Extensive construction activities at Iran's Parchin military base may have removed all evidence of alleged nuclear weapons research, the head of the UN atomic agency said Monday."As our verification capacity has been negatively impacted by extensive activities (at Parchin), it may no longer be possible to find anything even if we are given access," Yukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency told reporters in Vienna.He said however that agency inspectors still wanted to visit the base

South Korea's financial support for U.S. troops here is undervalued in Washington's estimates considering other benefits and tax breaks, a left-wing civic group claimed Monday, as a tough negotiation lies ahead amid growing pressure to raise Seoul's share.The Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea said Seoul paid 65.2 percent of U.S. Forces Korea's upkeep in 2010, which is much higher than Washington's estimate of 42 percent of the total budget, citing analysis of reports by governments

Germany is setting up a loan program for struggling small and medium-sized firms in Spain to boost growth and jobs in the crisis-hit southern European economy, according to a document obtained Monday.Germany's state-owned KfW bank will provide about 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) at low interest rates to its Spanish counterpart, which will be probably able to lend out several times that amount in cheap loans to local firms.The move is aimed at easing a credit crunch that is afflicting much of so

Police in the Indian city of Kolkata said Monday they had arrested a local businessman suspected of drugging and raping a 21-year-old Irish charity worker after her birthday party.The woman filed a police case on Saturday, saying she was assaulted in a semi-conscious state after drinking a cup of tea at the 25-year-old suspect's home following a night out."We suspect the accused laced the tea with drugs and raped the Irish woman," police officer Subrata Dey told AFP from the eastern city.The Iri

South Korea had indeed asked China not to repatriate a group of nine young North Korean defectors last week, a senior Seoul official said Monday in an apparent rebuttal to a Chinese claim that no party had requested cooperation regarding the defectors.The foreign ministry official made the remarks as the ministry has come under intense scrutiny for not taking proper action to help the North Koreans seeking asylum in South Korea.The nine North Koreans -- seven boys and two girls – were rounded up

Two-time world figure skating champion Kim Yu-na has been invited to two Grand Prix events hosted by the International Skating Union for next season, the sport's international governing body announced Monday.Kim, who won her second career world title in March in Canada, has been invited to compete at Skate Canada from Oct. 25-27 and at the Trophee Bompard in Paris from Nov. 15-17, as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series.The ISU organizes six Grand Prix events each fall and invites

금융감독원이 최근 BNP파리바은행 서울지점의 부당영업 행위에 대한 조사에 착수한 것으로 26일 확인됐다.이 은행의 국내지점은 당국으로부터 인가를 받지 않은 상태에서 투자은행 업무를 해왔던 것으로 전해졌다.국내법 및 감독규정은 증권 영역에 속하는 투자은행 업무와 일반은행업 사이의 방화벽 설치를 의무화하고 있다.금융권의 고위 관계자는 “이를 무시한 비인가 영업은 법 위반에 속할 수 있다”며 “조사가 끝나봐야 알겠지만 금감원 제재는 불가피할 것”이라고 내다봤다.금융투자업계에 따르면 BNP파리바 외에 또다른 외국계은행의 국내지점도 당국에 적발됐다. 이 은행 역시 업종간 겸업을 승인없이 영위한 혐의를 받고 있다.(코리아헤럴드 / 정주원 기자)　　<관련 영문기사>BNP Paribas under probe for irregular business in SeoulBy Chung Joo-wonFinancial regulators launched an investigation into the Kore

FC Seoul recovered from going a goal down and missing a penalty to beat Beijing Guoan 3-1 and reach the AFC Champions League quarter-finals in a dramatic last-16 match which saw three red cards on Tuesday.The South Korean champions were stunned by an early strike by Freddie Kanoute, and then watched Serbian dangerman Dejan Damjanovic miss from the spot, before three goals in the final half-hour put them through to the last eight.Ex-Premier League marksman Kanoute was the first to receive his mar

Authorities are investigating rice mills in southern China following tests that found almost half of the staple grain in one of the country's largest cities was contaminated with a toxic metal.The mills in Hunan province's Youxian county were ordered to suspend business and recall their products after samples showed excessive levels of cadmium, according to an official notice issued Tuesday by the county government.It said the mills had been operating legally and sourced their rice from local fa

Senators examining the case of unwarranted scrutiny of conservative groups that sought tax exempt status will hear for the first time on Tuesday from the man who was in charge of the U.S. tax collection agency when it singled out the groups, one of three potentially damaging issues consuming the first months of President Barack Obama's second term.Members of the Senate Finance Committee will be asking former Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman what he knew about the conduct of

South Korea's Supreme Court has upheld a ruling sentencing a man to a year and half in prison for exchanging emails with an alleged North Korean spy and praising Pyongyang on his website.Spokesman Lee Hyun-bok said Tuesday the court cited the National Security Law in its ruling earlier this month against a 45-year-old South Korean identified only as Lee.The law prohibits glorifying North Korea or contacting North Korean spies. Park could have received 10 years in prison.The spokesman said the co

미군 내 성범죄 발생빈도가 하루 평균 71건에 달하는 것으로 조사됐다.미 국방부는 최근 보고서에서 작년 한해에만 2만6천여건의 성폭행과 성추행 사건이 발생한 것으로 추산했다. 이는 전년 대비 37% 증가한 수치다.비난 여론이 거세지자 버락 오바마 대통령은 16일(현지시간) 군 수뇌부를 백악관으로 소환했다.오바마 대통령은 이날 주재한 회의에서 군내 성폭력 문제가 국가안보에 위험요소로 작용할 수 있다고 지적했다.그는 이 문제는 “범죄이며, 수치스러울 뿐 아니라 우리 군대를 덜 효율적으로 만들어 왔다”고 말했다. 회의 참석자들은 군내 성폭력이 한 팀으로 일하는 남녀 군인 서로의 신뢰를 무너뜨리는 행위라는 데에 의견을 같이 했다.지난 15일 텍사스주 포트 후드 기지에 배속된 육군 중사는 성매매 알선과 성폭력 혐의 등으로 수사기관의 조사를 받고 있다. 이 중사는 성폭력 예방 프로그램 조정관으로 복무해 온 것으로 알려졌다.또 이달 초엔 공군에서 성폭력 예방 프로그램을 담당했던 크루진스키 중령이

President Barack Obama said U.S. military leaders told him they are "ashamed'' of their failure to end sexual abuse in the armed services. Obama pledged to take all efforts to halt the abuse, which he said undermines the trust the military needs to be effective."They care about this, and they are angry about it,'' Obama said at the White House after he summoned Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey and other leaders to discuss the problem. A Pentagon report

The dire manners and “uncivilized behavior” of some Chinese tourists abroad are harming the country's image, said a top official who lamented their poor “quality and breeding,” according to state-run media.Wang Yang, one of China’s four vice premiers, singled out for condemnation “talking loudly in public places, jay-walking, spitting and willfully carving characters on items in scenic zones.”Such "uncivilized behaviors" were "often criticized by the media and have damaged the image of Chinese p

European car sales rose for the first time in 19 months, on gains in the U.K. and a rebound in Germany, amid signs that governments may take measures to stem a contraction in the economy of the countries using the euro.Registrations in April increased 1.8 percent to 1.08 million vehicles from 1.06 million cars a year earlier, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers Association, or ACEA, said today in a statement. Four-month sales fell 7 percent to 4.18 million vehicles.European poli