RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Usain Bolt kneeled down and gave the track one final kiss, then flattened his hand, reached to the ground and slapped the white number "3" painted at the starting line.Three Olympics, three races at each, three gold medals every time. He could have just as easily slapped the number "1." That would need no explanation. The man who transcended track and became a world-class celebrity bid a blazing-fast farewell to the Rio de Janeiro Games -- and, he insists, the Olympics alt

Sports Aug. 20, 2016

LONDON, (AFP) -- Midnight at bustling Oxford Circus Underground station in the heart of London, a band is playing and weekend revelry is only just beginning for some residents of the Big Smoke.Excited Londoners and tourists jostle to be among the first to take the Night Tube -- a new service that will see the Victoria and Central lines run all night on Fridays and Saturdays."It's great that the tube's going to be open all night," said Omar Khan, a 27-year-old clothing designer who was planning t

International Aug. 20, 2016

North Korea and China on Saturday kicked off a 40-day repair work on a railroad bridge that links the two countries' border cities, a source familiar with the matter said.The source said that the countries started maintenance work on the railway system on the bridge linking North Korea's border city of Sinuiju to China's city of Dandong over the Yalu River."During the repair period, not only trains but also vehicles will not be allowed to cross the bridge," the source said.The bridge, built in 1

North Korea Aug. 20, 2016

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) -- Facebook on Friday took direct aim at video-loving adolescents, and Snapchat, with the release of a new iPhone app that allows teens to watch clips about the lives of their classmates.The app, called Lifestage, was released with no fanfare, and is available for anyone to download on iPhone, although seeing profiles of other users is reserved for those 21 years of age or younger.The social network allows users to make video clips to describe likes, peeves, dance styles, and

International Aug. 20, 2016

Japan's foreign ministry was found to have posted a high-ranking official's comments on its English website Saturday that denies forceful mobilization of comfort women by its military and government authorities during World War II.The posting dated on Aug. 9 was a summary of comments by Shinsuke Sugiyama, Japan's deputy foreign minister, during a United Nations committee meeting held in Geneva back in February. The summarized remarks were first posted on the ministry's official website in March

Foreign Affairs Aug. 20, 2016

South Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae has qualified for the individual all-around final at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.Son ranked fifth among 10 qualifiers with 71.956 points earned from her four apparatuses on Friday.Son scored 18.358 points in clubs, 18.266 points in ball,17.866 points in ribbon and 17.466 points in hoop.Margarita Mamun of Russia led all qualifiers with 74.838 points total. She led all gymnasts in ribbon (19.050), ball (19.000) and hoop (18.833).Yana Kudryavtseva, also of

Sports Aug. 20, 2016

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Donald Trump is now accusing President Barack Obama of founding the Islamic State group that is wreaking havoc from the Middle East to European cities."In many respects, you know, they honor President Obama,'' Trump said Wednesday during a raucous campaign rally outside Fort Lauderdale, Florida. "He is the founder of ISIS."He repeated the allegation three more times for emphasis.Trump also pointedly referred to the president by his full legal name: Barack Hussein Obama.The

International Aug. 11, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Huffington Post is going to be without a Huffington. Arianna Huffington says she is stepping down as editor-in-chief to focus on a new health startup. She founded The Huffington Post in 2005, and it grew to become one of the biggest online media players. It is currently owned by Verizon Communications Inc.The departure comes several weeks after Verizon said it was buying the media properties of Yahoo Inc. for about $4.8 billion.The Huffington Post is known for its celebrity

International Aug. 11, 2016

KAMPALA (AFP) -- Ugandan officials raided a prestigious private school on Thursday to seize copies of British children's author Jacqueline Wilson's "Love Lessons" on the orders of a minister who has led several crackdowns on "obscene" conduct.Minister for ethics and integrity Simon Lokodo said the book exposed children attending the exclusive Greenhill Academy to sex at too young an age. The school in the capital Kampala is popular with Uganda's elite and Western expatriates, and admits pupils b

International Aug. 11, 2016

Prosecutors sought an arrest warrant Thursday against the owner of the South Korean baseball club Nexen Heroes for his alleged fraud and embezzlement.The move came a few days after the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office summoned Lee Chang-suk, who is alleged to have reneged on a 2008 promise to hand over his stake of the ball club to a Korean-American businessman in return for 2 billion won (US$1.7 million).Hong Sung-eun, chairman of the Atlanta-based real estate developer Rainier Group,

Social Affairs Aug. 11, 2016

South Korea has requested Cambodian police to thoroughly investigate the killing of a South Korean man there earlier this week, a Foreign Ministry official said Thursday.The man in his 50s was shot dead in a region some 30km south of Phnom Penh on Wednesday, according to the official.The victim is believed to be a resident in Cambodia, but more details of the incident are still unknown. Local police are looking into the case."The South Korean Embassy in Cambodia dispatched a consular official to

International Aug. 11, 2016