PARIS ― Herve Falciani was once just an IT worker at a big bank, but since running off with hundreds of thousands of damaging documents from banking giant HSBC he has been alternately called a hero and a thief. “He is brave. We have the highest opinion of Mr. Falciani’s work, whatever his motivations may be. He has served the public interest,” said Eric Alt, vice president of the French antitax ...

The ambitious plan to make the southern part of the Korean Peninsula a stop on the global racing circuit may have come to a halt as the organizing committee of the Formula 1 race in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, on Monday was reported to be considering disbanding. According to local media reports, the organizing committee of the Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix recently decided to disband after the...

NEW YORK ― One of America’s most prominent TV anchors, Brian Williams, faced calls for his resignation Friday for embellishing an Iraq war story from 2003. Williams, 55, who reportedly earns $10 million a year and is watched by an estimated 9 million Americans a night, admitted that a story he often repeated on air about coming under fire was not true. “I made a mistake in recalling the events ...

AMMAN― The burning alive of a Jordanian pilot by the Islamic State group has shocked and angered Jordanians, uniting them behind their government’s vow to intensify its military action against the jihadists. Jordan is one of several Arab states to have joined the U.S.-led campaign against IS in Syria and Iraq, and has taken part in air strikes against jihadist positions since September. Concern...

LONDON ― Britain on Tuesday became the first country in the world to allow the creation of babies with DNA from three people after MPs voted for the controversial procedure. Lawmakers at the House Commons voted by 382 to 128 in favor of allowing the creation of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) babies with DNA from three people, a move aimed at preventing serious inherited diseases being passed on fr...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama set up another clash with Republicans by sending Congress a $4 trillion budget that seeks to raise taxes on wealthier Americans and corporations and increase domestic spending. In a message accompanying the massive budget books on Monday, Obama said his proposals are "practical, not partisan." But even before the books were delivered, Republicans found p...

TOKYO (AFP) ― The apparent beheading of two Japanese hostages by Islamic State militants poses a stark diplomatic test for pacifist Japan, underscoring how Tokyo’s image as a benign aid donor offers no immunity from violence, analysts say. Tokyo has long avoided getting embroiled in tinderbox conflicts across the Middle East and is rarely the target of religious extremism, something many ordinar...

SYDNEY ― Uli Stielike coached his first match for South Korea last October, barely three months before the start of the AFC Asian Cup. He would coach only four more friendly matches before the continental tournament kicked off in Australia in early January, and the general expectation was that there wouldn’t be enough time for him to do much with South Korea at the Asian Cup. Yet the German-born...

Former President Lee Myung-bak has revealed a series of sensitive foreign policy dealings, including the failed negotiations over an inter-Korean summit, during his term in his memoir obtained by the media ahead of its publication next Monday. In the 800-page memoir, entitled “The President’s Time 2008-2013,” he includes details about his administration’s diplomacy with Pyongyang, Beijing, Washi...

A battle has begun for control of NCSoft, the nation’s second-biggest game developer, as Nexon, its largest shareholder, has officially vowed to participate in its management. Nexon, the largest online game firm in South Korea, said Tuesday that it would shift from merely investing in NCSoft, the runner-up in the domestic market, to taking part in its management. “The company made the decision ...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is facing a tough diplomatic decision over when and where to make his international stage debut ahead of a series of foreign events this year, including Russia’s 70th anniversary celebration of the victory in World War II. The decision calls for Pyongyang’s careful calibration of strategic interests amid diplomatic estrangement from China, Russia’s engagement with...

ATHENS ― Alexis Tsipras, whose Syriza party won the Greek general election for the first time in its history on Sunday, is set to become the country’s first radical left-wing prime minister, and the youngest in over 150 years. He brings to the job a burning passion to dump the austerity policies that his party says have brought a “humanitarian crisis” to Greece. “Greece is turning a page, leavi...

Prime minister nominee Lee Wan-koo on Sunday kicked off preparations for his confirmation hearing at the parliament, after President Park Geun-hye nominated him to become her top deputy last week. Among the issues expected to be discussed at the hearing are allegations concerning Lee and his son’s military duty exemptions, a crime committed by his brother and questions about a piece of land Lee ...

TOKYO -- Lacking strong clout and diplomatic reach in the Middle East, Japan scrambled Thursday for ways to secure the release of two hostages held by the Islamic State group, as two people with contacts there offered to try to negotiate. The militants threatened in a video message to kill the hostages within 72 hours unless they receive $200 million. Based on the video's release time, that dead...

WASHINGTON ― U.S. President Barack Obama can claim credit for bringing the economy back from the edge of catastrophe. But on Tuesday he turned his focus to a glaring failure of the recovery: While the wealthy are now wealthier than ever, the average American has not seen any rebound in his wages since the 2008 crisis. In his annual State of the Union address, Obama vowed to take on rising incom...