The Korea Herald

44 dead in Russia plane crash: official

Jun 21, 2011

MOSCOW, June 21, 2011 (AFP) - Forty-four people were killed and eight badly injured when a plane crashed onto a highway and burst into flames in northern Russia, narrowly missing an inhabited area, officials said Tuesday.The RussAir Tu-134 tried to stage an apparent emergency landing in poor weather conditions just before midnight on a motorway two kilometres (1.25miles) from its destination of Pe
Europe delays decision on Greek loans

Jun 20, 2011

LUXEMBOURG (AP) -- Hours of talks between eurozone finance ministers on the imploding finances of Greece broke up early Monday morning without the ministers signing off on a vital installment of rescue loans needed to avoid bankruptcy next month.Greece will get the next 12 billion euros of its existing 110 billion euros bailout package in early July, but only if it manages to pass 28 billion euros
Weighing cancer risks, from phones to coffee

Jun 20, 2011

You are sitting in a freshly drywalled house, drinking coffee from a Styrofoam cup and talking on a cellphone. Which of these is most likely to be a cancer risk?It might be the sitting, especially if you do that a lot.Despite all the recent news about possible cancer risks from cellphones, coffee, styrene and formaldehyde in building materials, most of us probably face little if any danger from th
Professional mourners spice up Chinese funerals

Jun 20, 2011

CHONGQING, China (AFP) ― Hu Xinglian kneels before the corpse of Liang Zhicai and, with one hand on his metal coffin, lets out a piercing wail. But Hu is not at all grief-stricken ― she is a professional mourner.In parts of China, where rural pre-burial rituals are still observed, mourners known as “kusangren” are hired to guarantee that a funeral is a spectacle in grief. And 53-year-old Hu is up
New legislation for dual citizenship signals a new era for Korean adoptees

Jun 20, 2011

Kim Yoo-shin regained his Korean citizenship in April, 36 years after he was adopted by a family in the United States when he was one year old. He is one of the first adoptees to benefit from a new Korean law that allows dual nationality.In other words, Kim is a Korean-American ― and vice versa.“It means that the Korean government is trying to improve its relationship with overseas Korean adoptees
Businesses seen as target for easier phone hacking

Jun 20, 2011
Thousands in Portland take to bikes for naked ride

Jun 20, 2011
Where’s Waldo?

Jun 20, 2011

Thousands of people gathered at Merrion Square, Dublin, Sunday, dressed like the famous character from “Where’s Waldo” to break a Guinness World Record. (Daily Mail)Participants wore white and red striped T-shirts and matching hats --Waldo’s signature costume -- for the event organized by the Street Performance World Championships.The organizers came up with the weird and fun way to break the reco
Afghanistan says Taliban, U.S. in peace talks

Jun 19, 2011

Suicide attackers launch assault near Karzai’s office; Taliban claims responsibilityKABUL (AP) ― Afghan President Hamid Karzai acknowledged Saturday that the U.S. and Afghan governments have held talks with Taliban emissaries in a bid to end the nation’s nearly 10-year war, even as suicide attackers launched a bold assault in the heart of the county’s capital, killing nine people.The attack, which
Julian Assange puts himself on auction

Jun 19, 2011

Julian Assange has put himself on eBay. You can now bid to be one of eight people to join Assange for lunch, accompanied by Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, Digital Trends reported. The winning bidders will get to dine with the pair in London on July 2 and also receive a front-row ticket to Assange’s presentation regarding “the impact of Wikileaks.”The initial price was $564. As the number of b
Ban's second-term bid endorsed by Security Council

Jun 18, 2011

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is almost certain to succeed in his pursuit of a second term after the Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution of support. If Ban, a South Korean national, is appointed by the U.N.General Assembly in a formal vote, expected Tuesday, he willcontinue to lead the 192-member organization through 2016. "The Security Council adopted by
U.N. council backs Ban for 2nd term

Jun 18, 2011

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The U.N. Security Council approved Friday a second five-year term for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a critical last step before the 192-member General Assembly holds the definitive vote next week. U.N. Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon (Yonhap News)The vote by acclamation came after a one-day delay due to what U.N. diplomats described as procedural and technical hold ups from s
We will kill Zawahiri just like bin Laden: U.S.

Jun 17, 2011

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― The United States on Thursday dismissed new al-Qaida supremo Ayman al-Zawahiri as a pale imitation of Osama bin Laden and warned the Egyptian to expect a similar fate to his slain predecessor.U.S. officials painted the 59-year-old long-time No. 2 as an “armchair general” with no combat experience, saying he not only lacked charisma and leadership skills but was also a divisive f
Syrian troops take over northwestern town

Jun 17, 2011

BEIRUT (AP) ― Syrian troops backed by tanks and helicopter gunships swept into another northwestern city early Friday, just days after laying siege to it, activists said. Big demonstrations were expected nationwide as the Syrian people pressed on with the uprising to oust President Bashar Assad.Syria-based rights activist Mustafa Osso said large numbers of soldiers entered Maaret al-Numan. It was
Nearly 150 hurt in Vancouver riot following loss

Jun 17, 2011

Canucks fans jump onto a destroyed car during a riot in Vancouver, Canada, June 15, 2011. (Xinhua-Yonhap News)Riot police look on as two police cars burn during a riot in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia Wednesday, June 15, 2011 following the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins in game 7 of the Stanley Cup hockey final.(AP-Yonhap News)VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) _ Almost 150 p