Experts surveyed by the World Economic Forum say rising income gaps between rich and poor and burgeoning government deficits are the risks most likely to have a global impact over the next decade.Climate change, water shortages and aging populations rounded out the WEF's top five risks.The over 1,000 experts surveyed for the Switzerland-based forum's annual risk report also warn that risk factors could combine to produce unique problems. These risk combinations included climate change putting a

The foreign policy outlook of US President Barak Obama's nominee for defence secretary, Chuck Hagel, is "cause for concern" for Israel, parliament speaker Reuven Rivlin said on Tuesday."This concept of 'splendid isolation' which Hagel espouses changes US strategy in the world and accordingly it also affects Israel," Rivlin said in a statement.    "This outlook must give Israel cause for concern but not scare it," said Rivlin, adding it was "important that Israel know how to deal with" such a wor

Rival factions within the main opposition party collided Tuesday over the selection fo an interim leader to handle challenges following the defeat in the presidential poll last month.The Democratic United Party (DUP) has been in disarray since its defeat in the Dec. 19 election. On the eve of a party meeting to pick an interim leader, mainstream and non-mainstream factions exchanged criticism, accused each other of trying to evade responsibility for the election loss.The main conflict is over a

President-elect Park Geun-hye will hold yet another meeting with business people Wednesday to listen to their troubles and ask for cooperation in realizing her vision for a society where big and small enterprises coexist harmoniously, a spokeswoman said.Park will meet with Sohn Kyung-shik, head of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and other people representing conglomerates, medium- and small-sized businesses, spokeswoman ChoYoon-sun said. It will be Park's fourth meeting with business

The quiet passing of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's birthday on Tuesday raised curiosity over the regime's mythologization tactics toward the young leader in a country where the birthdays of his late father and grandfather are still observed as holidays of extravagant celebration.Normal broadcasting hours in the North on Tuesday indicate that the country has not designated the Jan. 8 birthday of the incumbent leader as a national holiday, even though he took power over a year ago.Kim became t

A British court holding a second inquest into the death of Amy Winehouse has confirmed that the singer drank herself to death.The inquest was held for a second time after the coroner in the first inquest was found to lack the proper qualifications.The soul singer was found dead at her London home in July 2011 at the age of 27. An inquest later that year found that the star had died from accidental alcohol poisoning.The coroner later resigned after her qualifications were questioned. She had been

(AFP)

A local Christian group has called off its plan to light up Christmas towers near the tense border with North Korea, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday, in consideration of concerns among residents the moves could provoke the communist nation.It had been an annual tradition for South Korea to light a Christmas tree on top of a hill called Aegibong near the western border with the North before it was suspended in 2003 under a reconciliation agreement with the communist rival to end border propa

Ahn Cheol-soo, the popular liberal independent who dropped out of the presidential race last week, could meet with his former rival Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) as early as this week to discuss ways to jointly defeat the ruling party in the Dec. 19 election, officials from both sides said Monday.Ahn, a 50-year-old software mogul-turned-politician, withdrew his candidacy Friday amid a deadlock in talks to select either him or Moon as the unified opposition cont

Prosecutors on Monday demanded three years in prison for independent lawmaker Hyun Young-hee for bribing a former ruling party official in return for her nomination ahead of the April general elections.Hyun was indicted in September on suspicion of giving 50 million won ($45,766) to Cho Ki-moon, who worked at Saenuri Party's branch office in the southern port city of Busan, in return for securing her a spot on the proportional representation ticket ahead of the elections, according to the prosec

Google on Tuesday rejected accusations by European data protection agencies that its new privacy policy does not comply with EU legislation."Our new privacy policy shows our continued commitment to protecting our users' data and creating quality products. We are confident that our privacy policies respect European law," the Internet giant said in a statement.(AFP)

A Chinese fisherman aboard a boat illegally fishing in South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea was shot dead on Tuesday by a South Korean Coast Guard officer during a raid, officials said.The South Korean Coast Guard caught 30 Chinese boats that were illegally fishing in the southwestern sea about 90 kilometers northwest of Hong Island in Shinan County, South Jeolla Province, at around 3:10 p.m.The

"Gangnam Style" star Psy has appeared in a video promoting South Korea's bid to host the secretariat of an international fund aimed at fighting climate change, with his viral song playing in the background alongside promotional images of the bid.South Korea's Songdo, west of Seoul, is among the six competitors vying for the right to host the secretariat of the Green Climate Fund, a mechanism estab

Global financial ministers called Saturday for quick and effective action to safeguard faltering economic growth and rebuild shaken confidence as they ended an annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund.The IMF's International Monetary and Financial Committee also urged emerging economies to adapt their own policies to help counter slowing growth in Europe and the United States.The IMFC sai