North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a military landing drill, warning against any provocations in the southwestern sea border with South Korea, the North's state news wire said Saturday.Kim guided the landing drill by the Korean People's Army's ground, naval, air and anti-air forces on an island, which involved combatants, combat ships, bombers and transport planes, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said in an English-language dispatch without disclosing the date of the inspection.D

North Korea July 5, 2014

President Barack Obama said accepting immigrants from foreign shores is in America's "DNA," as the nation continued to roil Friday over the arrival of thousands of undocumented minors.At a Fourth of July event marking the 238th anniversary of American independence, Obama praised the newly minted citizens -- some two dozen active duty military, their spouses, veterans and reservists -- who "remind us that America is and always has been a nation of immigrants."The president's remarks at the White

World News July 5, 2014

South Korea's telecom watchdog said Thursday it will impose a fine of 85 million won ($83,554) on the country's top fixed-line operator, KT Corp., over its recent data leak incident, a decision that will strengthen an ongoing class action lawsuit by the victims of the leak.The Korea Communications Commission decided on the disciplinary measure after hackers stole some 11.7 million pieces of personal information from 9.81 million KT subscribers through the company's website between August 2013 an

Technology June 26, 2014

North Korea on Thursday fired three short-range rockets into the East Sea, raising military tension, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.At around 5 p.m., the communist state fired three short-range projectiles with a range of some 190 km from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan.“We are strengthening our readiness posture in case there are additional launches,” said the Defense Ministry in a press release.Pyongyang fired a series of rockets and missiles in February and March this year in an angry

North Korea June 26, 2014

(AFP) - Japan's biggest mobile carrier NTT Docomo said Friday it would abandon a once-hopeful Indian telecoms business, becoming the latest major firm to run into trouble in the huge market.The Tokyo-based company said it would move to unload its 26.5 percent stake in money-losing Tata Teleservices as it also announced that its annual net profit turned down. Docomo, which had invested about $2.6 billion in the Indian firm over the past five years, held a board meeting Friday at which directors d

Technology April 25, 2014

(AFP) - Standard and Poor's on Friday downgraded its rating of Russia's ability to repay debt as alarm grew over the effects of the Ukraine crisis on the economy amid increased capital flight and slumping growth.Russia's central bank also hiked interest rates by half a percentage point in a move aimed at curbing inflation which could also help limit capital flight and pressures on the ruble.Russia saw capital outflows in the first quarter of 2014 double from the level a year earlier to $50.6 bil

April 25, 2014

(AFP) - French carmaker Peugeot Citroen, fighting its way out of crisis with a new Chinese shareholder Dongfeng, reported on Friday a rise in sales in the first quarter of this year.Sales revenue rose by 1.9 percent to 13.3 billion euros ($18.4 billion), despite unfavourable exchange rates, and the number of vehicles sold rose by 7.7 percent from the equivalent figures last year.The number of vehicles sold totalled 726,000, with a boost from the group's two main markets in Europe and in China.PS

Mobility April 25, 2014

(AP) – A drunken passenger who caused a hijack scare on a Virgin Australia flight was arrested after the plane landed on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, an airline official said Friday.The Australian passenger on the flight from Brisbane acted aggressively and began pounding on the cockpit door before he was handcuffed by the crew, Heru Sudjatmiko, airport manager for Virgin Australia, told Metro TV.``There was no hijacking at all,'' he said. ``It was only a miscommunication.''The passenger w

World News April 25, 2014

Microsoft Corp. completed its deal to take over Nokia Oyj’s phone business, ending a seven-month wait to renew its assault on the mobile market and leaving the Finnish company seeking growth in wireless networks.The final price may be “slightly higher” than the 5.44 billion euros ($7.5 billion) announced in September, Nokia said today in a statement. About 30,000 employees are transferring to Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft as part of the transaction, which was delayed amid regulatory scruti

Technology April 25, 2014

Survivors of a ferry that sank off South Korea's south coast earlier this week have shown serious symptoms of depression and anxiety, a hospital chief said Saturday.A total of 29 passengers have been confirmed dead since the 6,825-ton ferry Sewol capsized and sank off the southwestern island of Jindo on Wednesday. More than 260 others remain unaccounted for, with most of them feared to be trapped inside the vessel. Of the 174 survivors so far, 80 have been treated at the Korea University Ansan H

Social Affairs April 19, 2014