UNITED NATIONS (AFP) ― U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday it was a “disgrace” that there is no global arms trade regulation as he opened treaty talks held up by Palestinian demands for a place in the negotiations.The 193 U.N. members have until July 27 to hammer out a deal for a treaty on dealing in conventional weapons, which experts estimate to be worth more than $70 billion a year.“Poorly regulated international arms transfers are fueling civil conflicts, destabilizing regions and empowerin

NAYPYIDAW (AFP) -- Several hardliners will leave Myanmar‘s top leadership in an imminent reshuffle, officials said Wednesday, as the reformist regime welcomed the parliamentary debut of Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition.The reshuffle hastens the pace of reforms since a quasi-civilian government replaced army rule last year and coincides with the ascension of Suu Kyi‘s National League for Democracy (NLD) to the heart of political decision making.Around three senior ministers are expected to be replac

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) ― The United States and Pakistan are expected to agree soon on the reopening of land routes crucial to supplying NATO troops in Afghanistan, a Pakistani official said on Monday, a move that could ease a seven-month crisis in the two countries’ ties.A senior Pakistani security official told Reuters a deal could be announced soon, potentially ending the long stalemate following a U.S. air attack last November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the border with Afghanistan.S

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The pope named Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueller to head the Vatican‘s all-important orthodoxy office Monday, tapping a German theologian like himself to head the congregation he presided over for nearly a quarter-century enforcing Catholic doctrine. The 64-year-old Regensburg bishop replaces American Cardinal William Levada, who turned 76 last month and is retiring after seven years at the helm of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the former Holy Office. While Mue

A woman accused of leaving the scene of a minor traffic crash in western Arkansas told police she did it because she didn’t want her ice cream to melt.Van Buren police say one vehicle rear-ended another on Arkansas Highway 59 on Sunday evening, but that the driver of the second car didn’t stop to check on the vehicle she had hit. The other driver called police and set off in pursuit.Fort Smith tel

NEW YORK (AP) ― Last week’s spike in the price of oil may have been a little overdone. Benchmark U.S. crude dropped 1.4 percent in New York, paring back some of the 9.4 percent increase on Friday. Oil fell by $1.21 to end the day at $83.75 per barrel. Brent crude also dropped by 46 cents, or less than a percent, to finish at $97.34 per barrel in London. Friday’s big gains followed a surprisingly bold plan by European leaders to manage the continent’s debt crisis. Monday brought a reminder that t

MOBILE, Alabama (AP) ― European aerospace giant Airbus will build its first airplane factory in the U.S., aiming to compete better against archrival Boeing in the battle to dominate the global aviation industry. The Mobile, Alabama, factory ― due to start up in 2015 ― is expected to employ 1,000 people when it reaches full production two years later. Airbus hopes the plant will lower costs and improve its chances of winning business from the U.S. military. Last year, Boeing beat out Airbus’ pare

ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) ― Dell is buying Quest Software for $2.4 billion to expand its offerings as its personal computer business weakens in an era of smartphones and sleeker devices like the iPad. The deal announced Monday capped off a bidding war that began last month when Quest revealed a mystery suitor had made an offer trumping a $2 billion sale that had been worked out with Insight Venture Partners in March. The secret bidder turned out to be Dell Inc., the second largest PC maker in the U

BOISE, Idaho (AP) ― Memory-chip maker Micron Technology Inc. has agreed to buy Elpida Memory Inc. for approximately $750 million in cash in a deal that would boost its wafer manufacturing capacity by about 50 percent. Elpida specializes in dynamic random access memory chips used in mobile phones and computers. It has been developing a plan of reorganization since filing for the largest manufacturing bankruptcy ever in Japan earlier this year. Elpida wanted to reorganize after years of sliding ch

Announcements2012 “SAFEGUARD YOUR HEART!” District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be held on July 20-22 at Yong-in City Sports Stadium, from 9:20 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, but to 3:40 p.m. on Sunday. For more details, please contact Seo, Joo-won at 010-2393-1935Sangmo-Sagok English Community in Gumi has just opened its weekly English discussion meeting for foreigners and Koreans. We are looking for some English speaking foreigners to be our resource speakers and we are gi

Libyans vote on Saturday for a constituent assembly, the first body elected since the ouster of dictator Moammar Kadhafi, tasked with steering the country through its critical transition."All fundamental questions have to be decided by this elected group of 200 people," Sami Zaptia, managing editor of Libya Herald, told AFP."It is very important. You don't write a constitution every day," he added

A Bloomfield Hills, Mich., woman accused of killing her grandson had to listen to his pleading 911 call in her preliminary examination, court records show.Sandra Layne, 74, has been charged with open murder and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The Detroit Free Press reported she was bound over for trial following three hours of testimony Monday.Layne's grandson, 17-year-old J

Police in Florida said a man accused of attacking two women with a sword and a peanut butter sandwich bit the inside of a patrol car.Polk County sheriff's deputies said Mark Miller, 50, of Winter Haven told them he became angry Friday when two women were banging on his trailer, WFTV, Orlando, reported Tuesday.Miller told deputies he never left the doorway, but the women said he exited his trailer