The Korea Herald

Texas police: Man in Santa suit killed 6 relatives

Dec 27, 2011

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — Police in a quiet Fort Worth suburb worked Monday to piece together a family history after a man dressed in a Santa Claus suit apparently shot six relatives and himself on Christmas.Grapevine police spokesman Sgt. Robert Eberling said the shooter showed up in the costum
China, Japan unveil deals to tighten finance relations

Dec 26, 2011

BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese and Japanese leaders have unveiled initiatives to tighten financial links between East Asia’s economic giants and sometime rivals -- measures that could expand use of China’s tightly controlled currency abroad.During a visit to Beijing by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the two governments said in a surprise announcement Sunday they will encourage use of their own currencies in bilateral trade, which now is conducted mostly in U.S. dollars.They also agreed to supp
Japan foreign minister arrives in Myanmar

Dec 26, 2011

TOKYO (AFP) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba arrived in Myanmar Sunday, in the latest high-profile diplomatic trip looking to encourage reforms in the isolated nation, Tokyo’s public broadcaster reported.Gemba‘s visit, the first by a Japanese foreign minister since 2002, comes as Tokyo considers resuming official development aid as part of international efforts to engage Myanmar’s new military-backed civilian government.Gemba plans to meet with President Thein Sein and other top offic
Pope urges end to Syria bloodshed, peace worldwide

Dec 26, 2011

VATICAN CITY (AP) ― Pope Benedict XVI called for an end to the bloodshed in Syria and the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in his Christmas message Sunday, an appeal for peace that was challenged by deadly attacks on Nigerian churches.Benedict delivered his “Urbi et Orbi” speech (Latin for “to the city and to the world”) from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking a sun-drenched piazza below, before thousands of jubilant tourists and pilgrims, and hundreds of colorfu
Automatic skin-making machine might mean end to animal testing

Dec 26, 2011

Stuttgart (dpa) - Scientists at Germany's Fraunhofer Society research organisation have developed a machine that makes artificial skin fully automatically.If it receives approval from the relevant control bodies in Europeit could make animal testing in laboratories obsolete.The machine is seven metr
Automatic skin-making machine might mean end to animal testing

Dec 26, 2011

Stuttgart (dpa) - Scientists at Germany's Fraunhofer Societyresearch organisation have developed a machine that makes artificialskin fully automatically.If it receives approval from the relevant control bodies in Europeit could make animal testing in laboratories obsolete.The machine is seven metres
'U.S apology for Afghan deaths not enough'

Dec 26, 2011
Why the world should heed China’s five-year plan

Dec 26, 2011
Yemeni police open fire on protest, 65 hurt

Dec 26, 2011
Iranian woman to face death by stoning or hanging

Dec 26, 2011

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) _ Authorities in Iran said Sunday they are again moving ahead with plans to execute a woman sentenced to death by stoning on an adultery conviction in a case that sparked an international outcry, but are considering whether to carry out the punishment by hanging instead.Sakineh Moh
Japan PM reaches out to China on North Korea

Dec 25, 2011

BEIJING (AP) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda reached out Sunday for China's help on dealing with North Korea and promoting stability in the closed country after the death of longtime leader Kim Jong Il.Noda's first official visit to Beijing would normally have centered on bilateral is
U.S. teen becomes youngest to climb seven summits

Dec 25, 2011

BIG BEAR, California (AP) -- A U.S. teenager became the youngest person to successfully climb to the summit of the seven tallest mountains on Earth‘s seven continents, according to his mother and his website.Jordan Romero, 15, called his mother, Leigh Ann Drake, on Saturday to confirm that he’d achieved his goal of reaching the top of Mt. Vinson Massif in Antarctica.The California native beat the record previously held by British climber George Atkinson, who completed the ascents at age 16 in Ma
AIDS orphans in Nepal being forced into parental role

Dec 25, 2011

ACHHAM, Nepal (AFP) ― As dawn breaks, Nirmala Nepali steels herself for another day of cooking, cleaning, and back-breaking work to get food on the table ― a struggle she has faced for many years.Yet she is still a child herself, thrown into the role of head of the household at the age of just six after her mother died of AIDS.Nirmala, now 15, has never been to school, never learned to read and write, and never had the sort of childhood enjoyed by her friends whose shouts of excitement drift int
Japan’s P.M. visits China to discuss security, N.K.

Dec 25, 2011

BEIJING (AFP) ― Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda headed to Beijing Sunday on an official visit expected to focus on regional security after the death of North Korean strongman Kim Jong-il.Noda will hold talks with China’s President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao during the visit, his first since coming to power in September.Ties between the two regional powers have been dogged by economic and territorial disputes. Japan has repeatedly expressed concern over China’s widening naval reach i
Cuba to pardon some 3,000 prisoners, leaving out American

Dec 25, 2011

HAVANA (AFP) ― Cuban President Raul Castro has unveiled plans to release some 3,000 prisoners in the largest mass pardon in the regime’s history, but an American held for two years is not among them.The pardons include 86 foreigners from 25 countries, and will take place “in the coming days,” Castro said in an address to the National Assembly Friday in which he vowed to “gradually” reform laws limiting foreign travel.The United States said Saturday that it was “deeply disappointed” that State De