GANGNEUNG, South Korea  -- The top international skating official on Sunday kept mum on Russia's participation in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, with the country still under investigation for state-sponsored doping.Jan Dijkema, president of the International Skating Union (ISU), said the decision will be up to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has set up two commissions to investigate Russian doping. It was in response to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-commissioned repor

Olympic Games Feb. 12, 2017

A group of South Korean tourists in Paris were robbed of their train tickets and one passport in what appeared to be a case linked to the recent unrest over alleged police brutality, officials said Sunday.Some 40 Korean tourists were on a bus to their hotel around 9 p.m. Saturday (local time) when three or four black men boarded the bus and fled with the tourists' Eurostar tickets and the passport of the group's Korean tour guide, according to officials at the South Korean Embassy in Paris.The m

International Feb. 12, 2017

UK will have 'control over borders' after Brexit: PMPrime Minister Theresa May on Sunday insisted that Britain will have "control over our borders" after Brexit, suggesting she would be prepared to quit Europe's trading zone to achieve it."The referendum vote was a vote for us to... bring control into our immigration system. I'm clear that is part of what we need to deliver," she told Sky News in an interview."We will be able to have control over our borders, of our laws."German leader Angela Me

World News Jan. 8, 2017

Pope Francis encouraged women attending a ceremony in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday to feel free to breastfeed their children in the church."The ceremony is a little long, someone's crying because he's hungry. That's the way it is," the pontiff said."You mothers, go ahead and breastfeed, without fear. Just like the Virgin Mary nursed Jesus," he told worshippers attending an annual ceremony commemorating the baptism of Jesus.The Argentine pope on Sunday baptised 28 children -- 15 boys and 13 girls

Jan. 8, 2017

A suicide bomber targeted Baghdad's main vegetable market Sunday, killing at least 12 people in the latest attack claimed by the Islamic State group as Iraqi forces battle the jihadists for Mosul.Iraqi forces have pushed IS out of much of the territory it once held, but this bombing and the many others that have preceded it highlight the danger the jihadists can pose to civilians even as they lose ground."A soldier at the gate of Jamila market opened fire on a suicide car bomb after noticing a s

World Jan. 8, 2017

The US fast food chain Dairy Queen has signed on to expand into South Korea, industry officials said Thursday. M2G USA Investment said it has signed an agreement with International Dairy Queen Inc., which owns the franchise, to open 50 DQ Grill & Chill stores here over the next five years.International Dairy Queen is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway led by famous investor Warren Buffet. Dairy Queen, commonly known as DQ, is a chain of fast food restaurants serving hamburgers, ice cream and oth

Companies Dec. 22, 2016

Diplomatic tensions have slowed the growth of Chinese tourists to South Korea, the national tourism promotion agency here said Thursday.According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the number of Chinese tourists to South Korea increased 1.8 percent year-on-year in November.The KTO explained tensions stemming from Seoul's decision in July to set up the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system, much to the chagrin of Beijing, have had adverse effects on tourism.South Korea

Dec. 22, 2016

North Korea on Thursday threatened war in response to the latest sanctions by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC). "The latest UNSC 'resolution on sanctions' has created the danger of imminent war on the Korean Peninsula, as there are no judicial and institutional mechanisms to avert a war and armed conflicts and the 'resolution' is as good as a declaration of war," the North's foreign ministry said in an English-language statement released on the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)."The U.

Politics Dec. 22, 2016

South Korean football has ended the year ranked No. 37 in the world. South Korea remained at the same spot as the previous month in the latest FIFA rankings announced Thursday.Iran topped all Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members at No. 29, followed by South Korea, Japan (No. 45), Australia (No. 47) and Saudi Arabia (No. 54).South Korea will resume their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign on March 23 against China. South Korea are currently ranked second behind Iran in Group A of the f

Soccer Dec. 22, 2016

South Korea's foreign ministry said Thursday it will soon initiate the process of confiscating the passport of the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the long-time friend of President Park Geun-hye who faces charges for meddling in state affairs. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to swiftly issue an order for the return of Chung Yoo-ra's passport, and if it is not returned before a deadline, it will take steps to annul it," ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said in a press briefing.According to the

National Dec. 22, 2016