Ex-president gets 24-year jail term

SEOUL - A South Korean court on Friday sentenced impeached former president Park Geun-hye to 24 years in jail and fined her 18 billion won ($17 million) over a series of corruption counts.

Russia says UK 'playing with fire' in spy case

UNITED NATIONS - The international furor over the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter intensified, with Russia warning the United Kingdom that it was "playing with fire".

Japan anime giant Takahata dies at 82

TOKYO - Oscar-nominated Japanese anime director Isao Takahata, who co-founded Studio Ghibli and was best known for his work Grave of the Fireflies, has died aged 82, the studio said on Friday.

Oregon governor to defy Trump on National Guard border plan

SAN FRANCISCO - Oregon State Governor Kate Brown said on Thursday that she would defy US President Donald Trump's plan to send National Guard troops to the US-Mexican border.

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Russia makes UN move after spy plan is rebuffed

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Russia has called for urgent UN Security Council talks on the spiraling diplomatic crisis sparked by the spy poisoning scandal as a group of expelled US diplomats left their embassy in Moscow early on Thursday.

Talks begin to set up Kim-Moon summit

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Thursday started talks to discuss security and protocol issues for the inter-Korean summit later this month, the ROK's presidential office said.

Sumo chief sorry over women row

TOKYO - The head of Japan's sumo association has apologized after women attempting to perform CPR during a medical emergency on Wednesday were repeatedly asked to leave a sumo ring.

Leaders vow to secure Syria's future

ANKARA - The presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran vowed to secure the territorial integrity of Syria during a trilateral summit in Ankara on Wednesday.

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UK defense lab: No ID yet for source of nerve agent

LONDON - The British military facility analyzing the nerve agent used to poison a spy said on Tuesday it could not prove the substance was made in Russia, as Russian President Vladimir Putin put his hopes in a meeting with the world's chemical weapons watchdog.

Three shot in YouTube office attack

SAN BRUNO, California - Gunfire erupted at YouTube's offices in California on Tuesday, leaving three people wounded by gunshots and sparking a panicked escape before the suspected shooter - a woman - apparently committed suicide.