The Korea Herald

WikiLeaks’ Assange seeks Ecuador asylum

Jun 20, 2012

LONDON (AFP) ― WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday walked into Ecuador’s embassy in London and applied for political asylum in a sensational bid to avoid extradition to Sweden over alleged sex crimes.The former computer hacker, who last week exhausted all his legal options in Britain to fight extradition, was holed up at the embassy in central London while Quito examined the request, officials said.Britain’s Foreign Office said Assange was “beyond the reach of the police” because he was
Hamas militants fire rockets as Israel strikes kill 6

Jun 20, 2012

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) -- The armed wing of Gaza‘s ruling Hamas movement on Tuesday said it fired 10 rockets at Israel in a rare show of force after three Israeli air strikes killed six Palestinians.The claim came shortly after Israel on Tuesday afternoon staged another air strike over Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, injuring two men on a motorcycle, one of them critically, medical officials said.Such fire by the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, which generally maintains a tacit tru
Pakistan in talks for new P.M.

Jun 20, 2012

ISLAMABAD (AFP) ― Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari hoped Wednesday to nominate a new prime minister following a night of crisis talks after the Supreme Court disqualified Yousuf Raza Gilani for contempt.The move could ease uncertainty in a country that is increasingly trying U.S. patience over al-Qaida-linked havens, struggling with a Taliban insurgency and heading deeper towards a financial crisis that could force it back to the IMF.The court ruling effectively dissolved the cabinet and unl
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei barred from court

Jun 20, 2012

BEIJING (AP) -- Police barred artist Ai Weiwei from attending the hearing of a lawsuit his company brought against Beijing tax authorities and blocked filming at the courthouse Wednesday as part of an intimidation campaign against the outspoken government critic.Ai told reporters that police the previous night had ordered him to stay home and steer clear of the courts. He said he agreed.Chinese authorities detained Ai for three months last year and his design company was ordered to pay 15 millio
Obama reaches out ...to Hu on Syria

Jun 20, 2012

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday lobbied President Hu Jintao of China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, on efforts to end the bloodshed in Syria.China and Russia have frustrated the United States by blocking stronger U.N. sanctions and action against President Bashar al-Assad, and Obama has partly used the G20 summit in Mexico to push for a change in attitude.Obama told reporters at the start of the talks in the Mexican resort of Los Cabos that he wa
Frenchman linked to China scandal arrested in Cambodia

Jun 20, 2012

PHNOM PENH (AFP) ― A French architect with ties to disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has been arrested in Cambodia, the French embassy said Tuesday, in a new twist to China’s biggest political scandal in decades.Cambodian police said the arrest of Patrick Devillers was carried out with the cooperation of Beijing, which is seeking his extradition.“We’ve been informed by the Cambodian authorities of the arrest of our compatriot Mr. Devillers,” a French embassy spokeswoman told AFP.Officials we
Iran, six powers fail to reach breakthrough

Jun 20, 2012

U.S., Israel still refusing to rule out air strikes against Iran’s nuclear programMOSCOW (AFP) ― Iran and world powers Tuesday failed to narrow differences over the Iranian nuclear drive after bruising talks in Moscow held amid threats of a crippling oil embargo or even military action against Tehran.However the Iranian negotiating team and the world powers led by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton succeeded in keeping talks alive by agreeing a process for future meetings.The United States
‘Canadian pyscho’ suspect pleads not guilty

Jun 20, 2012

MONTREAL (AFP) ― A suspect dubbed the ‘Canadian psycho’ pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to killing and dismembering a Chinese student in Montreal, in a case that has seized worldwide attention.Luka Rocco Magnotta pleaded not guilty to first degree murder and four other charges including committing indignities to a body, Crown Prosecutor Louis Bouthillier told reporters at the Montreal courthouse, where the suspect appeared via a video link.The slightly built 29-year-old wore a grey hooded sweatshi
Suu Kyi speaks of family’s ‘sacrifice’ in Britain

Jun 20, 2012

OXFORD, England (AFP) ― Aung San Suu Kyi made an emotional return to Britain on her 67th birthday Tuesday, visiting her former home of Oxford and speaking of the “sacrifice” her family were forced to make.The Myanmar democracy icon was greeted at Oxford University, her alma mater, after taking part in a debate at the London School of Economics (LSE) and meeting the radio DJ she credits with giving her a lifeline during 24 years spent mainly under house arrest.She spent nearly 20 years in Oxford,
Up to 27m people living in slavery: U.S.

Jun 20, 2012

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Up to 27 million people are living in slavery around the world, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton estimated Tuesday as the U.S. unveiled its annual report into human trafficking.But the report showed that as governments become more aware of the issue, instigating tough new laws and programs to help victims, progress is being made in wiping out what it called the “scourge of trafficking.”“The end of legal slavery in the United States and in other countries around the worl
Greece in reach of coalition deal to revise bailout

Jun 20, 2012

ATHENS (AFP) -- Greece on Wednesday was close to forming a coalition that will try to revise an unpopular EU-IMF bailout deal and pull the country out of a harrowing recession that has doomed its recovery efforts.After two months of political deadlock, the struggling eurozone member is under intense international pressure to get back on track with reforms promised for a bailout that has kept the economy on life support for the past two years.The International Monetary Fund is already pressing to
CIA releases declassified Sept. 11 documents

Jun 20, 2012

Budgetary woes in the CIA unit that tracked Osama bin Laden prior to the deadly 2001 strikes against the U.S. led analysts to believe that catching the al-Qaida leader was unlikely, according to government records published Tuesday.Many of the newly released documents are cited in the Sept. Commission report, published in 2004. The documents, dated between 1992 and 2004 are heavily blacked out and
Dog brings master loaves of bread

Jun 20, 2012

An Australian man says his golden retriever has been bringing him presents in the past few days -- 12 loaves of bread and two packages of muffins.Michael Shaw said he would like to know where the dog, Gillie, has been getting the baked goods, The Daily Telegraph of Sydney reported. Shaw lives in Theresa Park in a rural area southwest of Sydney and the nearest store is at least a 10-minute drive.Wh
At least 40 killed as bus overturns in Haiti river

Jun 20, 2012

The government of Haiti says at least 40 people have drowned when a bus overturned in a rain-swollen river east of the southern city of Jeremie.A statement issued by the office of President Michel Martelly says about 60 people were on the bus when the driver attempted to cross the Glace River. Local Civil Protection officials have recovered the bodies of 40 people and are still searching the area. The statement said nine people were either rescued from the submerged bus or managed to swim to saf
WikiLeaks founder Assange seeks Ecuador asylum

Jun 20, 2012

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday walked into Ecuador's embassy in London and applied for political asylum in a sensational bid to avoid extradition to Sweden over alleged sex crimes.The former computer hacker, who last week exhausted all his legal options in Britain to fight extradition, was holed up at the embassy in central London while Quito examined the request, officials said.Brita