Aboard Air Force Two, United States | AFP | Vice President Mike Pence will arrive in Seoul Sunday, flying into a geopolitical maelstrom amid a possible North Korean nuclear test and harsh US warnings about a military response. Pence’s first visit to South Korea — part of an Asia swing …
Read More »South Korea’s former president Park Geun-Hye arrested
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korea’s ousted president Park Geun-Hye was arrested early Friday over the corruption and abuse of power scandal that brought her down. The Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant to arrest Park on charges of bribery, abuse of authority, coercion, and leaking government …
Read More »South Korean president sacked by top court
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korean President Park Geun-Hye was fired by the country’s top court on Friday, as it upheld her impeachment by parliament over a wide-ranging corruption scandal. The unanimous decision brought to a climax months of political turmoil that brought millions of people onto the streets …
Read More »In South Korea, the race is on for Olympics 5G next year
Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Tech-savvy sports enthusiasts will get their money’s worth at next year’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics where South Korea’s KT mobile operator wants to give spectators what it hopes will be their first 5G experience. Telecom firms have long been racing to develop this new, fifth generation …
Read More »Armed guards at Kim morgue, Malaysia says body still not claimed
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | Armed men stood guard Tuesday at the morgue holding the body of the assassinated half-brother of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un, with officials denying reports the dead man’s son had arrived to claim the remains. The corpse of Kim Jong-Nam — who was killed …
Read More »COMMENT: The global economy’s resilience
COMMENT: By Jim O’Neill Six major indicators suggest the global economy is growing at the fastest rate in many years Disconcerting political developments in the United States and the United Kingdom might lead one to conclude that an already challenged world economy will struggle even more in the near term. …
Read More »Assassinated brother of N. Korea leader to undergo autopsy
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | The body of the assassinated half-brother of North Korea’s leader is to undergo an autopsy on Wednesday, police said as they searched for those responsible for the Cold War-style killing at a Malaysian airport. Two women are believed to have used some kind of …
Read More »Amina Mohammed, two other women named to top UN posts
United Nations, United States | AFP | Incoming UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday announced the appointment of Nigeria’s Environment Minister Amina Mohammed to be the UN’s number two official and tapped two other women for key leadership posts. Guterres has made gender parity a priority of his tenure which …
Read More »South Korean lawmakers impeach president
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korean lawmakers on Friday voted to impeach President Park Geun-Hye, stripping away her sweeping executive powers over a corruption scandal and opening a new period of national uncertainty. The National Assembly ballot immediately transferred Park’s authority to the prime minister, pending a decision …
Read More »ANALYSIS: S. Korea crisis proves perils of cheating at school
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | When South Korea’s Park Geun-Hye looks back on the scandal-fuelled implosion of her presidency, she may reflect ruefully on what lit the first fuse — a parent pulling strings over a child’s education. Park’s downfall was the result of her friendship with Choi Soon-Sil …
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