OSLO, Norway (AP) _ The suspect in the bombing and mass shooting that killed 76 people in Norway sees himself as ``some kind of savior'' and is likely insane, his attorney said Tuesday, though the lawyer said he did not know whether he would use an insanity defense.Geir Lippestad told The Associated Press in an interview that his client, Anders Behring Breivik, is unaware of the impact of the atta

OSLO, Norway (AP) _ The father of a victim of the Norway massacre said Tuesday his son was full of love for people and for the outdoors _ and the young man's last words to him were ``Dad, someone is shooting.''Norwegian police on Tuesday began releasing the names of those killed in last week's bomb blast and massacre at a Labor Party youth camp, an announcement likely to bring new collective grief

President Lee Myung-bak has warned that the safety of four Japanese lawmakers could be at risk if they press ahead with a trip here seen as aimed at bolstering Tokyo's claims to the South's easternmost island of Dokdo, an official said Wednesday.Four lawmakers of Japan's opposition Liberal Democratic Party said last week they will visit Ulleung Island near Dokdo in early August in an apparent atte

NEW YORK (Yonhap News) -- A senior North Korean official said Tuesday that he is optimistic about Pyongyang's relations with Washington and the future of the six-way nuclear talks."I believe North Korea-U.S. relations will improve as now is the time for all countries to reconcile," Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan told reporters.He added, "(I) am optimistic of the prospects for the six-way talks

CHUNCHEON, South Korea (Yonhap) -- Heavy torrential rains pounded the nation's central regions, causing a landslide in a mountain resort east of Seoul that killed nine and destroyed four buildings, emergency rescue workers said as of 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning.The landslide, which occurred just after midnight near the Soyang River Dam about 100 kilometers east of Seoul, destroyed a pension and th

OSLO (AFP) -- The lawyer for the Norwegian gunman who has claimed responsibility for killing 76 people in twin attacks last week said Tuesday that everything about his client's case indicates he is "insane.”   "This whole case indicates that he's insane," Geir Lippestad told journalists of Anders Behring Breivik, adding that a medical evaluation would take place to establish his psychiatric condit

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

Tariff raise eases cost burden for KEPCO, complicates inflation fightThe government announced Tuesday it will raise electricity tariffs by an average 4.9 percent starting August to reflect rising energy costs even as inflation remains high.The Economy Ministry said electricity bills will rise 6.1 percent for industrial use but said the raise for home use will only be 2 percent. Finance Minister Ba

Some members of the U.K. Parliament have sent letters to major political parties in Korea, urging them to work together to pass a long-delayed bill on North Korean human rights, a North Korea watcher here said. “Twenty U.K. MPs sent the letter on July 20, directed to four major political parties of Korea,” Ha Tae-keung, who runs Open Radio for North Korea, a Seoul-based radio station that broadcas

Grand National Party floor leader Hwang Woo-yea urged the parliamentary education committee to accelerate the university tuition cut discussions and come up with detailed measures by the beginning of the fall semester.“I have been told that the education committee has made little progress lately,” said Rep. Hwang in the ruling party’s floor meeting on Tuesday.“Should the committee fail to reach a

Women’s rights advocates called for reform in the male-dominated political system on Tuesday to help more female candidates run for election, as part of efforts to expand their presence in politics.In a forum held by the state-run Korea Women’s Development Institute, panelists pointed out that a small fraction of the National Assembly and local legislatures were made up of women, suggesting variou

Foreign city government officials have earned master’s degrees in Seoul city administration after studying the Korean capital’s developmental know-how and administrative experience for 25 months. A total 19 officials from eight cities ― Bangkok, Ulan Bator, Taipei, Hanoi, Beijing, Jakarta, San Paolo and Istanbul ― have completed the Seoul city administration master’s degree program and recently pr