President Obama has
hail
ed a new free trade deal between the United States and South Korea as a major
boost
to the US economy and vital for ensuring security on the peninsula. He said opening the Korean market would boost jobs and expand the American export industry.
"The tariff reductions in this agreement alone are expected to boost annual exports of American goods by up to $11bn. And all told, this agreement, including the opening of the Korean services market, will support at least 70,000 American jobs. It will
contribute significantly to
achieving my goal of doubling US exports over the next five years."
The Spanish authorities say about 90% of air traffic controllers have returned to work, and flights should return to normal within two days. Tens of thousands of travellers were stranded, and the government used special powers to deal with the strike. Sarah Rainsford reports.
Almost all Spain's air traffic controllers have returned to work now, opening the airspace across the country. Slowly flights are resuming after the government declared a state of alert and ordered controllers back to their posts or be prosecuted. It was a
dramatic
response to the wildcat strike over changes to pay and conditions. But the government defended its actions, saying the situation was
extremely
serious, and the country could not be held to ransom.
Iraqi officials say at least 14 people have been killed in a series of explosions in the capital Baghdad. Two of the bomb attacks, which occurred in separate parts of the city, appeared to target Iranian pilgrims.