by Yanan Wang Agence France Presse HARBIN, China (AFP) — It was a hot summer afternoon in Harbin and tourists strolled cobblestone streets with the Chinese city’s famous milk popsicles in hand. But indoors, it was perfect weather for skiing. At the city’s new Ice and Snow Park, chilly winds blew snowflakes around skiers zipping down the manmade slopes of the world’s largest indoor ski park, a potent symbol of China’s ambitions to turn itself […]
Tag: Park
Landslide win for Moon in South Korea election
by Jung Ha-won Eagle News Service Seoul, South Korea (AFP) — Left-leaning former human rights lawyer Moon Jae-In won South Korea’s presidential election by a landslide Tuesday, sweeping to power and vowing unity after a tumultuous scandal felled the country’s last leader. The ballot was needed after Park Geun-Hye was ousted and indicted for corruption, and took place against a backdrop of high tensions with the nuclear-armed North. Voters were galvanized by anger over […]
Last killer whale born at Sea World
SAN ANTONIO. United States (Reuters) — The last killer whale to be born at SeaWorld was delivered on Wednesday (April 19) at the company’s San Antonio park. Sea World veterinarians said they have not yet determined the gender of the calf, but said the baby and its 25-year-old mother, Takara, are in good shape and are being monitored 24 hours a day. This is Takara’s fifth birth, and officials say she will determine when park […]
South Korean acting president convenes security meeting after impeachment ruling
(Reuters) — South Korea’s acting President and Prime Minister, Hwang Kyo-ahn, convened a National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Friday (March 10) after an impeachment ruling and said the country should be ready for possible provocations from North Korea. The Constitutional Court earlier in the day removed President Park Geun-hye from office over a graft scandal involving the country’s conglomerates at a time of rising tensions with North Korea and China. Park, 65, no […]
S. Korea parliament impeaches scandal hit president
by Jung Ha-Won Agence France Presse 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 by the Constitutional Court on whether to ratify the decision and permanently remove the president from office. A ruling […]
‘Million’-strong protest tells South Korea president to quit
by Park Chan-Kyong / Hwang Sunghee SEOUL, South Korea | AFP |– Pressure on South Korea’s scandal-hit president to resign escalated sharply Saturday, with organisers claiming a million-strong turnout at one of the largest — and loudest — anti-government protests the country has ever witnessed. Chanting “Step down Park Geun-Hye!” enormous crowds, including high school students, Catholic nuns, labourers, farmers, retirees and young couples with babies, massed in the streets of central Seoul in […]
The ‘female Rasputin’ at centre of S. Korean political scandal
by Jung Ha-Won SEOUL, South Korea | AFP | — South Korean President Park Geun-Hye is facing calls to resign over allegations she allowed a close personal friend to meddle in state affairs. The woman at the heart of the scandal is an elusive figure with no government post or security clearance but a reportedly Rasputin-like grip on the president’s trust and affections. Here are five key questions about an ongoing and sometimes bizarre […]
Raids, protests pressure S. Korea’s scandal-hit president
by Park Chan-Kyong SEOUL, South Korea | AFP | — Pressure mounted Saturday on beleaguered South Korean President Park Geun-Hye over a personal and political scandal, as prosecutors raided the homes of senior aides and thousands joined a protest in central Seoul demanding her resignation. With just over a year left to run, Park’s presidency has suddenly unravelled over shocking revelations of how she allowed a close personal friend, with no official position, to […]





