Parts of North Korean landmines apparently churned up by torrential rains have washed up across the border in South Korea, prompting a search by the military for more mines, the defence ministry said.Two wooden shells of North Korean landmines were found Thursday in a water-harvesting cistern near Hantan River at Cheolwon County, just south of the inter-Korean border, it said."They were just empty

OSLO, Norway (AP) — Norway began burying the dead on Friday, a week after an anti-immigrant extremist killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage.Mourners of all ages vowed they would not let the massacre threaten their nation's openness and democracy.An 18-year-old Muslim girl was the first victim to be laid to rest since the gunman opened fire at a political youth camp and bombed the gove

WASHINGTON (AP) — In an unforgiving display of partisanship, the Republican-controlled House approved emergency legislation Friday night to avoid an unprecedented government default and Senate Democrats scuttled it less than two hours later in hopes of a better deal."We are almost out of time" for a compromise, warned President Barack Obama as U.S. financial markets trembled at the prospect of eco

LA PAZ, Bolivia -- South Korea and Bolivia agreed on Friday to cooperate on a lithium battery business with the two countries seeking to set up a joint venture here to produce parts for rechargeable batteries.In April 2009, the two countries signed a deal to develop lithium resources in the South American country, which boasts nearly half of the world's known reserves.The deal allows South Korean

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey made a two-day trip to South Korea earlier this week, the militaries of South Korea and the U.S. said Saturday.Dempsey, the nominee to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in South Korea on Thursday and held talks with the outh Korea's JCS chairman and toured the inter-Korean border vllage of Panmunjom on Friday before returning home

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON -- North Korea and the United States have completed this week's talks in New York, which both sides called "constructive."Speaking to reporters separately, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan and Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, gave no details on whether substantial progress was made in their two-day discussions."Talks were

SEOUL, July 29, 2011 (AFP) - South Korean prosecutors have arrested five people on charges of spying for North Korea, a report said Friday.The five, led by an information technology company chief identified only as Kim, were charged with violating South Korea's security law, Yonhap news agency said.They were accused of setting up an underground communist group on the instructions of an espionage u

SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak paid his respect Friday to a young conscripted policeman who was killed while trying to rescue a citizen from a stream swollen in this week's torrential rains.Lee offered flowers and a moment of silence before the funeral photo of the 21-year-old policeman, Cho Min-soo, who was found dead Thursday after being swept away in flood waters in Dongduch

Seoul plans to slap entry ban on fourA diplomatic conflict between South Korea and Japan is escalating as four Japanese lawmakers are pushing ahead with their plan to visit Ulleung Island, while Seoul plans to ban their entry into the country.Despite repeated warnings, the lawmakers of Japan’s main opposition Liberal Democratic Party have stuck to their plan to visit the island, the closest they c

South Korea will send 39 troops to Mongolia later this week for an annual international peacekeeping exercise, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday.At the invitation of the Mongolian military, the troops will participate in the 13-day “Khaan Quest” drill that will begin in an area some 56 kilometers west of the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator on Sunday. The exercise was created in 2003 to enhance

Seoul hints it could rely on international law to resolve issueNorth Korea on Friday notified South Korea that it would begin taking “practical steps” to dispose of South Korean assets at its Mount Geumgang resort, a move that could further aggravate inter-Korean ties.Friday was the deadline by which the North had demanded the South “dispose of its rights to the properties” at the scenic resort on