North Korean farmers work to pump underground water into parched fields. Instead of rice seedlings standing in flooded paddies, the baked earth is cracked. A big lake that used to supply surrounding farmland with water is almost completely dry. There has been almost no rain in this part of the country, an hour's drive from the capital Pyongyang and one of the country's main rice-growing regions, according to farmers and local officials interviewed by The Associated Press. While the situation in

South Korea will step up its participation in global peace-keeping operations, the military official in charge of foreign troops dispatch said Friday, as the country marks the three-year anniversary of PKO deployment in the violence-hit South Sudan.With the 5th rotation of forces of the 290-strong "Hanbit" unit arriving in the South Sudanese town of Bor this week, South Korea marks three years since the dispatch of the rebuilding forces.The Hanbit unit was dispatched to the town, located some 17

A U.S. hedge fund, opposing a proposed merger of two Samsung Group units, has filed an appeal against a Seoul court's dismissal of its request to block the deal, the latest in a series of legal rows unfolding against South Korea's top conglomerate over the high-profile merger. Elliott Associates L.P. has been seeking to stop Samsung C&T Corp., the construction arm of Samsung Group, from being merged with Cheil Industries Inc., the de facto holding firm of the conglomerate, in an all-stock deal w

President Park Geun-hye will attend the Japanese Embassy's reception this week to mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties with Japan, Cheong Wa Dae announced Sunday."President Park plans to participate in the event to be held on Monday afternoon," at a Seoul hotel, the presidential office said.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will also attend a similar ceremony to be hosted by the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo on Monday, added Cheong Wa Dae."We look forward to develop

지난 9일 경기도 고양시 서울메트로지축차량기지에서 방역 관계자들이 중동호흡기중후군(메르스) 예방 대책의 하나로 살균소독 및 방역작업을 하고 있다. (연합)서울시가 중동호흡기증후군(메르스) 환자가 이용한 지하철 역사 승강장과 객차 등을 대상으로 검사를 시행한 결과 바이러스가 전혀 검출되지 않았다고 21일 밝혔다.서울시 보건환경연구원과 도시교통본부는 시민 불안을 없애기 위해 19∼21일 137번째 확진 환자가 이용했던 지하철 역사 3개소와 평소 이용객이 많은 6개 지하철역의 승강장, 대합실, 화장실 변기, 객차 출입문, 배기구, 필터를 모두 검사했다.검사 대상역은 서울대입구역, 교대환승역, 일원역, 잠실역, 건대입구역, 강남역, 신도림역, 시청역, 서울역 등이다.김창보 서울시 보건기획관은 이날 브리핑에서 "9개 역에서 115건을 채취해 메르스 바이러스 유전자 포함 여부를 검사했지만 모두 음성으로 판명됐다"고 설명했다.서울시는 또 165번째 확진 환자가 발생한 강동경희대병원과 관련, 혈액

The Conservative Party swept to power Friday in Britain's parliamentary elections, winning an unexpected majority that returns Prime Minister David Cameron to 10 Downing Street in a stronger position than before. Cameron went to Buckingham Palace, where he was expected to tell Queen Elizabeth II that he has enough support to form a government. David Cameron, U.K. prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party, departs Downing Street for Buckingham Palace following the 2015 general election,

Despite hopes that the public had warmed to him during a fractious campaign, Ed Miliband and his Labor Party suffered a devastating rout in Thursday's British general election, triggering his immediate resignation.Written off as a political insider lacking charisma just a few months ago, the 45-year-old had won plaudits for his tough campaign style and some observers saw leadership material despite his awkward image.Center-left Labor was neck-and-neck with the center-right Conservatives in opini

The EU said Friday it was ready to work with Britain's re-elected Prime Minister David Cameron on his reform demands but said key principles including the freedom of movement were not up for negotiation.Cameron, whose Conservatives won a shock majority, has pledged to hold a referendum on membership of the European Union by 2017 and wants changes to the bloc's treaties on issues including migration."I confirm that the four freedoms in the treaty are non-negotiable. They are non-negotiable becaus

Slugger Lee Dae-ho, playing for the Softbank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), hit his 300th career home run on Friday to become the second South Korean baseball player to achieve the honor in two leagues.Starting as the designated hitter at a home game against the Rakuten Eagles at Yahoo Auctions Dome in Fukuoka, Lee slammed a solo homer off starter Kenny Ray in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1. It was also his eighth homer of the season. Lee, 32, hit 22

