WUHAN (AFP) -- Superstar Lin Dan led hosts China to an emphatic victory over South Korea in the Thomas Cup final on Sunday, sending a stark message he and his teammates are in peak form for the London Olympics.Widely regarded as the best player of all time and a sporting hero in China, Lin threw his t-shirt into the Wuhan crowd after his side were far too good in seeing off the Koreans 3-0 -- repe

A millionaire's daughter was sentenced to two years imprisonment Friday for chauffeuring looters around London during last summer's riots.Laura Johnson, 20, a student at Exeter University, was convicted of burglary and handling stolen goods, The Daily Telegraph reported. She had thousands of dollars in electronic items in her car when she was arrested Aug. 9, 2011.Johnson, whose parents run a mark

Japanese-American men who did not eat foods rich in vitamin D had an increased risk of stroke later in life, U.S. researchers found.Lead author Dr. Gotaro Kojima of the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu said sunlight is generally the greatest source of vitamin D, but synthesizing it from the sun gets more difficult as one ages, so older people are advised to

The interim head of a minor opposition party said Saturday that expelling two lawmakers-elect and two other candidates linked to a primary vote rigging scandal is critical for the survival of South Korea's progressive movement.Unified Progressive Party (UPP) chief Kang Ki-kab said in an open letter addressed to party members that failure to take firm action at this juncture will lead to the extinc

South Korean gymnast Son Yeon-jae ranked fifth in the rhythmic discipline in the latest global tally announced by the International Gymnastics Federation on Saturday.The 2012 ranking by the international governing body of competitive gymnastics, whose headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland, had the 18-year-old Son behind Russia's Daria Kondakova, Daria Dmitrieva and Evgeniya Kanaeva, and Israel'

David Beckham is no longer Major League Soccer's highest-paid player after his salary was cut nearly 40 percent in his new contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy.The former England captain has a base salary of $3 million this year and guaranteed compensation of $4 million, according to figures released on Friday by the MLS Players Union. His previous base salary had been $5.5 million with total annu

University of Georgia researchers say human breast milk is the best source of food for infants, but a new second best-formula may be made from hazelnut oil.Casimir Akoh -- a distinguished research professor of food science and technology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences -- developed a new nutrient based on hazelnut oil that mimics the structure of mother's milk, making it

A U.S. envoy will travel to Brussels next week to discuss North Korean human rights with the European Union, the State Department announced Friday.Amb. Robert King, the special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, will participate in the European Parliament subcommittee on the human rights situation in North Korea on Tuesday, the department said in a press release.King also plans to meet wi

South Korea and the United States agreed to implement their free trade pact on March 15, Seoul's trade ministry said Tuesday, a move that helps pave the way for both countries to beef up their economic and political ties.South Korea's parliament approved the free trade pact in November of last year

LILLE (AFP) -- French police detained former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn for questioning Tuesday over allegations he took part in orgies in Paris and Washington paid for by a pair of businessmen.The 62-year-old former Socialist minister, who until last year was seen as the frontrunner to r

A parliamentary committee on political reform plans to adopt an open primary system using mobile voting to allow political parties to select election candidates through contests open to non-party members, officials from the rival parties said Wednesday.An open primary is a system in which ordinary p

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Wednesday that it will proclaim an ordinance on the protection of students' human rights, banning corporal punishment and allowing freedom to choose their own hairstyle and clothing, a move expected to cause conflict between the office and the educatio

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to raise public transportation fares by 150 won (US$0.13) next month to make up for rising deficits from transfer fee discounts and energy costs, officials said Wednesday.The city government has come up with a proposal to raise bus and subway fares from 900 wo