(Yonhap) -- North Korea on Wednesday demanded that South Korea and the U.S. cancel their annual joint military drills scheduled to begin in late February and continue through April, warning that the drills would destroy inter-Korean relations.South Korea and U.S. forces plan to conduct command post exercise Key Resolve and joint field training exercise Foal Eagle between late February and April to enhance joint combat readiness and deter threats from the North.The Committee for the Peaceful Reun

(AP) -- Michelle Obama turns 50 later this week, and she isn't ruling out future use of plastic surgery or Botox.The first lady tells People magazine in an interview hitting newsstands Friday, her birthday, that women should be free to do whatever they need to do to feel good.Mrs. Obama adds that she doesn't imagine resorting to plastic surgery or Botox but that she's also learned to "never say never."The first lady has never missed a health checkup, including a mammogram or Pap smear, and has h

Tencent Holdings Ltd., Asia's largest Internet company by market value, will spend HK$1.5 billion ($193 million) to buy a stake in China South City Holdings Ltd. Tencent will pay HK$2.2 for each of the 680.3 million new shares, or about 9.9 percent, of China South City, the Shenzhen-based company said in an e-mailed statement today. The offer is 1.4 percent higher than China South City’s closing price on Jan. 13. The share was halted for trading yesterday. The Internet company will use China Sou

삼성전자가 올해 초 출시할 예정인 갤럭시 S5을 세가지 모델로 내어 놓을 것으로 관측되면서, 삼성의 차기 플래그 쉽 스마트 폰 제품에 대한 관심이 증폭되고 있다. 1일 언론보도에 따르면 삼성전자는 프리미엄 급 갤럭시 S5을 우선 공개 한 뒤 시간차를 두고 두 가지 모델을 추가로 공개 할 것이라고 한다. 프리미엄 급 모델에 메탈케이스, 방수방진, 지문인식 기술 등이 사용 될 것으로 예측 되고 있으며, 4GB 램, 64비트 엑시노스 옥타코어 모바일 프로세서, QHD 디스플레이 등을 장착 할 것으로 예측되고 있다. 중저가 형 모델에는 퀄컴 스냅드래곤 칩과 플라스틱 케이스가 사용 될 것으로 관측되고 있다. 스마트 폰 시장의 과열된 경쟁으로 이제는 선진국 시장뿐 만 아니라 신흥국 시장에서 더욱 공격적인 마케팅 전략을 펼치기 위한 삼성전자의 전략적 마케팅일 것이라는 분석이 나오고 있다. 삼성은 프리미엄 마케팅에 주력해 왔으며, 지난해 중반부터 중저가 제품을 내어 놓고 있다. 작년에는 갤럭시 S

(AP) -- Pope Francis is urging people to speak out against persecution of Christians, whom he likened to the Church's first martyrs.His denunciation of discrimination suffered by Christians came a day after three Christmas day bombings targeted Christians in Iraq.Francis didn't cite any countries in his remarks to tourists and pilgrims in St. Peter's Square as the church Thursday recalled its first martyr, St. Stephen. Francis said unfortunately more Christians are suffering discrimination and v

(Yonhap) -- The prosecution on Thursday demanded nine years in prison and 150 billion won (US$141 million) in fines for Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn for embezzlement.In a retrial held three months after the top court sent the case back to the appeals court, prosecutors asked for the same sentence as in the previous trials, noting the seriousness of his crime.The Supreme Court in September reversed a lower court's ruling on Kim on embezzlement charges and sent the case back to an appellat

