NEW YORK (AP) _ Three of the top U.S. banks are likely to start paying more to borrow money.Moody's Investors Service on Wednesday lowered its debt ratings for Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citigroup. The ratings agency said it has become less likely that the U.S. government would step in and pre

World News Sept. 22, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Federal Reserve will use more than $400 billion to try to drive down long-term interest rates, make home and business loans cheaper and invigorate the U.S. economy.Analysts said the moves would provide only a slight economic benefit.The action the Fed announced Wednesday is mod

World News Sept. 22, 2011

WASHINGTON, Sept 21, 2011 (AFP) - The Obama administration came under fire Wednesday from both China and domestic critics as it approved a $5.85 billion upgrade of Taiwan's fighter jets that stopped short of selling new F-16s.Taiwan and US officials said that the upgrade would improve the island's d

World News Sept. 22, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top financial regulator said Thursday the potential outflow of foreign capital is the biggest concern for the South Korean economy, which is highly vulnerable to external uncertainties. "The rapid outflow of foreign capital is the area we are most worried ab

Sept. 22, 2011

Despite calls by human rights group Amnesty International for an 11th-hour stay of the 17-year-old's execution, Alireza Molla-Soltani was sent to the gallows at the scene of the crime in the city of Karaj, west of the capital.A large crowd of people had gathered to witness the hanging and security f

World News Sept. 21, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- The education ministry will accredit universities that do well in attracting and educating foreign students and screen low-performing colleges to limit visa approvals and other benefits, officials said Wednesday.The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said it wi

Politics Sept. 21, 2011

MEXICO CITY (AP) _ Masked gunmen blocked traffic on a busy avenue in a Gulf of Mexico coastal city Tuesday and dumped the bodies of 35 slaying victims as horrified motorists watched, authorities said.Veracruz state Attorney General Reynaldo Escobar Perez said the bodies were left piled in two trucks

Podcast Sept. 21, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- Five suspected members of a South Korean smuggling ring have been arrested on suspicion of producing and selling counterfeit designer goods worth 42 billion won ($36.7 million), the country's customs office said Wednesday.One person was held in custody and four booked wit

Social Affairs Sept. 21, 2011

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkey has come up with a radical solution for tackling crowd violence at football matches -- ban the men and let only women and children in.Under new rules approved by Turkey's football association, only women and children under the age of 12 will be admitted to watch games -

Soccer Sept. 21, 2011

Starbucks is being sued for $3 million by a tourist from Virginia who says his five-year-old daughter found a video camera hidden in the washroom of one of its Washington outlets.William Yockey, 28, accuses the Seattle-based global coffee chain of invasion of privacy, negligence, "intentional inflic

World News Sept. 21, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- A group of South Korean religious leaders left for North Korea on Wednesday for a rare visit they said could contribute to peace and reconciliation on the divided peninsula.The seven leaders representing Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists and various ethnic religions plan

North Korea Sept. 21, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- The number of people suffering from cerebral infarction, a type of stroke caused by disturbance in blood vessels supplying blood to the brain, is rising among the aged population in South Korea, a report showed Wednesday.The number of cerebral infarction patients rose by

Technology Sept. 21, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- Shareholders of Hynix Semiconductor Inc. said Wednesday that they will open up the final bidding for the chipmaker in a move to secure the fairness and transparency of the sale process.Creditors-turned-shareholders of Hynix said on Tuesday that they will proceed to sell a

Industry Sept. 21, 2011