WASHINGTON -- The United States will seek to deny North Korea crude oil supplies and other basic needs in an effort to ramp up pressure on the regime over its nuclear and missile programs, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday."We're going to have to move to work with others to begin to deny North Korea basic needs like crude oil supplies, petroleum fuel supplies, things that are fairly or at least easier ... to monitor whether we're getting cooperation with people or not," Tillerson

President Moon Jae-in reiterated his resolve to strengthen South Korea's defense capabilities against North Korea Tuesday, while asking the combined forces of the country and the United States here to maintain their strong defense posture to fend off the communist country's nuclear and missile provocations.The president's call for a stronger Korea-US alliance came during his first visit to the Korea-US Combined Forces Command, led by Gen. Vincent Brooks, who is also the commander of the United N

South Korea's foreign ministry said Tuesday that it cherishes its relations with Vietnam and wants to advance the ties further in its response to an outcry from the country following President Moon Jae-in's recent remarks on the Vietnam War.In his speech on June 6 marking Memorial Day, Moon said that the contributions made by South Korean soldiers during the Vietnam War helped bolster the economy here. South Korean President Moon Jae-in`s special envoy, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon (left), meets wi

South Korean President Moon Jae-in appreciated the service of the allied forces against North Korea's military threats, paying a visit to the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command on Tuesday, the US Forces Korea said. Moon was greeted by Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, the commander of the CFC and the USFK, and Gen. Leem Ho-yong, deputy commander of the CFC, in his first visit to the US Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, where the CFC headquarters is located.President Moon Jae-in is escorted by Gen. Vince

South Korea's state audit agency demanded disciplinary actions against 28 officials from the government and public organizations on Tuesday for irregularities related to the so-called artists blacklist under the ousted President Park Geun-hye. The Board of Audit and Inspection confirmed more than 440 cases in which the blacklisted artists and other figures were denied state support or other opportunities under the direction of the presidential secretariat.The BAI announced the results of its mon

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- A US appeals court on Monday upheld a decision to block President Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban targeting citizens from six Muslim majority nations -- the latest in a string of stinging judicial blows for the Republican billionaire.The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit kept in place a lower court injunction on the ban, arguing the president had overstepped his authority and his executive order discriminated against travelers based on their nationality.The m

LONDON (AFP) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May took the blame for the ruling Conservatives’ disastrous performance at last week’s elections, as she faced her party’s angry MPs on Monday, seeking to ward off any challenge to her leadership.“I got us into this mess and I’m going to get us out,” May told Conservatives MPs during the meeting in Westminster.May’s Conservatives unexpectedly lost their majority in parliament in Thursday’s snap general election, causing political chaos ahead of Brex

President Moon Jae-in's pick for agriculture minister has extensive experience as a veteran provincial administrator and two-time lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.Kim Yung-rok started his government career in 1977 and worked in the South Jeolla provincial government for more than two decades. He also went through various senior posts, including the county chief of Wando and a vice governor of southwestern province.Agriculture Minister nominee Kim Yung-rok (Yonhap)Kim entered poli

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AFP) -- Nearly 450 climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest from the Nepal side in May, officials said Monday, but poor weather and inexperience prevented many others from reaching the top this season.Nepal issued a record number of permits to foreign mountaineers during the spring climbing season, when a brief window of good weather between late April and the end of May sees a rush for the top of the world’s highest peak.Almost 450 climbers -- 190 foreigners and 259 Nepali

PARIS (AFP) -- French President Emmanuel Macron’s stunning rise to power masks an enthusiasm deficit and dozens of his newly minted lawmakers will be under pressure to prove their political mettle, analysts warn.Macron will also have to allay fears that the overwhelming majority that his centrist Republic on the Move party is set to enjoy in parliament will shut out healthy democratic debate.“It’s a muted, incomplete victory because he does not enjoy the backing of a majority of the French peopl

