Defiant in the face of an international backlash, President Donald Trump pressed into his second week in office defending his sweeping immigration ban _ and then fired a Cabinet head who refused to enforce it.Acting Attorney General Sally Yates earlier Monday ordered Justice Department lawyers to stop defending the executive order, which temporarily suspends the US refugee program and bars all immigration for citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries for 90 days. By Monday night, she was out.

Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, a Democratic appointee, on Monday directed Justice Department attorneys not to defend President Donald Trump's controversial executive refugee and immigration ban, joining a growing group of administration officials distancing themselves from the new president's order. Her directive was likely to be temporary, given that Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump's pick for attorney general, will likely move to uphold the president's policy. Sessions is awaiting Senate confir

Uber found itself in hot water on two fronts related to President Donald Trump's temporary ban on immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries: for allegedly exploiting a taxi protest against the ban and for CEO Travis Kalanick's relationship with Trump.Kalanick said in a Facebook post that the 90-day ban could hurt “thousands” of Uber drivers and he will raise his concerns directly with the president during a Friday business advisory group meeting in Washington. But the co-founder of the rid

Despite improvements, Kwon faces calls to cut ties with politics, to seek new engine growth

Having taken sail as a new “reformative conservative” political entity, the Bareun Party now faces its greatest challenge -- scouting Ban Ki-moon in time for the upcoming presidential election, without being overshadowed by his celebrity.The entry of the former United Nations secretary-general is a crucial variable to decide not only the election result, but the survival of the fledgling party.The Bareun Party held the inauguration ceremony of its central headquarters at Jamsil Olympic Park on T

In a move to distinguish himself from key rivals in the upcoming presidential race, Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea chose to highlight his past as a blue-collar worker from a low-income family.Emphasizing his humble background is apparently intended to add weight to his pledge to promote workers’ rights, achieve economic equity, break up conglomerates and ultimately establish an incorruptible state leadership.“It is my lifetime vision to create a jus

On his first full day in office, President Donald Trump on Saturday berated the media over its coverage of his inauguration, and turned a bridge-building first visit to CIA headquarters into an airing of grievances about ``dishonest‘’ journalists. But it was Trump who spread inaccuracies about the size of the crowds at his swearing in.　Standing in front of a memorial for fallen CIA agents, Trump assured intelligence officials, ``I am so behind you.‘’ He made no mention of his repeated criticism

Donald Trump campaigned on a detailed and extensive to-do list for his first day in office. A day before his swearing-in, his team was being coy about when and how he plans to cross items off it.As he's assembled his new government, Trump has backed off some of his promised speed, downplaying the importance of a rapid-fire approach to complex issues that may involve negotiations with Congress or foreign leaders. On others issues, he's affirmed his plan, indicating significant policy announcement

Last year, the Earth sweltered under the hottest temperatures in modern times for the third year in a row, US scientists said Wednesday, raising new concerns about the quickening pace of climate change.　Temperatures spiked to new national highs in parts of India, Kuwait and Iran, while sea ice melted faster than ever in the fragile Arctic, said the report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.　Taking a global average of the land and sea surface temperatures for the entire year,

China‘s President Xi Jinping speaks in the Congress Hall on day one of the 47th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday. EPA-YonhapDAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) -- With Donald Trump about to get the keys to the White House and the political winds blowing a populist gale through Europe, Enter stage left Chinese President Xi Jinping, who in an hourlong speech Tuesday won over a crowd of ardent capitalists gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 　“I’

BRUSSELS (AFP) -- EU heavyweights Germany and France led a sharp European response to US President-elect Donald Trump Monday after he branded NATO “obsolete” and said more countries would leave the EU after Britain.　In a hard-hitting interview with two European newspapers, Trump unleashed a volley of verbal attacks on Europe and criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “catastrophic” decision to open Germany’s borders to Syrian refugees.　With fears growing in Europe over Trump’s commitment t

 With South Korea getting ready to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries this year, the controversial US missile system remains in the spotlight as the nation’s two main presidential hopefuls wade in on the issue. The former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, who is currently a frontrunner among conservative voters, advocated the government’s decision to deploy THAAD, calling it an “inevitable measure” to prevent North Korea’s security threat during a “quasi-

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has had a hectic schedule of what appears to be a presidential campaign since his arrival in Korea, making moves that tried to embrace both conservative and liberal voters.In the four days since his return Thursday, the potential presidential hopeful tried to address a diverse range of topics from the livelihood of citizens to national security. On Sunday, Ban headed to the Navy’s 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, where a sunken warship,

US Ambassador Mark Lippert has been championing public diplomacy since he arrived as Washington’s youngest-ever representative to Seoul in October 2014 at age 41.He reached out to ordinary citizens by traveling across the country, opening his home to the public and attending baseball games, while walking his dog Grigsby around downtown in a Doosan Bears jersey. He gave Korean middle names to his son and daughter, who were both born here, Sejun and Seahee. A knife attack on him in the middle of a

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s return home Thursday has brought him closer to his much anticipated bid for South Korean presidency, signaling a tough few months ahead for other presidential aspirants. It also means a whole new political ordeal for the 72-year-old former diplomat, who now enters domestic politics for the first time as a rookie in the electoral game.Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to reporters before boarding a flight at the JFK International Airport (Yon