A former University of Southern California professor arrested in Mexico for alleged sex crimes involving two children in the Philippines has been deported to the United States after a Mexican citizen recognized his picture in the newspaper and informed the U.S. Embassy, federal authorities said Wednesday.Walter Lee Williams, 64, will appear in a Los Angeles federal courtroom Thursday to face charges of sexual exploitation of children and traveling abroad for the purpose of engaging in sexual act

With massive protests by middle-class Brazilians demanding wholesale government reforms, people all over this continent-sized country have reached a verdict on the streets and online: “The giant has awakened.”President Dilma Rousseff has tried to placate the crowds by supporting their right to protest, and the Sao Paulo municipal government has rescinded the 10-cent hike in bus and subway fares that sparked the demonstrations in the first place. But as the protests grow even bigger, with two maj

Trying to tamp down concerns about government over-reach, President Barack Obama on Wednesday defended U.S. Internet and phone surveillance programs as narrowly targeted efforts that have saved lives and thwarted at least 50 terror threats.“This is not a situation in which we are rifling through ordinary emails” of huge numbers of citizens in the United States or elsewhere, the president declared during a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He called it as a “circumscribed, nar

미국대학입학자격시험(SAT) 문제 유출 의혹이 물의를 빚는 가운데, 규정을 위반한 서울 강남지역의 SAT 학원 중 8곳이 폐원조치되었다.교육당국에 따르면 서울시 교육청은 지난 5월 8일부터 6월 14일까지 두 차례에 걸쳐 강남일대 SAT학원 61곳을 특별점검한 결과 전체의 64%에 해당하는 39곳에서 88건의 규정위반 사실을 적발했다. 당국은 이 중 8곳을 등록말소(폐원), 2곳을 고발조치, 4곳을 교습정치했다고 밝혔다.적발사유는 교습비 관련(30건), 강사채용•해임관련(15건), 서류 미비치나 부실 기재(11건), 신고외 교습과정운영(6건), 시설변경관련(6건), 기타(20건)이었다.당국은 또한 학원을 폐원시킬 수 있는 사유에 시험유출 등 부정행위로 사회적 문제를 일으킨 경우를 추가하는 등 재발방지 대책을 내놓았다이번 특별 점검은 지난달, 일부 학원에서 SAT문제를 유출했다는 의혹으로 인해 SAT 국내시험 전체와 6월 생물시험이 최소된 이후 시작되었다. 점검 결과 일부 학원에서 강

Hopes dimmed for talks aimed at ending the Afghan war when an angry President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday suspended security negotiations with the U.S. and scuttled a peace delegation to the Taliban, sending American officials scrambling to preserve the possibility of dialogue with the militants.What provoked the mercurial Karzai and infuriated many other Afghans was a move by the Taliban to cast their new office in the Gulf nation of Qatar as a rival embassy. The Taliban held a ribbon-cutting cer

South Korean resort town PyeongChang is well on its way to hosting a successful Winter Olympics in 2018, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Wednesday.The IOC's Coordination Commission wrapped up its two-day visit to PyeongChang, about 180 kilometers east of Seoul, on Wednesday.The commission, led by Gunilla Lindberg, a member of the IOC Executive Board, reviewed PyeongChang's preparations for the 2018 Winter Games in areas such as venues, marketing and communications. This was the co

The Seoul High Court on Wednesday denied petitions by Qualcomm and Intel to annul fines levied by South Korea's antitrust watchdog for unfair business practices.The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) in July 2009 had slapped 273.2 billion won ($241.7 million) in fines, the record amount the commission issued on a single company, against Qualcomm.The commission said the U.S.-based wireless chipmaker abused its dominant position in the Korean market by demanding discriminatory royalties and giving condit

The prosecution on Wednesday rejected a police request for an arrest warrant for a former vice justice minister accused of receiving sexual services in return for business favors.The prosecution instead instructed the National Police Agency (NPA) to refile an arrest warrant with a stronger argument on the charges against Kim Hak-ui who remains in a hospital following surgery.Kim's medical conditions should be considered when a warrant will be sought again, prosecution officials said.The NPA has

A Korean War exhibit opened Tuesday at the Pentagon as U.S. officials endeavor to enhance public awareness on the historical significance of the so-called Forgotten War.It is part of various programs to mark the 60th anniversary of the alliance between South Korea and the U.S., which dates back to the 1950-53 conflict.The U.S. Department of Defense described the exhibit as a "lasting symbol" of its commitment to honor Korean War veterans and help educate the public about the Korean War for gener

Hong Myung-bo, a South Korean football legend who guided the country to the Olympic football bronze medal last year, was shortlisted for the vacant national head coaching job on Wednesday.A day after South Korea qualified for its eighth consecutive FIFA World Cup, the Korea Football Association (KFA) announced that Hong and three others will be vying for the senior national team post, following Choi Kang-hee's resignation.At a press conference, Huh Jung-moo, a vice chairman of the KFA, said the

The country’s general government sector and state-run nonfinancial enterprises led by the former administration of Lee Myung-bak saw their outstanding debt snowball to 915.6 trillion won ($808.8 billion) in first quarter of this year.It increased about 91 percent, or 435.2 trillion won, from 480.4 trillion won in the first quarter of 2008 when former President Lee took office, according to data by the Bank of Korea on Wednesday.The general government sector consisting of the central government,