DETROIT (AP) _ Betty Ford, the former first lady whose triumph over drug and alcohol addiction became a beacon of hope for addicts and the inspiration for her Betty Ford Center, has died, a family friend said Friday. She was 93.   Mrs. Ford's death was confirmed by Marty Allen, chairman emeritus of the Ford Foundation. He did not comment further, and said he expected the Gerald R. Ford Presiden

  South Korean stocks are expected to continue their upward march next week on the back of favorable market conditions, analysts said Saturday.    The country's key stock index, the KOSPI, gained 2.57 percent, or 54.61 points, this week to close at 2,180.35 on Friday, despite the lingering debt crisis in Europe and a rate hike by China.   Next week is packed with major events such as the central b

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin has ordered military commanders to inspect the standards of discipline and irregularities, following a shooting rampage earlier this week by a marine that killed four colleagues on a front-line unit, a source said Saturday.    Questions over discipline have been raised since the 19-year-old marine corporal, only identified by his surname Kim, opened fire on Monday at

   WASHINGTON -- The leader of the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday voiced clear opposition to President Barack Obama's push to package three pending trade pacts with a worker assistance program.   "We expect in the House to move four separate bills, and I would hope they would heed our advice," House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told reporters.   His firm stance came a day after key commi

   JUBA, South Sudan (AP) _ South Sudan became the world's newest nation early Saturday, officially breaking away from Sudan after two civil wars over five decades that cost the lives of millions.   In the new country's capital, Juba, streets pulsed with excitement. Residents danced, banged on jerry cans and chanted the name of the world's newest president, Salva Kiir. One man kneeled and kissed t

   ADDIS ABABA -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak agreed Friday to provide active support for Ethiopia's economic development, pledging to significantly boost relations with the African nation that helped save the South from North Korea's invasion 60 years ago.   In summit talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Lee expressed gratitude for Ethiopia's participation in the 1950-53 Korean War, a

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – South Korean President Lee Myung-bak arrived in Ethiopia on Friday for a three-day visit that includes economic cooperation talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and a series of activities paying tribute to Ethiopia's participation in the Korean War.Ethiopia is one of the 16 nations that sent combat troops as part of U.N. forces to help South Korea repel invading North Kor

Hana Financial Group and Lone Star Funds reached an agreement to extend a deal to buy Korea Exchange Bank within six months, Hana said Friday.Hana, the nation’s No. 4 banking group, held a meeting of its board members later in the day to review the terms of the deal.In November, Hana struck a deal with the U.S. buyout fund to acquire its controlling 51 percent stake in KEB for 4.69 trillion won ($

Korea-U.S. investigation team finds suspicious spots in Camp CarrollCHILGOK, North Gyeongsang Province ― A joint Korea-U.S. investigation team found signs that metallic objects, shaped like drums, may be buried underground at one of the U.S. military camps in Korea, team officials said Friday. The team will now take samples of soil from as far as 10 meters deep to verify a claim by U.S. veteran St

A soldier had killed himself at the Marine Corps Second Division near Seoul just a day before Monday’s shooting rampage at his division, military officials said Friday, as investigations continued into the case that killed four soldiers. Authorities said they are investigating whether habitual bullying was rampant among marines at the division in Ganghwa, Gyeonggi Province, leading to the two trag

British American Tobacco Korea said it reduced the price of the superpremium “Dunhill SWITCH” by 200 won to 2,800 won ($2.60) from Friday.BAT Korea reportedly said the company took the action in consideration of consumers’ burden on the price of the cigarettes.The company introduced the new brand with “RELOC” inner wrapping on the local market on June 7. (cheesuk@heraldm.com)

The Korea Communications Commission said Friday it has dispatched a group of officials to the headquarters of Apple Inc. and Google Inc. in the U.S. for its ongoing probe over location data storage.The investigation committee, which consists of six experts from the KCC and the Korea Internet & Security Agency, will overhaul how the two tech giants utilize resources stored in their servers until Ju