모바일 시장 관계자들에 따르면 국내 최대 모바일 메신저 카카오 톡이 영국 진출을 고려 중이라고 한다.“영국에서 가장 큰 비즈니스 중 하나인 프리미어 리그에서 있었던 카카오 톡의 광고를 봤을 때, 카카오 톡이 영국 시장 진출을 본격적으로 하려는 것으로 보인다,” 라고 한 시장 관계자는 말했다.카카오 톡이 영국을 포함한 해외 시장 진출을 진지하게 고려 중이라는 것은 카카오 톡 이석우 공동대표의 최근 발언에서도 찾아 볼 수 있다. “각 지역 마다 특성이 다른데, 한국은 문자 메시지 형태의 서비스가 발달되어 있고, 중국은 한자를 타이핑하기가 어렵기 때문에 음성 서비스, 미국은 영상 서비스가 다른 지역 보다 발달되어 있다,”고 이석우 공동대표는 밝히며, 글로벌 시장에서 지역적 특성에 맞는 서비스를 내어 놓으려는 의지를 비추었다.이에 영국을 포함 유럽 시장에는 어떠한 서비스를 내어 놓을 지 궁금증이 증폭되고 있는 상황이다. 카카오 톡의 영국 진출에 대해 이민아 하이투자증권 연구원은 “영국 시장

(AFP) -- The European Union fined six finance groups a record 1.7 billion euros ($2.3 billion) on Wednesday for rigging the Euribor and Japanese yen Tibor interest rates.German Deutsche Bank, involved in rigging both rates, was fined a total of 725 million euros, and French Societe Generale was fined 446 million euros for manipulating the European Euribor rate.British bank RBS, already mired in controversy, was fined 391 million euros for involvement in cartels which rigged both rates.The Europe

(AFP) -- Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, the new friend of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, will this month make a third visit to the reclusive state to train its basketball team, a source involved in the trip said Wednesday.The heavily tattooed former Chicago Bulls star is organising friendship exhibition games between North Korea and ex-NBA players in January."We're going back, most likely on December 18-21. Dennis is going to train the North Korean team and get them ready for the big match in

(AP) -- The U.N. nuclear agency says a truck carrying an extremely dangerous radioactive substance has been stolen in Mexico.The International Atomic Energy Agency says the truck was carrying cobalt-60, used for radiotherapy treatment to combat cancer. An IAEA statement Wednesday said the truck was stolen Monday while taking the material to a radioactive waste storage center from the northern city of Tijuana.It says the heist occurred in Tepojaco, a town near Mexico City, and describes the load

삼성그룹 신임사장들이 4일 수요일 서초동 삼성전자 사옥으로 모였다. 지난 2일에 있었던 사장단 인사 이후 처음 열리는 “삼성 수요 사장단회의”에 참석하기 위해 모인 것이다. 오전 6시가 조금 지난 이후 이선종 삼성벤처투자 사장과 안민수 삼성화재 사장을 시작으로 서초사옥으로 출근했다. 이날 회의에서 새로운 사장들과 기존 사장들 간에 인사말을 나누고, 내년도 사업에 대한 포부를 밝히는 자리를 가졌다고 한다. 회의가 끝난 이후 사옥 밖으로 나가며 기자들과 마주친 삼성그룹 사장단은 다소 긴장된 표정을 보였지만 미소를 유지하며 다음과 같은 말을 남겼다. 박상진 삼성 SDI 사장은 ESS (Energy Storage System: 대용량에너지 저장장치)와 관련해 “ESS는 시대적으로 타이밍이 잘 맞아서 잘 될 것,”이라고 밝혔다. 우남성 삼성전자 시스템 LSI사업부 사장은 사업적인 이야기를 하는 것을 꺼려하며, “뉴페이스들이 많아 오늘 회의 분위기가 좋았다”고 말했다. 김철교 삼성 테크윈 사장

   (Yonhap) -- A senior Chinese official has pledged to step up cooperation with North Korea in the fields of economy and culture as the two nations marked the 60th anniversary of signing a bilateral pact on the two sectors, Beijing's commerce ministry said Saturday.   At a ceremony on Friday celebrating the anniversary, China's Vice Commerce Minister Gao Yan said Beijing will "continue to deepen bilateral cooperation in economic and cultural fields" and "constantly strengthen the China-North Ko

