Uber facing probe into alleged gender discrimination: source

SAN FRANCISCO -- Uber is facing a US government investigation into allegations that the ride-hailing service set up a pay structure that discriminated against its female workers.The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission opened the probe in August 2017, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The person insisted on not being identified because the inquiry is considered confidential.The Wall Street Journal first reported the ongoing investigation. This March 20 file photo shows

July 17, 2018

[Graphic News] Hite Jinro named world's top spirits brand, again

　The Korean soju brand Jinro, owned by Hite Jinro was the world’s best-selling distilled liquor company for a second straight year, according to a market research firm in London.　The IWSR, a provider of market data, said that Hite Jinro sold 75.9 million cases of soju in 2017, up 0.8 percent from a year earlier.　Ruang Khao of Thai Beverage came in second with sales of 31.75 million cases, followed by Indian whiskey maker ADB’s Officer’s Choice with sales of 31.51 million cases.

July 11, 2018

EU chief criticizes Trump over attitude to European allies

European Council President Donald Tusk is appealing to President Donald Trump to remember who his allies are as the U.S. leader prepares to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.(Yonhap)Speaking as he signed a joint EU-NATO declaration Tuesday with alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Tusk said in a message to Trump that "it is always worth knowing who is your strategic friend and who is your strategic problem."With Trump routinely criticizing his NATO allies for failing to spend en

July 10, 2018

[Graphic News] Zuckerberg becomes world's 3rd-richest person

　Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has overtaken Warren Buffett as the world’s third-richest person, further solidifying technology as the most robust creator of wealth　Above Zuckerberg were Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, in the No. 1 spot, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.　It’s the first time that the three wealthiest people on the ranking made their fortunes from technology.　Zuckerberg, 34, is now worth $81.6 billion, about $373 million more than Buf

July 9, 2018

China says open for trade with east Europe as clash with US ramps up

SOFIA - China remains open for trade with foreign partners and can only benefit from an economically strong Europe, its premier said on Saturday as he pressed for expanded ties with the continent's eastern wing while waging a tariff war with Washington.Li Keqiang told a summit with central and eastern European leaders that China would continue opening its markets and implementing other reforms that had fuelled its economy, providing opportunities for EU members and aspirants in the bloc's poorer

July 9, 2018

[Graphic News] South Korea tops internet usage in Asia

　Among the countries surveyed, South Korea stands out as the most heavily connected society, with 96 percent of adults reporting that they use the internet. 　The Pew Research Center's newest study says that while the gap in internet usage between emerging and advanced economies is narrowing, there are still large swaths of the world where significant numbers of citizens do not use the internet.　South Korea is in the same league as the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, the US, Israel, the United Kingd

July 8, 2018

China eyes eastern Europe investment as US trade war sizzles

As a trade war rages between China and the US, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is meeting leaders from central and eastern Europe in Bulgaria on Saturday to discuss investment opportunities.Road and rail projects funded by China will be high on the agenda at the summit, which has raised concerns in Brussels and richer Western European countries about growing Chinese influence in the region.At the seventh annual gathering of the so-called "16+1 cooperation", Li will meet leaders and firms from 11 EU m

July 7, 2018

Chairman of China's HNA Group dies in accident in France

BEIJING -- The co-chairman of HNA Group, a conglomerate that operates China's fourth-largest airline and racked up tens of billions of dollars in debt as it went on a global buying spree, died in an accident while on a business trip in France, the company said Wednesday.Wang Jian, a co-founder of the company, suffered "severe injuries" in a fall in Provence in southern France and died Tuesday at age 57, said an HNA Group statement. It gave no other details."Together, we mourn the loss of an exce

July 5, 2018

[Graphic News] ICBC tops world banks ranking

　Chinese banks won top 4 places in The Banker's latest global ranking of the top 1,000 banks this year.　The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China remains No. 1 in terms of tier 1 capital, followed by China Construction Bank, Bank of China and Agricultural Bank of China, which together make nearly one third of global profits. 　US banks did well in the ranking, with JPMorgan placing 5th, Bank of America 6th, Wells Fargo 7th and Citigroup 8th.

July 4, 2018

[Graphic News] Seoul ranks world's 5th most expensive city

　Seoul is the world's fifth most expensive city for expatriates, according to an annual cost of living report by consultancy Mercer.　Asia dominates the list, with Hong Kong at the top and Tokyo in second, followed by Singapore in fourth, Shanghai in seventh and Beijing in ninth. Outside of Asia, European and African cities were among the priciest cities for expatriates. Zurich ranked third and Luanda came in sixth.　The survey ranked 209 cities across five continents and compared the cost of more

July 3, 2018

[Graphic News] Japan lags behind others in cashless wave

　Cashless payments are rapidly becoming more commonplace, raising hopes for innovations linked to various new services. Japan, however, has fallen behind the cashless wave that is sweeping the world. 　In stark contrast to South Korea and China, where cashless payment rates were nearly 90 percent for South Korea in 2015 and 60 percent in China, Japan’s rate was less than 20 percent.

