China has again denied allegations that it tortured a South Korean human rights activist during his four-month arrest, Seoul's foreign ministry said, indicating growing diplomatic tensions over the issue.The denial was Beijing's first official response to Seoul's request for a reinvestigation into claims by activist Kim Young-hwan that he was tortured by Chinese security agents during the early da

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill calling for bipartisan efforts to address North Korea's human rights violations, sending it to President Barack Obama for signature, according to congressional officials.Shortly before leaving Capitol Hill Thursday night for a five-week summer recess, senators approved the legislation on extending until 2017 the authority of the North Korean Human Rights Act of 20

U.S. employers added 163,000 jobs in July, a hopeful sign after three months of sluggish hiring.The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent, from 8.2 percent in June.Stronger job creation could help President Barack Obama's re-election hopes. Still, the unemployment rate has been above 8 percent since his first month in office _ the longest stretch on record. No

The ruling Saenuri Party decided Friday to ask two members to leave the party over an alleged money-for-nomination scandal, an attempt to create a firebreak to stop the scandal from hurting its chances in December's presidential election.The scandal centers on suspicions that Rep. Hyun Young-hee became a lawmaker on a proportional representation ticket after giving 300 million won ($265,000) to Hy

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met a senior Chinese official in Pyongyang, state media said Friday, his first reception of a foreign guest since taking power after the death of his father Kim Jong-il.Kim held talks with Wang Jiarui, the head of the International Liaison Department of China's Communist Party, and other Chinese officials, the (North) Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an Eng