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[David Ignatius] Europe’s unending fiscal circus

ViewpointsNov 17, 2011

WASHINGTON ― After so many months of watching Europe’s economic follies, we should better appreciate the merits of America’s bipartisan response to the great crash of 2008. If the Europeans had handled their problems as cleanly as the United States did three years ago, the financial world wouldn’t be spinning like a yo-yo. The U.S. turned a corner in 2008 and 2009 because officials from both parties made good decisions and backed them up. The Europeans, by contrast, just keep dithering. They set
Handicapping a war over Iran’s nuclear aims

ViewpointsNov 17, 2011

As concerns mounted over a possible military confrontation between Israel and Iran, several leading Arab commentators argued that such worries were overblown.This was so even as the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded last week that Iran appeared to have worked on developing a nuclear bomb and as media in Israel reported that the country’s leaders may be nearing a decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities. Wrote columnist Rachid Hassan, in the Amman-based Ad-Dustour daily: “We are cert
[Michael Smerconish] Scandal cries out for tougher child-abuse reporting law

ViewpointsNov 17, 2011

Among the many things that need to change in the aftermath of the Penn State scandal is Pennsylvania law.First, the commonwealth needs to require that any witness to child abuse must call the police. Second, the statute of limitations for civil claims against child abusers needs to be expanded.Consider that when Mike McQueary saw a 10-year-old boy being raped in the shower at the campus’ Lasch Football Complex, he was under no legal obligation to dial 911 ― much less intervene. According to the
Obama declares U.S. a Pacific power

World NewsNov 17, 2011

Countering China, Washington vows to expand influence in AsiaCANBERRA (AP) ― Signaling a determination to counter a rising China, President Barack Obama vowed Thursday to expand U.S. influence in the Asia-Pacific region and “project power and deter threats to peace” in that part of the world even as he reduces defense spending and winds down two wars.“The United States is a Pacific power, and we are here to stay,” he declared in a speech to the Australian Parliament, sending an unmistakable mes
Jupiter moon may have massive lakes

World NewsNov 17, 2011

PARIS (AFP) ― A body of water as big as North America’s Great Lakes could lie beneath Europa, a shining enigmatic moon of Jupiter, astronomers reported on Wednesday.The finding ― if backed by a hoped-for unmanned robot mission ― is exciting, for water is one of the key ingredients for life.Its white icy shell brightly reflecting the distant Sun, Europa is the second closest satellite of Jupiter, the biggest planet of the Solar System.Pictures of it sent back by the Galileo spacecraft during its
Now what? Few tangible effects of Occupy protests

World NewsNov 17, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― Around the U.S., people want to weigh in about the Occupy Wall Street protests, from CEOs and politicians to average citizens. So far, the talk has translated into little action.Two months into the movement, with police dismantling the encampments one by one, city by city, few politicians or policymakers have publicly taken up the protesters’ cause and done anything to address corporate excesses and economic inequality.But some political observers say the demonstrators have chang
Man arrested in White House shooting incident

World NewsNov 17, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) ― A man with an apparent obsession with President Barack Obama has been arrested in Pennsylvania after the U.S. Secret Service, the presidential bodyguards, discovered two bullets had struck the White House while the president was away, authorities said Wednesday.One bullet smashed into a window of the living quarters of the executive mansion but was stopped by ballistic glass.The arrest of Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, 21, came days after reports of shots fired on Friday night
KOCIS unveils new slogan for 40th anniversary

TheaterNov 17, 2011

Korean Culture and Information Service this week announced its new slogan for its 40th year anniversary, which it selected from entries from the public. The slogan reads: “Reaching out Constantly, Resounding Globally!”KOCIS, an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, had organized a public contest for the slogan from Oct. 21 to Nov. 3. A total of 297 people, including foreigners, submitted entries.The winning phrase was created by Cho Han-gyeong, 24, from South Chungcheong Prov
Sharon Stone announces 2 new roles

FilmNov 17, 2011

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Sharon Stone is taking on two very different roles: One in a Linda Lovelace biopic, and another online to welcome returning troops.The 53-year-old actress says she will play Lovelace’s mother in “Lovelace.” But before filming starts, the “Basic Instinct” star has another mission: She’s taking her first steps into the world of social media with a Facebook page that welcomes returning military personnel home from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.Stone says her page will serve as a c
Two different gay films to arrive on K-film scene

FilmNov 17, 2011

‘Life is Peachy’ and ‘REC’ bring different approaches, styleAfter this year’s success of “Miracle of Jongno Street,” the nation’s first gay-themed documentary, Korea’s film scene sees the arrival of two very different queer films. One is the feature debut of So Joon-moon, one of the four gay men featured in director Lee Hyuk-sang’s documentary released in June. In the non-fiction film, So appeared as a struggling film director who often gets discouraged by social scrutiny of his sexual orientati
‘Thrombosis on the rise’

HealthNov 17, 2011

The number of thrombosis patients is on the rise, the National Health Insurance Corp. warned Monday. Thrombosis is risky as it is directly linked with heart attacks and strokes. According to an NHIC report, the number of people diagnosed with coronary embolism or artery thrombosis, has increased 34.2 percent between 2006 and 2010, marking an annual 8.3 percent growth. Men were 30 percent more susceptible to the disease than women. “Some studies suggest that sitting on a chair too long could rais
Metabolic issues linked with bladder stones

HealthNov 17, 2011

People with metabolic syndrome are more likely to have bladder stones, a group of local researchers claimed Tuesday. According to Dr. Park Hyeong-geun of Asan Medial Center’s research on 34,895 people over 20 years old, those suffering hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia or obesity 70 percent more likely to have bladder stones. Bladder stones are solid masses found in the bladder. They can cause severe lower abdominal and back pain, difficult urination, frequent nocturnal urination, fever, pa
Red ginseng may help middle-aged women

HealthNov 17, 2011

Regular intake of red ginseng could help women overcome post-menopause syndrome, a group of local doctors here said. Dr. Lee Byung-seok and Dr. Seo Seog-gyo of Severance Hospital studied a total of 72 women between the ages of 45 and 60 who had been through menopause. Half of them were given ginseng while the other half were given placebo. Twelve weeks later they found that women who took in red ginseng had less cholesterol and thinner carotid, which means a lower chance of cardiovascular diseas
State health insurance premiums to rise 2.8%

HealthNov 17, 2011

The national health insurance premium will increase 2.8 percent next year from this year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday. Salaried worker subscribers will pay 5.8 percent of salary as premium up from the current 5.64 percent ― an average monthly increase of 2,355 won. For self-employed or unemployed people, average monthly premiums will go up 2,095 won.Medical fees from clinics or hospitals will rise by an average of 2.2 percent.But half the price of dentures for those 75 or old
Strength training’s not just for bodybuilders anymore

HealthNov 17, 2011

DETROIT ― The variations have new names but center on the same main principle ― whether you yank on suspension bands, pull stretchy rubber tubes, heft a bulbous low-tech kettlebell or pump traditional free weights, you’re moving your muscles against resistance. That’s what burns calories while building healthy, attractive lean muscle tissue. Both lead to weight loss, a firm physique and a raft of other benefits.Strength training is a growing trend, according to the annual survey by the American