June 25, 2018

Trump's trade war sets bigger booby trap for strong US economy

The escalating trade battle between the U.S. and the rest of the world is raising the risk of a meaningful slowing in an otherwise vibrant American economy.While the tariffs already in place and set to be implemented will barely dent U.S. growth, economists say the panoply of additional measures being considered would take a perceptible bite out of gross domestic product if they go ahead.“It’s going to be more noticeably painful,” said Peter Hooper, chief economist at Deutsche Bank AG in New Yor

June 24, 2018

Bitcoin slips to 2018 low as rising scrutiny fuels skepticism

Bitcoin dropped to the lowest level this year as pressure mounts on the embryonic digital-currency sector, with global central bankers raising questions of viability and government regulators increasing scrutiny.The biggest virtual currency fell as much as 5.1 percent to $5,832.68, piercing the previous low of the year of $5,920.72 that was set on Feb. 6, according Bitstamp prices as of 10:40 a.m. in London. That bought its decline from the record high of almost $20,000 reached in December to 70

June 24, 2018

[Graphic News] Qatar Airways named world’s best airline

　Qatar Airways was named the best airline globally in 2018, followed by German carrier Lufthansa and United Arab Emirates’ national carrier Etihad Airways, according to AirHelp.　Overall rankings are based on three factors: on-time performance, quality of service and a claims-processing score, which reflects how a company handles customer complaints.　Korean Air ranked 66th and Asiana Airlines came in at No. 59.

June 10, 2018

Trump pulls out of joint G-7 statement, attacks Trudeau

LA MALBAIE, Quebec -- The annual G-7 summit ppeared to have weathered tensions over President Donald Trump's threats of a tariff-fueled trade war until the mercurial American pulled out of a joint statement while citing "false statements" by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.It was an unprecedented attack on the leader of the US neighbor and ally.Trump was aboard Air Force One heading to an historic summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un when he issued a pair of tweets Saturday criticizing t

June 10, 2018

Trump talks tough on trade ahead of G-7 meetings in Canada

The on-again, off-again meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been an emotional roller coaster for South Koreans, who now await Tuesday's historic summit with both hope and doubt.The hope is that improved relations between Washington and Pyongyang will ease tensions and dispel the threat of war, which has hung over the region for more than a half-century.But having seen North Korea go back on its word in the past, such as when it broke a previous nuclear

June 7, 2018

[Graphic News] GDP growth projection for Asia 2018

　India is expected to be the fastest growing economy in Asia at 7.3 percent growth in 2018, according to the World Bank.　Boasting one of the world’s youngest workforce, India is projected to be the fastest growing economy in Asia in 2018. The country’s growth rate this year is estimated to beat other Asian economies, including that of rival China.　Bhutan, one of the world’s smallest countries with limited access to global markets, is projected to have the second fastest economy in Asia. The coun

June 7, 2018

Apple dangling more goodies, while adding tech diet options

SAN JOSE, CA -- Apple will offer more ways for people to limit the time they spend on iPhones while introducing features designed to make its products even more indispensable.The paradox emerged Monday as Apple executives previewed new versions of free software due out this fall.The forthcoming controls are aimed at addressing criticism that devices are becoming increasingly addictive and distracting, especially for children. Experts worry that all the flashy colors and beeps give users short-te

June 5, 2018

The price for lunch with Warren Buffett: $3,300,100

An anonymous bidder has agreed to pay $3,300,100 at auction to have a private lunch with Warren Buffett, the billionaire chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The winning bid came near the end of a five-day online auction on eBay to benefit the Glide Foundation, a San Francisco charity that serves people who are poor, homeless or battling substance abuse. It was the third highest price in the 19 years Buffett has offered lunch, near the record $3,456,789 bid in both the 2012 and 2016 auctions. Thi

June 3, 2018

[Graphic News] Amazon's Bezos named most powerful CEO

　Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is the most powerful CEO in the world, according to a list by Forbes. 　Larry Page, CEO of Google's parent company Alphabet, ranked second, followed by Facebook's Mark Zuckerburg and Warren Buffett.　Jack Ma, chairman and founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, was named the most powerful Asian chief executive this year, taking sixth place. 

May 29, 2018