LONDON (AP) -- Each step has been rehearsed, each flower meticulously arranged, the aisle of Westminster Abbey transformed into a flowering avenue of trees.With just hours to go before his wedding to Kate Middleton, dedicated royal watchers camped outside got an unexpected surprise _ a visit from Prince William.The 28-year-old groom-to-be emerged from his residence Thursday night to greet the hord

World News April 29, 2011

WASHINGTON, (Yonhap)- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Sunday embarked on a tour of China and the two Koreas in a "new initiative" to help reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula amid stalled international dialogue for North Korea's nuclear dismantlement.    "At a time when official dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea appears to be at a standstill, we aim to see how we may be

North Korea April 25, 2011

The state media regulator said Monday it launched an investigation against Apple Inc. over its collection of information of its smartphone users in Korea.The Korea Communications Commission said it requested Apple to promptly answer a questionnaire and return it by “the earliest date.”State authorities asked the company to clarify the duration and regularity of the location information storing on

Industry April 25, 2011

Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, set a new quarterly sales record in the first three months of the year amid growing overseas demand for its vehicles, the company said Monday.According to data released by Kia Motors, the company sold 565,355 vehicles in the first quarter, up 20.2 percent from the same period last year. Domestic sales came to 125,631 units with exports risi

April 25, 2011

TOKYO (AP)- As a young man, aspiring opera singer Norio Ohga wrote to Sony to complain about the quality of its tape recorders.That move changed the course of his life, as the company promptly recruited the man whose love of music would shape the development of the compact disc and transform the Japanese electronics maker into a global software and entertainment empire.Sony's president and chairma

Industry April 24, 2011

Chinese prosecutors have arrested 23 suspects over phone fraud on South Koreans, Seoul's prosecutors said Sunday, the first bust on a scam ring after the two neighboring countries agreed to thwart voice phishing scams that have caused huge financial damage in South Korea in recent years.Voice phishing involves random phone calls to dupe victims to siphon their bank accounts. Callers, growingly tra

Technology April 24, 2011

SANAA, Yemen (AP) - Yemen's embattled president agreed Saturday to a proposal by Gulf Arab mediators to step down within 30 days and hand power to his deputy in exchange for immunity from prosecution, a major about-face for the autocratic leader who has ruled for 32 years.A coalition of seven opposition parties said they also accepted the deal but with reservations. Even if the differences are ove

World News April 24, 2011

Hyundai Motor Co. and Renault Samsung Motor Co. will recall around 74,000 mid-size passenger cars sold in South Korea due to a manufacturing defect and a safety problem, respectively, Seoul's transportation ministry said Sunday.Renault Samsung, the local unit of French automaker Renault SA, will recall 55,648 units of its mid-size car SM5 produced between Aug. 12, 2009 and Oct. 29, 2010, and 65,15

Industry April 24, 2011

LONDON (AP) _ What is it like getting married on the same day as Prince William and Kate Middleton? As the royal wedding looms, hundreds of harried couples across Britain are trying to figure out how to share the spotlight with the world's most-watched couple.Sharon Hannon, 37, said she was initially upset when she saw her own wedding date being flashed across the television screen underneath a pi

World News April 24, 2011

SEOUL, (AFP) - A long convoy of lorries believed to be carrying gifts for North Korea's elite was seen entering the communist state on the eve of a major holiday, according to a South Korean Internet newspaper.The Daily NK, staffed by anti-Pyongyang activists, said Tuesday it had received video footage of more than 200 trucks crossing the Yalu River nose-to-tail from China on April 14.The North ce

North Korea April 20, 2011

LONDON (AP) _ Commemorative London travel cards bearing the image of Prince William and Kate Middleton are going on sale this week.The 750,000 cards are the first limited edition version of the Oyster Card, which is used for electronic payment across London's bus and subway network.They feature a photo of the prince and Middleton and read: ``To commemorate the marriage of Prince William of Wales a

World News April 18, 2011