Nearly 7,000 civilians have been killed in the war in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed separatists since fighting erupted in April last year, the nation's president said Friday.Speaking before parliament, Petro Poroshenko said that more than 1,000 people remained unaccounted for. The figures mark a sharp increase from the most recent United Nations tally of around 6,100 people killed. Addressing an assembly packed with soldiers, Poroshenko said that 1,657 Ukrainian tr

One huge election victory under his belt, David Cameron now heads into another fundamental campaign for Britain with renewed vigor: should his island nation remain in the European Union if there is no reform within the next two years. Even if groundbreaking changes to the way the EU works are unlikely to be achieved within the two-year timeframe for a British referendum, many believe there is a groundswell for just enough changes to keep Britain in.  Syad Kamall, leader of the Conservative group

A Taiwanese watchdog Friday called for President Ma Ying-jeou to be probed over claims he allowed a company off almost $100 million in payments for a massive Taipei construction project while the city's mayor.The Clean Government Committee has been investigating Ma, whose immunity from prosecution expires next year, for allegedly granting favors to Farglory Land Development Co., which signed the contract with the city government to build the Taipei Dome stadium in 2006.The project was expected t

Vietnam has carried out significant land reclamation at two sites in disputed South China Sea waters, recent satellite pictures show, but analysts say the scale of the work is dwarfed by that of China.The images, taken late last month by DigitalGlobe and shown on the website of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), show land expansions at Sand Cay and West London Reef, both part of the Spratly Islands chain and occupied by Vietnam."Between August 2011 and Fe

President Park Geun-hye Friday called for a unhindered investigation into a bribery scandal as the prosecution summoned a provincial governor for questioning over the scandal involving some of Park's key aides."I am determined to capitalize on this opportunity to clear people's suspicions over the recent affairs through an investigation without sanctuary and to make our society and the political circle be born again completely," Park said during her meeting with representatives of volunteer orga

South Korea said Friday it will hold talks with Japan this month on Tokyo's attempt to win UNESCO's recognition for several industrial facilities where many Koreans were coerced into slave labor during the colonial era."The two sides will hold a meeting to discuss the matter in Tokyo on May 22," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.The level of chief delegates has yet to be decided, it added.Japan has applied for the listing of a package of 23 coal mines, shipyards and other early industrial zon

A suicide bomber killed at least 22 people and wounded 50 others in an attack Saturday outside a bank in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, provincial officials said."The explosion happened outside a bank where government employees collect their monthly salaries," Nangarhar provincial police chief Fazal Ahmad Shirzad told AFP.Provincial government spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai confirmed the attack and said dozens were killed and wounded. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied responsibili

Greece's government bonds had their worst week since the aftermath of Syriza's January election victory as the nation failed to make tangible headway in its efforts to secure funding and avoid a default.The yield on 10-year Greek debt climbed to the highest since December 2012 as the clock ticked down toward almost 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) of payments due next month. German 10-year bonds rose in the week, pushing yields below 0.1 percent for the first time, after European Central Bank Pres

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the governor of Okinawa prefecture that expanding other U.S. military facilities on the island is the only way to shift a Marine air base out of an urban area.The two met in Tokyo on Friday for the first time after Takeshi Onaga won office in November vowing to oppose the offshore construction plan, a stance polls show is backed by his constituents. Last month he ordered a halt to seabed boring surveys, saying that environmental conditions had been violated. The ce

North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong-nam, arrived in Beijing on Saturday, en route to Indonesia to attend a regional conference where he could hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a diplomatic source said. Kim, the head of North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament, is among leaders, including Xi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who are expected to attend next week's Asian-African Conference in Indonesia. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin has hinted t

Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and two assists, and Alex Ovechkin scored once, leading the Washington Capitals and fill-in goalie Philipp Grubauer past the New York Islanders 4-3 Friday night to even their first-round playoff series at a game each. After Washington's two stars - Ovechkin led the NHL in goals, Backstrom was No. 1 in assists - were reunited on the top line, both scored to erase a 3-1 deficit. Jason Chimera netted the go-ahead goal with 12 1/2 minutes left. It was the first time the