   (AP) -- A South Korean man has been found dead at a jointly-run factory park in North Korea.   South Korea's Unification Ministry told reporters Saturday that the 55-year old worker from a South Korean company that manufactures leather products and mobile phone accessories was found dead earlier that day.   Officials say the cause of death is unknown but there are no signs of external injuries and the man didn't suffer from chronic illness.   The Kaesong complex just north of the border is th

  (AP) -- A police helicopter crashed into the roof of a crowded Glasgow pub, causing "numerous" casualties and leaving people trapped in the unstable building, officials said early Saturday.   Authorities said they had made contact with people still inside The Clutha pub in the city center. They said some people had been taken to hospitals but that it was too soon to give a number of injured. Witnesses spoke of people streaming out of the building covered in blood, with gashes and other injurie

   (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Saturday that a U.S. citizen detained for more than a month has apologized for "hostile acts" against the state and alleged crimes he committed during the 1950-53 Korean War.   The North's state media released video and photos showing Merrill Newman, a 85-year-old veteran of the Korean War from Palo Alto in northern California, reading his alleged apology.   "During the Korean War, I have been guilty of a long list of indelible crimes against DPRK government," New

   (Yonhap) -- World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim will travel to South Korea next week to strengthen partnerships between the two sides, his office announced Friday.   Kim's three-day trip from Tuesday is intended to open a new World Bank office in Songdo, an artificial island about 35 miles west of Seoul, and discuss South Korea's growing role in global development and to promote investment opportunities for Korean companies in Africa, it said.   "Korea is a great development success story

   (Yonhap) -- The U.S. government said Friday it would extend Iran sanctions exceptions for South Korea and other nations, saying they have significantly cut oil purchases from the Middle East country.   Despite last week's breakthrough in efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis, the Obama administration will continue to vigorously implement its existing sanctions on Teheran, Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement.   "That is why I am pleased to announce that, based on addition

  (Yonhap) -- The Pentagon made clear Friday that it would continue normal operations in Northeast Asia, where military tensions have escalated following China's declaration of an air defense zone over the East China Sea.   "We'll continue to partner with our allies in the region and operate as normal," the Pentagon said in a statement.   It was responding to reports that China had deployed fighter jets earlier in the day in response to flights by a dozen U.S. and Japanese military aircraft into

삼성전자와 모바일 프로세서 개발사 ARM사의 고위 임원이 19일 회동을 한 것으로 알려졌다. ARM사의 한 고위 관계자는 “삼성전자와 ARM은 내년 삼성전자의 스마트 폰에 장착될 64비트 프로세서에 대해 의견을 나누는 것으로 알고 있다,”라고 전하며, “스마트 홈 기기에 쓰일 마이크로 콘트롤러 공급에 대한 의견도 나눴을 것이다,” 라고 밝혔다. 이번 삼성전자와 회동을 가진 ARM사의 임원 중에는 안토니오 비아나 (Antonio Viana) 커머셜 및 글로벌 개발 담당 부사장이 포함되어 있는 것으로 알려 졌다. 안토니오 비아나 부사장은 삼성동 코엑스에서 열린 ARM Technology Symposia 2013 참석차 한국을 방문했으며, 행사에서 기조연설을 했다. ARM 관계자는 “2년 뒤에는 128 비트 칩이 시장에서 사용 되지 않을까 생각한다,”고 밝히며, “단순히 한가지 가능성일 뿐,” 이라고 일축하면서도 “아이폰의 지문인식 기술에서 얼굴인식 기반 기술로 옮겨가는 것처럼 기술이 발

　Seoul National University, one of the nation’s most prestigious universities, laid out a series of new admission processes Thursday, raising concerns of causing chaos in the nation’s college admission system.　Among the changes, the state-run university is considering accepting applications from high school graduates who are on the humanities track for admission to its colleges of medicine and dentistry starting from 2015.  　Experts predicted that foreign language schools and international schoo