BEIJING (AFP) -- Panama and China announced Tuesday they were establishing diplomatic relations, as the Central American nation became the latest to dump Taiwan for closer ties with the world’s second-largest economy.The move prompted an angry response from Taiwan and will likely further strain ties between Taipei and Beijing, which considers the self-ruled island a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland. Taiwan is recognized by around 20 countries worldwide and its status is

LONDON (AFP) -- Supporters of “hard” and “soft” Brexit tried to take advantage of the political chaos in Britain on Monday to promote their visions amid fears that their rivalry could revive old divisions in the Conservative party.Prime Minister Theresa May is in a weakened position after losing her parliamentary majority in last week‘s snap election, leaving her vulnerable to both hardliners and moderates in her party.“May has lost all authority on Brexit and everything else. All options are ba

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Maryland and Washington sued President Donald Trump Monday, saying he is violating laws by raking in money from foreign governments and businesses at his luxury hotels and office towers.The lawsuit said heavy spending by foreign diplomats and embassies at the Trump International Hotel just a few blocks from the White House, payments made by foreign entities at his Trump Tower and Trump International Tower in New York, and other business operations effectively violate the US C

MIAMI (AFP) -- Thousands marked the first anniversary Monday of the Orlando massacre that left 49 people dead at the city’s Pulse gay nightclub, with US President Donald Trump also tweeting his sympathies.The shooting spree on June 12, 2016 by Omar Mateen -- who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group before turning his weapons on revelers -- also left more than 50 people wounded.The building, soon to be converted into a museum, opened its doors at 2 a.m. to relatives of the victims and su

Diplomats and other experts from major countries involved in global efforts to denuclearize North Korea will likely gather next month to exchange views on regional security, a diplomatic source said Tuesday.Member states of the long-suspended six-party denuclearization talks are expected to send officials along with private-sector experts to the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue to be held early next month in Singapore. (Yonhap)The NEACD is an annual diplomatic and security forum regarded as t

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Pentagon chief Jim Mattis told lawmakers Monday he was "shocked" by the state of the US military's readiness, blaming legal budget caps and the grind of 16 years of constant war.The defense secretary also warned that North Korea has become the most urgent threat to peace and security, and said -- without giving details -- that America must do things differently in Afghanistan. Pointing to Obama-era budget caps known as sequestration, Mattis said limits on military spending ha

The South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles said Tuesday they will keep interim manager Lee Sang-kun for the remainder of the season.The Korea Baseball Organization club has been without a full-time manager since the dismissal of Kim Sung-keun on May 23. Lee, then a pitching coach, assumed the interim role, and the Eagles at the time said they'd try to name Kim's replacement as quickly as possible to stabilize the clubhouse and the dugout.Lee Sang-kun (right), interim manager of the Hanwha Eagl

The number of endometriosis patients rose sharply in recent years due to late marriage and childbirths, stress and irregular lifestyles, with most of those affected in their 30s and 40s, data showed Tuesday.The number of those who were diagnosed as endometriosis patients by CHA Gangnam Medical Center in southern Seoul rose to 15,968 in 2016 from 3,184 in 2009, according to the hospital records. An undated file photo of an endometriosis patient surgery at a Seoul hospital. (Yonhap)Out of the 2017

MOSCOW (AFP) -- Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days, and over 1,500 of his supporters were arrested after demonstrations across the nation on Monday against government corruption.The protests were the second mass action since March called by Navalny, who has announced his intention to run for president next year and has drawn a new generation to the streets through a relentless online campaign.A Moscow court, sitting late Monday, found the 41-year-old Navalny guil

Despite a 2015 deal between South Korea and Japan to end a bilateral feud over colonial-era sexual enslavement, its South Korean victims still have individual rights to sue the Japanese government for compensation, Seoul has recently concluded.The government submitted the position to the Seoul Central District Court in late April upon the court's order to define the legal effectiveness of the agreement signed in December 2015. A weekly rally is under way in front of the Japanese Embassy, which i