Garlic more powerful at fighting food poisoning than antibiotics

  Eating garlic can help fight food poisoning, a new research finding showed on Wednesday. Researchers at Washington State University in the United States said that a compound in garlic is 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics at fighting one of the main causes of food poisoning, citing their latest research results. The finding suggests that the compound called “diallyl sulphide” easily penetrates and kills Campylobacter bacterial cells by combining with an enzyme containing sul

TechnologyMay 2, 2012

New theory on dinosaur extinction offered

Some dinosaurs may have been on the way to extinction millions of years before an asteroid hit the Earth 65 million years ago, U.S. researchers say.Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buerhle has a chuckle with robotic "Baby T Rex," who threw out the first pitch before the game against the Detroit Tigers at at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois, Wednesday, August 6, 2008. (MCT)Scientists say thei

TechnologyMay 2, 2012

Central government tightens budget for 2013

The government will seek a balanced budget next year despite an expected outpouring of welfare legislation from the parliament. A government roadmap on budget compilation and fund use for next year, approved by the Cabinet on April 24, calls for refraining from indiscriminate welfare programs and giving state aid to welfare programs selectively. If it achieves this fiscal goal, it will be the second time since 1980 for the government to equal revenue to expenditure. The government budget has bee

May 1, 2012

Local governments in dire financial straits

Increased welfare, costly infrastructure projects weigh on local public financesLocal governments’ financial problems are worsening due to increased welfare programs imposed by the central government and costly infrastructure projects. Some cash-strapped cities have been unable to pay staff salaries on time. In April, Incheon was a day late in paying allowances to employees. The city’s decision to reduce overtime allowances and halt bonuses to senior officials from May points further to its fisc

May 1, 2012

Samsung, Kia join hands for new K9

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that it joined hands with Kia Motors to equip its new vehicle K9 with the firm’s flagship tablet PC Galaxy Tab 10.1.The two firms plan to provide the special edition of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to those who pre-register to purchase the to-be-released sedan by June, according to Samsung officials. The move comes after the two jointly developed a customized solution for the owners of the newly launched car. The new K9 is scheduled to be released next Monday.With its foc

IndustryMay 1, 2012

Hyundai Heavy completes power, desalination plants in Bahrain

Hyundai Heavy Industries has completed the construction of massive power and desalination plants in Al-Dur, Bahrain, company officials said on Tuesday.Hyundai Heavy executives and King Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa of Bahrain attended a ceremony on Monday to celebrate the completion of the project worth about $1.7 billion, they said. Bahrain’s new power and desalination plants are gas-fired combined-cycle units and can generate up to 1,245 mega watts of power, capable of supplying 40 percent of Bahr

IndustryMay 1, 2012

Consumer inflation slows in April

South Korea’s consumer prices grew at a slower pace in April than a month earlier as the government sought to tame inflationary pressure, a report showed Tuesday.According to the report by Statistics Korea, the country’s consumer price index rose 2.5 percent in April from a year earlier, slowing from a 2.6 percent on-year gain in March. The index was unchanged from a month earlier. April’s reading is the lowest in 21 months and marks the second month in a row inflation has been in the 2 percent

May 1, 2012

April’s trade volume shrinks for second straight month

South Korea’s trade volume for April shrank from a year earlier for the second straight month, mainly due to a drop in overseas delivery of ships and semiconductors and weak local demand for commodities, a government report showed Tuesday.Despite the contraction in trade volume, the country’s trade balance remained in the black for the third straight month to the tune of $2.15 billion, according to the report by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.The country’s exports reached $46.26 billion in Ap

May 1, 2012

Samsung, SKT to launch feature phone next week

Amid a proliferation of high-end smartphones here, Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom have teamed up for a rare project ― a flip phone running on the third-generation network service. SK Telecom, the nation’s largest mobile carrier, said Tuesday that it will launch a new handset model called “Wise2” next week to meet feature phone demand, especially from those in their 40s or older. According to a recent survey by the company, the age group made up almost 70 percent of the total feature phone us

IndustryMay 1, 2012

New wave of consumerism is transforming marketing

As the aftershocks of the global financial crisis languish, financial market uncertainty, rising inflation and falling house values continue to suppress consumer sentiment and slash the spending capacity of Koreans. Under these circumstances, past spending filled with optimism is fading away. Consumers now search for the lowest prices on staple items. Still, they hone in on coveted products even though they may be expensive.Consumer interest is also growing in eco-friendly and socially conscious

IndustryMay 1, 2012

SK Chemicals chief wins Forbes CEO Award

SK Chemicals vice chairman and CEO Kim Chang-geun has won the Forbes CEO Award, the company announced on Tuesday. Hosted by Forbes Korea and supported by the Ministry of Commerce, the Forbes CEO Award selects CEOs who develop creative corporal culture with strong leadership and social responsibility. Forbes acknowledged Kim’s leading role in corporate restructuring and aggressive overseas operations based on communicative skills, SK Chemicals said. Kim became the vice chair of the nation’s leadi

May 1, 2012

LG founder joins CEA’s Hall of Fame this year

LG Group said Tuesday that Koo In-hwoi, founder of LG Corp., was inducted into the Consumer Electronics Association’s 2012 Hall of Fame.Joined by 11 others, the U.S.-based CEA, which is the organizer of the world’s biggest electronics annual trade show in Las Vegas, said it chose Koo for leading the consumer technology industry as well as shaping and advancing innovation.The 12 new honorees will be inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame during an awards dinner held on the sidelines of its

IndustryMay 1, 2012