NEW YORK (Yonhap News) ― Ban Ki-moon, who was reelected as United Nations secretary-general here Tuesday, has had his share of success in his first term, fending off critics in the process, but he has some work cut out for him over the next five years in his second tour of duty.A former South Korean foreign minister, Ban has so far successfully answered questions surrounding his leadership with hi

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

ISLAMABAD (AP) ― The Pakistani army denied Wednesday that one of its majors was among a group of Pakistanis who Western officials say were arrested for feeding the CIA information before the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden.The New York Times, which first reported the arrests of five Pakistani informants Tuesday, said an army major was detained who copied license plates of cars visiting t

BEIRUT (AP) ― Elite Syrian troops backed by helicopters and tanks regained control Sunday of a town where police and soldiers joined forces with the protesters they were ordered to shoot ― a decisive assault from a government prepared for an all-out battle to keep power.Troops led by the president’s brother shelled Jisr al-Shughour as the gunships hovered overhead, paving the way for scores of tan

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) ― The head of the European Central Bank signaled another likely interest rate hike in July, warning that higher oil and commodity prices must not be allowed to fuel an inflationary spiral as Europe’s economy grows.Jean-Claude Trichet also reiterated the bank’s opposition to letting Greece restructure its massive debts and was skeptical about a German proposal to get Greece’

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (AP) ― Mindy Kim shot a career-low 64 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round lead of the LPGA State Farm Classic on Thursday.Sarah Kemp and Jiyai Shin were tied for second at 6-under at the Panther Creek Country Club. Brittany Lincicome, last week’s winner at the ShopRite Classic, birdied the final hole to finish at 67 and in a tie for fourth with Yani Tseng and Juli

Government knew reactor design inadequacies, need for independence of regulatorsTOKYO (AP) ― Japan admitted Tuesday it was unprepared for a severe nuclear accident like the tsunami-caused Fukushima disaster and said damage to the reactors and radiation leakage were worse than it previously thought.In a report being submitted to the U.N. nuclear agency, the government also acknowledged reactor desi

NEW DELHI (AP) ― Hundreds of police officers swooped down Sunday on the venue of a hunger strike by a charismatic Indian yoga guru and forcibly removed him and thousands of his supporters.Officers detained Baba Ramdev for security reasons, but later released him, said Rajan Bhagat, a police spokesman in the Indian capital, New Delhi. Renowned yoga guru Baba Ramdev performs Yoga exercises before go

TOKYO (AP) ― The Japanese government wants the country’s suit-loving salarymen to be bold this summer. Ditch the stuffy jacket and tie. And for the good of a country facing a power crunch, go light and casual.Japan’s “Super Cool Biz” campaign kicked off Wednesday with a government-sponsored fashion show featuring outfits appropriate for the office yet cool enough to endure the sweltering heat. A m

KABUL (AP) ― A Taliban suicide bomber wearing a police uniform blew himself up inside a heavily guarded compound Saturday as top Afghan and international officials left a meeting, killing two senior Afghan police commanders and wounding the German general who commands coalition troops in northern Afghanistan.Two German soldiers and two other Afghans were also killed in the blast, the latest in an

Travel restrictions eased for 1.5 million residents of the Palestinian territoryRAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) ― Egypt lifted a 4-year-old blockade of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, greatly easing travel restrictions on the 1.5 million residents of the Palestinian territory in a move that bolstered the Hamas government while dealing a setback to Israel’s attempts to isolate the militant group.The sense of re