The Barack Obama administration on Saturday overruled a ban on the sale of some of Apple Inc's products, upsetting its South Korean rival Samsung Electronics Co.    The decision represents a new twist in the drawn-out patent war between the two firms.  The U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman announced that he has decided to veto the ban imposed in June by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), an independent federal agency.  "After extensive consultations with the agencies of the Tr

World News Aug. 4, 2013

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) proposed talks with President Park Geun-hye on Saturday as part of efforts to resolve the political stalemate over a parliamentary probe into the spy agency's alleged meddling in last year's presidential election.   "In order to make a breakthrough in the political deadlock, the president and the chief of the main opposition party should get together," Rep. Kim Han-gil, the DP chairman, told Yonhap News Agency. "Who will be able to resolve the current si

Politics Aug. 4, 2013

A hand grenade held by a recently enlisted soldier exploded at a guard post near the border with North Korea on Saturday, instantly killing the soldier and seriously wounding his platoon leader, military and police officials said Saturday.   The explosion occurred at around 5:05 a.m. when the 21-year-old private, identified by his surname Choe, and his platoon leader were inside the post just south of the western section of the Demilitarized Zone, according to officials.   Choe died at the scene

Social Affairs Aug. 4, 2013

South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched his 10th win in his rookie Major League Baseball (MLB) season on Friday, becoming the first South Korean player in the big league to achieve the landmark in his debut season.   The 26-year-old left-hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowed two runs and 11 hits, and struck out six batters against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers claimed a 6-2 victory against the Cubs.   Ryu earned his first victory in Major League Bas

Baseball Aug. 4, 2013

South Korea's rival political parties lashed out at the Japanese government Friday for releasing a public opinion poll backing Tokyo's claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.   On Thursday, Japan's Cabinet Office published a survey showing that 60.7 percent of all Japanese regard Dokdo as their territory historically and under international law.   It was the first survey of its kind by the Japanese government.    "We cannot help but be angry at the Japanese government for trying to

Politics Aug. 4, 2013

North Korea remained silent on South Korea's proposal for final talks to reopen a suspended joint industrial park for a fifth day on Friday, sparking speculation that Seoul might be forced to take "grave" measures.   The factory zone in the North Korean border city of Kaesong has remained shuttered since early April when Pyongyang withdrew all its workers amid heightened inter-Korean tensions. The Koreas have held six rounds of talks aimed at normalizing the complex, but to no avail. Seoul deliv

North Korea Aug. 4, 2013

South Korean stocks closed 0.9 percent higher Tuesday, as investors kept a wary eye on the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary meeting in regards to the tapering of its stimulus, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.   The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 17.16 points to finish at 1,917.05. Trading volume was moderate at 362.4 million shares worth 3.54 trillion won (US$3.17 billion) with gainers outstripping decliners 483 to 305.   "We know that the

July 30, 2013

 Cambodia's opposition leader on Monday rejected the results of a weekend election showing a win for the long-time ruling party, raising fears of post-poll instability and setting the stage for a new showdown with Prime Minister Hun Sen.   The challenge by opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who returned from exile last week to campaign for his Cambodia National Rescue Party, comes despite his party's relative success in Sunday's polling, in which the opposition made its biggest gains in years.   Prov

World News July 30, 2013

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators gathered in Washington Monday for the first direct talks in three years as the United States urged them to make compromises to nail down a peace deal.   Israeli chief negotiator Tzipi Livni and her Palestinian counterpart Saeb Erakat were both seen arriving at the main State Department entrance late Monday to meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry.   Kerry, who earlier named seasoned diplomat Martin Indyk as the US special envoy to the talks, was to host a

World News July 30, 2013

At least 35 people were injured, five of them seriously, in a head-on collision of two trains in western Switzerland late Monday, police said. One person had yet to be recovered from the wreckage.The crash happened near the station of Granges-pres-Marnand shortly before 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) on a regional line about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the capital, Bern. It came just days after 79 people were killed in a high-speed train derailment in Spain.   Photographs from the Swiss site showed

World News July 30, 2013

Samsung Group, the world's largest smartphone maker, is close to an agreement to acquire Novaled AG, a German maker of materials used to light up smartphone and television screens, said two people familiar with the transaction.          An agreement for the South Korean company to buy Novaled for more than $200 million may come as soon as this week, according to one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Novaled is ased in Dresden, Germany.           The neg

Technology July 30, 2013

 Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, declaring that it is not his place to judge them -- while also condemning the Vatican's reported gay lobby as a "serious problem".   The remarks to journalists as he flew back to Rome from a high-profile trip to Brazil appeared to be more conciliatory towards homosexuals than his predecessor Benedict XVI.   "If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?" the pope asked.   "The problem is not having this orientation, it is lob

World News July 30, 2013

South Korea's current account surplus narrowed in June from the previous month on smaller exports, but its combined surplus hit a record high in the first half, the central bank said Tuesday.   The current account surplus reached US$7.24 billion in June, down from a record surplus of $8.64 billion the previous month,according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The current account is thebroadest measure of cross-border trade.   The smaller surplus in June mainly came as exports of display panels, steel

July 30, 2013

South Korea's industrial output grew slightly in June from a month earlier despite tough economic conditions at home and abroad, a government report showed Tuesday.   According to the report by Statistics Korea, production in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electricity industries expanded 0.4 percent last month from a month earlier.   The expansion marked a turnaround from the 0.1-percent on-month contraction the previous month.   The June output, however, still shrank 2.6 percent compared wi

July 30, 2013