Korean stocks slipped 0.58 percent on Friday, led by a sharp fall in tech shares, analysts said. The local currency edged down against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 11.37 points to 1,946.54. Trading volume was moderate at 368.3 million shares worth 4.7 trillion won ($4.1 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 406 to 390."A slump in Samsung Elec

Aug. 17, 2012

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton broke his nose in two places while running drills with the Phoenix Mercury WNBA team.Stanton went up for a rebound against Nakia Sanford while running drills with the team Monday and took an elbow to the nose, breaking it in two places, TMZ reported Thursday.The mayor was treated at a local hospital and released."Injuries are just part of the game -- they're battle wound

World News Aug. 17, 2012

Korean stocks turned lower following a high opening on Friday as institutional and retail investors opted to offload their shares, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 3.26 points, or 0.17 percent, to 1,954.65 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Techs led the decline with market bellwether Samsung Electronics slumping 1.93 percent. Some major exporters, however

Aug. 17, 2012

Ecuador said Thursday that it was granting asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a decision that thrilled supporters but will do little to defuse the standoff at the Latin American nation’s London embassy, where the Australian ex-hacker has been holed up for almost two months.Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said Ecuador believed Assange faced a real threat of political persecution _ includin

World News Aug. 17, 2012

Korean stocks closed almost flat on Thursday as investors stepped to the sidelines following a holiday and recent steep gains, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched up 0.95 points, or 0.05 percent, to 1,957.91. Trading volume was moderate at 426.1 million shares worth 4 trillion won ($3.5 billion), with gainers

Aug. 16, 2012

Korean stocks got off to a weak start on Thursday due mainly to falls in the auto sector, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slipped 2.49 points, or 0.13 percent, to 1,954.47 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Key automakers led the decline, with top player Hyundai Motor declining 0.8 percent and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors losing 1.15 percent.Kumho Tire, Ko

Aug. 16, 2012

Korea's jobless rate edged down from a month earlier in July thanks to a rise in new jobs, especially for the young, a government report showed Thursday.The jobless rate came to 3.1 percent last month, down from 3.2 percent in June, according to the monthly report by Statistics Korea. The July figure also marks a drop of 0.2 percentage points from the same month last year.The drop was led by 470,0

Aug. 16, 2012

Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Tuesday Japan's emperor should sincerely apologize for his country's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula if he wants to visit Korea.The remark came on the eve of Liberation Day marking Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, and is expected to further raise tensions that have been running high following Lee's surprise visit to South Korea's ea

Foreign Affairs Aug. 14, 2012

Korean stocks got off to a strong start on Tuesday, led by gains in large-cap shares, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 17.1 points, or 0.88 percent, to 1,949.54 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Blue chips gained ground across the board, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics adding 0.45 percent and leading carmaker Hyundai Motor gaining 0.81 percent.

Aug. 14, 2012

South Korean stocks closed 0.72 percent lower on Monday as investors stepped to the sidelines following last week's five-session winning streak, analysts said.The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dipped 13.96 points to 1,932.44. Trading volume was moderate at 348 million shares worth 3.1 trillion won ($2.7 billion), with decliners

Aug. 13, 2012

A man floating on a central Pennsylvania river was mistaken for a drowning victim — until he sat up.WNEP-TV reports police and a coroner arrived at the scene Thursday along the Susquehanna River near Williamsport.Onlookers reported seeing the man floating face-up in a lifejacket just below a dam. The area has seen drownings before.Turns out the man had fallen asleep while cooling off on a hot summ

World News Aug. 13, 2012

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start on Monday as investors took a breather after a five-session winning streak, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slipped 5.58 points, or 0.29 percent, to 1,940.82 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Blue chips were mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics slumped 1.34 percent and top steelmaker POSCO fell 0.78 percent.

Aug. 13, 2012

President Lee Myung-bak strongly criticized Japan for not doing enough to soothe hard feelings Koreans still harbor over its colonial rule, when he made a landmark visit to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo last week, an official said Monday.Friday's visit to Dokdo, which Tokyo has long claimed as its territory, was the first-ever by a South Korean president. It came days before South Kore

Foreign Affairs Aug. 13, 2012