Premature babies 5 times more likely to be autistic: study

WASHINGTON, Oct 17, 2011 (AFP) - Babies who are born early and small are five times as likely as normal infants to develop autism, according to a two-decade-long US study released Monday.Premature babies have long been known to risk a host of health problems and cognitive delays, but the study in th

TechnologyOct. 17, 2011

Regulator begins procedure of Lone Star's KEB sale

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's financial regulator on Monday took the first administrative step toward ordering U.S. private buyout firm Lone Star Funds to sell the bulk of its controlling stake in Korea Exchange Bank (KEB).The Financial Services Commission (FSC) said in an e-mailed statem

Oct. 17, 2011

Climate change downsizing fauna, flora: study

PARIS (AFP) -- Climate change is reducing the body size of many animal and plant species, including some which supply vital nutrition for more than a billion people already living near hunger's threshold, according to a study released Sunday.From micro-organisms to top predators, nearly 45 percent o

TechnologyOct. 17, 2011

S&P to hold annual meeting in S. Korea

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- Global credit appraiser Standard & Poor's (S&P) will have its annual meeting with South Korean policymakers this week to assess the nation's overall economic situations and credit status, the finance ministry said Monday.A delegation led by Kim Eng Tan, S&P's senior direct

Oct. 17, 2011

Samsung files suits against Apple in Japan, Australia

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday that it asked judges in Japan and Australia to temporarily ban sales of the iPhone 4S, accusing Apple Inc. of violating its mobile  and user interface patents.In Japan, Samsung is also seeking to win a court injunction on the iPad 2

IndustryOct. 17, 2011

Korean firms' direct financing slips in Sept.

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean companies' direct financing marginally declined in September from a month earlier as companies scaled back their debt sales, the financial watchdog said Monday.Local firms raised 10.4 trillion won (US$9 billion) by issuing stocks and bonds last month, down 27.

IndustryOct. 17, 2011

Exports of Hyundai's Equus luxury sedan surge

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. said Monday that exports of its flagship Equus passenger car have surged thanks to its globally competitive performance.The carmaker said overseas sales of its second generation Equus that was first launched in March 2009 reach

MobilityOct. 17, 2011

S. Korean firms face cash crunch amid financial turmoil

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- The bulk of South Korea's large companies are confronted with worsening liquidity conditions as a result of global economic uncertainty, data showed Monday.The annual excess cash flow forecast of 83 listed companies reached 43 trillion won (US$37 billion), nearly halving f

IndustryOct. 17, 2011

SK to work with Chinese company on depression meds

SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. announced Sunday that it signed a licensing deal with a Chinese pharmaceuticals maker on a potential treatment for depression and bipolar disorder. Established in April, SK Biopharmaceuticals is a subsidiary of the SK Group’s holdings company SK Corp. Under the contract, SK

IndustryOct. 16, 2011

High-level meeting on desert expansion opens in Changwon

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification said on Sunday it will hold an official ceremony on Monday, an event that comes seven days after the opening ceremony of its 10th Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD.Under the theme “Care for Land, Land for Life,” senior officials from gover

Oct. 16, 2011

Mobile Web surfing gains momentum among Korean users

The red-hot boom of smartphones in South Korea is reshaping the way people surf the Web, heralding changes in the cyberspace in favor of greater mobile access rather than conventional media such as desktop and laptop computers. The proportion of those accessing major Korean portals and social networ

TechnologyOct. 16, 2011

Korea to send mobile alerts in case of power shortage

South Korea’s state-run power company said Sunday that it will send mobile text messages to the public in the event of low electricity reserves in a bid to swiftly alert people to potential power outages.The move comes one month after the country was caught off guard by one of the worst power cuts i

IndustryOct. 16, 2011

Banks’ overseas earnings double in H1

South Korean lenders saw their combined net profit from overseas operations grow more than two-fold in the first half from a year earlier on the back of increased interest income, the financial regulator said Sunday.Net income by 131 overseas units and branches managed by 11 local banks reached $429

Oct. 16, 2011

Global efforts on eurozone crisis to help stock market

South Korean shares are expected to gain some ground this week as the international community moves to resolve the eurozone crisis, analysts said Saturday.The forecast comes as the benchmark KOSPI closed at 1,835.40 on Friday, up 75.63 points, or 4.3 percent, from a week earlier. The index had risen

Oct. 16, 2011

Credit card firms to cut fees under pressure

Credit card firms plan to lower transactions fees by 0.2 percent in a reluctant response to merchants decrying the “unfair” fees.The plan to cut transaction fees is part of a broader reform to woo merchants after complaints led the financial regulator to consider allowing businesses to reject credit

Oct. 16, 2011