The Korea Herald

Secret Service gives Nugent a call

World NewsApr 19, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Rocker and gun rights champion Ted Nugent says he will meet with the Secret Service on Thursday to explain his raucous remarks about what he called Barack Obama’s “evil, America-hating administration” ― comments some critics interpreted as a threat against the president.“The conclusion will be obvious that I threatened no one,” Nugent told radio interviewer Glenn Beck on Wednesday. Nugent said he’d been contacted by the agency and would cooperate fully even though he found the
Panetta apologizes over new military photo scandal

World NewsApr 19, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Defense Secretary Leon Panetta apologized Wednesday for gruesome, newly revealed photographs that show U.S. soldiers posing with the bloodied remains of dead insurgents in Afghanistan. He said war can lead young troops to “foolish decisions” and expressed concern the photos could incite fresh violence against Americans.The White House called the two-year-old photos “reprehensible,” joining Panetta and other top military officials in expressing regret for the latest in a string
Romney, Obama battle over economy

World NewsApr 19, 2012

President sketches his case for re-election in swing-state OhioCHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AP) ― Their battle joined, challenger Mitt Romney savaged President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy on Wednesday while the commander in chief commiserated up close with victims of the recession and warned that Republicans would only make matters worse.“Obama is over his head and swimming in the wrong direction” when it comes to the economy, Romney said in a scorching speech delivered across the stree
Lawyer admits to 81-cent theft from 1992

World NewsApr 19, 2012

An Australian lawyer admitted in court to stealing 81 cents from a wishing fountain nearly two decades ago.Simon Matters, 38, of Victoria was charged in 1992 with grabbing a handful of change from the wishing fountain in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, when he was 19 years old and he went home after denying the allegations to police, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported Wednesday.However, he recently di
world

World NewsApr 19, 2012

Secret Service calls Nugent over anti-Obama screed WASHINGTON (AP) — Rocker and gun rights champion Ted Nugent says he will meet with the Secret Service on Thursday to explain his raucous remarks about what he called Barack Obama‘s “evil, America-hating administration” — comments some critics interpreted as a threat against the president.“The conclusion will be obvious that I threatened no one,” Nugent told radio interviewer Glenn Beck on Wednesday. Nugent said he’d been contacted by the agency
Italy slashes 2012 growth forecast

World BusinessApr 19, 2012

Italy on Wednesday said its recession would deepen in 2012 with the economy shrinking 1.2 percent and delayed a target to balance its budget by 2013, warning there was still “a long way to go.”“Despite the progress made, there is still a long way to go in a context that is more favorable but still characterized by elements of uncertainty,” a report approved by the cabinet that accompanied the new forecasts said.“The coming months offer a window of opportunity that must be used,” it said, pointin
Japan’s fastest export growth in a year boosts outlook

World BusinessApr 19, 2012

Japan reported the fastest export growth in a year and a smaller-than-expected trade deficit, boosting prospects that the recovery in the world’s third- biggest economy will be sustained. Outbound shipments rose 5.9 percent in March from a year earlier, exceeding the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey for a gain of 0.2 percent. The deficit was 82.6 billion yen ($1 billion), less than the median forecast for a 223.2 billion yen shortfall. Comparisons are distorted by the earthquake in Mar
IMF: Cuts in European bank lending to drag growth

World BusinessApr 19, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The International Monetary Fund warned Wednesday that European banks are under pressure to preserve capital and could cut back sharply on lending over the next two years, slowing the region’s growth.The predicted credit crunch is a major reason why Europe’s economy is expected to suffer a mild recession this year and barely grow in 2013, the IMF said in a report on the global financial system released Wednesday.The 17 countries that use the euro will see their economies shrink
Thai parliament flashed by pornographic picture

World NewsApr 19, 2012

The graphic image of a naked woman caused shockwaves in Thailand's parliament on Wednesday when it flashed across big screens during a legislators' debate.Monitors that had been showing a close-up shots of the parliamentarian addressing the house suddenly flashed a picture of a woman of Asian appearance in a provocative pose.MP Sanong Thepaksornnarong, from Thailand's Bhumjaithai Party, spotted th
Girl, 8, made to wear sign as punishment

World NewsApr 19, 2012

An Illinois school district sent a letter to parents after a father made his 8-year-old daughter stand outside a school with a sign saying she likes "to steal."Superintendent Mike Brink of High Mount School District 116 said he sent the letter home after Montrail White forced his third-grade daughter to hold a sign reading "I like to steal from others and lie about it" outside of High Mount School
Scandal claims jobs of three Secret Service agents

World NewsApr 19, 2012

The US Secret Service said Wednesday that three employees will leave their jobs over the sex scandal in a hotel in Colombia which tarnished the elite presidential protection agency's image.Two leading congressmen meanwhile revealed in a letter to Secret Service chief Mark Sullivan obtained by ABC News that agents accused of consorting with prostitutes may have been careless with "sensitive securit
U.S. regrets photos with corpses in Afghanistan

World NewsApr 19, 2012

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta apologized Wednesday for newly published photographs that purport to show U.S. soldiers posing with the bloodied remains of dead insurgents in Afghanistan, and without excusing their ``very foolish'' action the Pentagon chief suggested that it could be explained by the rigors of war. The front page of the Los Angeles Times newspaper is shown at the Hollywood Universa
Tokyo mega-quake would kill over 9,000: simulation

World NewsApr 18, 2012

TOKYO (AFP) - More than 9,600 people would die with nearly 150,000 injured if a mega-quake struck Tokyo, a disaster that would also level large parts of the Japanese capital, a government projection said Wednesday.The frightening simulation was released by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as Japan slowly rebuilds its northeast coast, which was devastated by a magnitude 9.0 quake in March last yea
India to test nuclear missile that can hit Beijing

World NewsApr 18, 2012

NEW DELHI (AP) _ India is planning to test launch a new nuclear missile that for the first time would give it the capability of hitting the major Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai.The government has hailed the Agni-V missile, with a range of 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles), as a major boost to its efforts to counter China's regional dominance and become an Asia power in its own right. The test
Japan’s Toshiba to pay $850m for IBM retail unit

World BusinessApr 18, 2012

TOKYO (AFP) ― Japanese electronics giant Toshiba said Tuesday it would pay about $850.0 million for IBM’s retail products unit, with the U.S. firm saying it would create the world’s leading point-of-sale company.The transaction was expected to be completed later in the year, with the move aimed at retailers who “will benefit from accelerated development of new products and solutions,” the Japanese firm said in a statement.The deal comes as Japanese firms take advantage of a high yen to explore o