Heavily armed police swept into Brussels neighborhoods Friday in operations linked to this week's bombings as well as a suspected new plot in France, detaining three people and shooting two of them in the leg. One man was carrying a suspicious bag while accompanied by a young girl.As Easter weekend began, jittery Europeans faced uncertainly about how many violent extremists remain at large, and where and when they might strike again. On Friday afternoon, two blasts and gunfire rang out in the Sc

World News March 26, 2016

South Korea's state-run pension fund actively exercised its voting rights last year with its number of dissenting votes edging up, data showed Saturday.Data from the National Pension Service (NPS), the operator of the fund, showed it voted against 10 percent of 2,836 resolutions last year at shareholders meetings of the companies it invested in, a 1.1 percentage point rise from a year earlier.The fund had been casting more opposing votes in the past few years, the no votes accounting for 6.6 per

March 26, 2016

 South Korean shares will likely remain rangebound ahead of key U.S. indicators next week, but begin an upward march toward the end on a continued inflow of foreign capital, analysts said Saturday.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 1,983.81 on Friday, down 0.4 percent from a week earlier.Foreign investors purchased a net 286 billion won ($244.2 million) worth of stocks. Both retail and institutional investors were net sellers as they sought to cash in on their gain

March 26, 2016

Tens of thousands of jubilant Cubans and tourists swarmed the site of the Rolling Stones' free concert in Havana Friday, calling it a historic moment for a country that once forced rock fans to listen to their favorite music behind closed doors. Coming just two days after Barack Obama finished the first trip to Cuba by a U.S. president in nearly 90 years, the evening concert cemented the communist-run nation's opening to the world. Organizers expect at least a half million spectators to see the

World News March 26, 2016

U.S. forces killed a senior Islamic State leader, among several key members of the militant group eliminated this week, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Friday. The successful attack is the latest in a string of strikes targeting the group's leadership even as it losses territory in both Iraq and Syria. US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington DC, Friday. (AFP-Yonhap)Carter identified the senior IS leader as Haji Imam and described him a

World News March 26, 2016

The owner of Hanjin Group, parent company of the country’s largest flag carrier Korean Air, came under fire Monday for demeaning pilots by stating that they are useful only during emergencies.Commenting on a Facebook post uploaded by a Korean Air pilot, Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho said his employee was exaggerating, and that pilots’ work is easier than driving a car thanks to the autopilot system. “Pilots are briefed by flight control staff as well as weather analysis by the operation cent

Industry March 14, 2016

 Kumho Asiana Group held a speech contest in Tokyo on Saturday to bridge cultural differences between Japan and Korea, officials said Sunday. Nearly 600 students participated in the annual event, demonstrating growing interest in Korean language and culture among the young generation. Two finalists stage a short play at the ninth Kumho Asiana speech contest held at the Korean Cultural Center in Tokyo on Saturday. (Kumho Asiana)Held at the Korean Cultural Center in Tokyo, students competed in thr

Industry March 13, 2016

Male consumers appear to be cutting back on their spending on White Day gifts this year, purchasing cheap candies instead, amid the prolonged economic downturn, according to an online market operator on Sunday.(Yonhap)Gmarket said based on its data analysis that sales of expensive gift items such as handbags and perfumes, fell 13 percent and 7 percent respectively, compared to the same period last year. The volume of jelly and candies purchased by male customers, however, surged 47 percent and 1

Industry March 13, 2016

The ill-fated son of the late honorary chairman of food and entertainment giant CJ group -- born out of wedlock -- has filed an inheritance suit against the owner family, asking a local court to return part of his father’s fortune.According to sources in legal circles, the illegitimate son -- of late CJ chairman Lee Maeng-hee and an actress in the `60s -- had requested to retrieve a legal portion of his inheritance worth 200 million won ($167,000) late last year. The first trial of the inheritan

Industry March 13, 2016