 2010 regarding discrimination based on race, religion, nationality, ethnicity and skin color, doubling from the 32 cases filed in 2005.The increasing reports of discrimination have drawn attention as more a

The Chinese and Korean defense ministries will hold inaugural strategic defense dialogue in Seoul this week, hoping to thaw their relationship that has been chilled since two deadly North Korean provocations last year, said Chinese officials Sunday.A top-level delegation led by Air Force Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the general staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, will arrive in Seo

Seoul will conduct its first ever census of North Korean defectors to determine their quality of life, the North Korean Refugees Foundation said Monday. According to the public organization, they have conducted interview surveys of all North Korean refugees over 8 years old on family conditions, standard of living, education and other factors. This is the first time the government has held a censu

North Korea had tested the rocket engines for its intercontinental ballistics missile ahead of the deadly attack on Yeonpyeong Island in 2010, according to a high-ranking source on Sunday.“In October of last year North Korea tested the rockets for its intercontinental ballistics missile at its Dongchang-ri base,” said the high-ranking government official. “We believe they conducted the test as a d

Female commuters may soon have a safe haven from sex offenders when riding the subway, as the capital plans to introduce women-only cars, city officials said Wednesday.In order to protect women from sexual assault, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to gather public opinion on the measure by next month, and implement a trial run by September. According to officials, the trial run will be held

The Defense Ministry will hold random inspections of all Marine Corps bases within the year to stem abuse among soldiers, a military official said Wednesday.“The ministry will form special inspection teams involving different areas, such as operations and personnel, and will conduct random checks on Marine bases from August to the end of the year,” said the source.“Soldiers and commanders who are

The military has introduced new rules to block the physical and verbal abuses that are allegedly rampant inside barracks, officials said Tuesday.The measures came in the wake of a deadly shooting spree by a marine in his barracks early this month. Under the rules adopted by the Defense Ministry, enlisted soldiers, excluding squad or team leaders, may no longer order or instruct fellow soldiers, an

The nation’s first nudist forest spa will be opening late this month in South Jeolla Province, allowing “free spirits” a chance to walk among nature in their birthday suits.Woodland, a forest spa offering various cypress related treatments, will open its newest venue, Vivi Ecotopia, on July 30. The idea of a nudist forest drew much media attention after the announcement to open the venue nearly a

As the rainy season comes to an end, the country is expected to face sweltering weather throughout the week, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Sunday. The North Pacific high-pressure system developed north, placing the Korean peninsula on its outer edges, bringing about a heat wave and partly cloudy skies in place of wet weather.Temperatures will remain at hotter than 30 degr