Police said Tuesday they have launched a probe into the cause of a fatal hydrofluoric acid gas leak that killed one worker and injured four others at the main plant of the world's largest memory chip maker Samsung Electronics Co.  Up to 10 liters of hydrofluoric acid, an acute poison that can damage lungs and bones and even affect the nervous system, leaked from one of the pipes at the Samsung plant in Hwaseong, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sunday, officers said.The leak occurred around 1:30

Social Affairs Jan. 29, 2013

Searchers pulled 10 bodies from a well in northern Mexico on Monday, near the site where 20 members of a Colombian-style music group and its crew disappeared late last week, a state forensic official said.It was hard to determine how many more bodies were submersed in the water, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on the case.Nuevo Leon state Gov. Rodrigo Medina earlier told a local television station, “We have evidence that in

World Jan. 29, 2013

Moody's Investors Service downgraded six of Canada's major financial institutions on Monday on concerns over high levels of consumer debt among Canadians and elevated house prices. The ratings affect Toronto-Dominion Bank, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, National Bank and the Desjardins caisse populaire.Moody's vice president David Beattie noted Monday that the banks still rank among the highest-rated banks in the world. TD is the highest rated at AA1 among the

World Business Jan. 29, 2013

Ranchers welcomed Japan's decision Monday to ease restrictions on U.S. beef imports, saying it will provide a boost to the American meat industry but cautioning that it will take time before exports to Japan reach their levels of a decade ago.Japan is one of the biggest importers of U.S. beef, despite restrictions that for years haven't allowed the import of beef from cattle older than 20 months instead of the industry standard of 30 months. Those restricted imports were only allowed after Japan

World Business Jan. 29, 2013

The U.S. military plans to set up a base for drones in northwest Africa to bolster surveillance of al-Qaida's affiliate in the region and allied Islamist extremists, a U.S. official told AFP on Monday.The base for the robotic, unmanned aircraft would likely be located in Niger, on the eastern border of Mali, where French forces are currently waging a campaign against al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.The base was first reported by the

World News Jan. 29, 2013

A U.S. congressional delegation will travel to South Korea this week for a meeting with President-elect Park Geun-hye, sources here said Monday.Headed by Ed Royce (R-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the group is on a weeklong trip to Asia."Chairman Royce is currently leading a congressional delegation to Asia," an aide to Royce said.The delegation arrived in Taiwan and will also visit the Philippines, China and South Korea before it returns to the U.S. on Feb. 2, according t

Politics Jan. 29, 2013

South Korean manufacturers' business confidence for February rose to the highest level in four months, underscoring optimism that the incoming government will unveil economic stimulus steps, the central bank said Tuesday.The index of manufacturers' outlook on business conditions came in at 72 for February, up from 70 tallied for January, according to a monthly survey by the Bank of Korea (BOK). The index measures manufacturers' expectations for the coming month.It marked the highest level since

Jan. 29, 2013

The Netherlands’ Queen Beatrix announced Monday that she is ending her reign after 33 years and passing the crown to her eldest son, who has long been groomed to be king but who will have to work hard to match his mother’s popularity.The widely expected abdication comes at a time of debate over the future of the largely ceremonial Dutch monarchy, but also as calm has descended upon the Netherlands after a decade of turmoil that saw Beatrix act as the glue that held together an increasingly divid

World News Jan. 29, 2013

SUWON (Yonhap News) -- Highly poisonous hydrofluoric acid gas leaked at the main plant of the world's largest memory chipmaker Samsung Electronics Co., killing one worker and injuring four others, police said Monday.Some 2 to 10 liters of hydrofluoric acid, an acute poison that can damage lungs and bones and affect the nervous system, leaked from one of the pipes at the Samsung plant in Hwaseong, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sunday, they said.The leaks affected five subcontracted workers who

Social Affairs Jan. 28, 2013