MIAMI -- Florida officials said Thursday that four people have been found dead in the rubble of a collapsed South Florida pedestrian bridge where the frantic search for any survivors continued past nightfall.Fire Chief Dave Downey said at an evening news briefing that four deceased people were found amid the chaotic scene of concrete rubble and crumpled vehicles. He said nine victims were removed "early on" and taken to hospitals but didn't elaborate on their conditions. He said the "search and

Is North Korea's air force selling canned soup and taxi rides to upgrade its runways and airstrips? Amid the toughest sanctions ever against the North and its nuclear weapons program, there are some compelling reasons to believe the answer may well be yes. The story of how _ and why _ offers some insight into how North Korea's economy functions under Kim Jong-un.There's a fine line between North Korea's military and its private sector. To augment the already huge share of the country's limited n

Toys R Us appears headed toward shuttering its US operations, spelling an end to a chain known to generations of children and parents for its sprawling stores and Geoffrey the giraffe mascot but that fell victim to brutal retail-industry trends.The closing of the company's 700 US stores over the coming months would jeopardize the jobs of some 30,000 employees. The company's management has told its employees that it will sell or close all of its US stores, according to a toy industry analyst who

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the diplomatic push to solve the North Korean nuclear weapons crisis was at such a delicate stage that he won't publicly discuss the talks or related issues such as U.S.-South Korean military exercises.Mattis was among advisers who were in the White House when President Donald Trump on Thursday decided to accept the offer by North Korean leader Jong Un Kim to meet by May. The offer was relayed to Trump by a South Korean government delegation that briefed th

Japanese in Tokyo and along the northeast coast are marking the seventh anniversary of the tsunami that took more than 18,000 lives and triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.Residents in coastal towns observed a moment of silence Sunday after sirens wailed at 2:46 p.m., the moment the magnitude-9.0 offshore earthquake that triggered the tsunami struck on March 11, 2011. The tsunami overwhelmed sea walls and washed away buildings, cars and entire neighborhoods as it swept inlan

Three workers for a program that treats veterans for post-traumatic stress disorder were found dead Friday along with the suspect who took them hostage in a daylong standoff at the largest veterans home in the US, officials said. The bodies of the four were discovered nearly eight hours after the gunman slipped into an employee going-away party in a building where combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan receive treatment, said California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Chris Childs. The three fem

The day China's ruling Communist Party unveiled a proposal to allow President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely as Mao Zedong did a generation ago, Ma Bo was so shaken he couldn't sleep.     So Ma, a renowned writer, wrote a social media post urging the party to remember the history of unchecked one-man rule that ended in catastrophe.    ``History is regressing badly,'' Ma thundered in his post. ``As a Chinese of conscience, I cannot stay silent!''    Censors silenced him anyway, swiftly wiping hi

President Donald Trump appears to have gotten what he wanted from North Korea: a willingness to suspend nuclear testing and a promise to put its entire arsenal of atomic weapons on the negotiating table. But is it too good to be true? After a year of threatening “fire and fury” and ridiculing North Korea’s young leader Kim Jong-un, Trump is now touting diplomatic progress between the rival Koreas. He even says he thinks North Korea, under intense sanctions pressure, is “sincere” in wanting an en

LOS ANGELES -- The 90th Academy Awards crowned Guillermo del Toro’s monster fable “The Shape of Water” best picture at an Oscars that confronted the post-Harvey Weinstein era and sought to pivot to a vision of a more inclusive movie business.A sense of change was palpable at the ceremony Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, where winners made impassioned arguments for gender equality and diversity.Guillermo del Toro’s monster fable “The Shape of Water,” which came in with a leading 13 nod

President Xi Jinping is poised to make a historic power grab as China's legislators gather beginning Monday to approve changes that will let him rule indefinitely and undo decades of efforts to prevent a return to crushing dictatorship. (Yonhap)This year's gathering of the ceremonial National People's Congress has been overshadowed by Xi's surprise move -- announced just a week ago -- to end constitutional two-term limits on the presidency. The changes would allow Xi, already China's most powerf

BEIJING -- After threatening to retaliate if President Donald Trump raised trade barriers, Chinese leaders need to decide whether his hikes in steel and aluminum tariffs justify starting a fight that might disrupt access to one of China’s biggest markets.Beijing had no immediate reaction Friday to Trump’s plan for tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Asian stock markets fell amid talk of a “trade war.“.Chinese leaders need to weigh the need to back up threats with action ag

Concerned that time is fast running out, the European Union moved Wednesday to force Britain's hand in Brexit negotiations by publishing a draft text that provocatively distils into legal language what they have -- and even what they have not -- agreed so far about Britain's departure. (Yonhap)Britain officially leaves the EU on March 29 next year but Brexit talks must conclude this fall so that parliaments have time to ratify the final withdrawal agreement. The new text summarizes all aspects o

WASHINGTON -- Joseph Yun, a 30-year veteran of the US foreign service who retained quiet contacts with North Korea amid the Trump administration’s turbulent first year, is retiring as Washington and Pyongyang step up considerations for formal diplomatic talks.Yun told The Associated Press he will stand down as special representative for North Korean policy on Friday. He said his decision to retire is entirely his own but it comes at a surprising juncture, just after American ally South Korea rel

BEIJING — China’s ruling Communist Party has proposed scrapping term limits for the country’s president, the official news agency said, appearing to lay the groundwork for party leader Xi Jinping to rule as president beyond 2023.The party’s Central Committee proposed to remove from the constitution the expression that China’s president and vice president “shall serve no more than two consecutive terms,” the Xinhua News Agency said Sunday.“Xi Jinping has finally achieved his ultimate goal when he

PYEONGCHANG -- US President Donald Trump’s daughter toured the 2018 Winter Olympics on Saturday, the morning after telling South Korea’s president that she will use her visit to the Pyeongchang Games to advocate maximum pressure on North Korea to halt its nuclear program. Ivanka Trump (left), cheers with Kim Jung-sook, wife of the South Korean President during the men’s Big Air snowboard competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Saturday. (AP)Ivanka Trump, who is one o