Noble Corp., which has ordered construction of two of the industry’s most expensive drilling rigs this year, will buy a third ultra-deepwater vessel as contractors take advantage of higher crude prices and low shipyard costs.The rig, which will be able to drill in water as deep as 12,000 feet (3,700 meters), will cost $615 million, the Geneva- based drilling contractor said. Noble ordered all thre

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) ― A Mississippi mother was arrested Wednesday in the death of her 3-year-old son after authorities said they found the child’s burned body in an oven.Washington County Coroner Methel Johnson said police found Tristan Robinson’s body inside the electric oven at his mother’s apartment shortly after midnight. Johnson said the child had been burned in the oven, but an autopsy

Exhibitions“Special Exhibition of Chateau de Versailles”: A rare opportunity to see some of The Palace of Versailles’ precious treasures in Seoul. The exhibition features 84 works of art and relics which span 200 years of the palace’s history from the 17th century to the late 18th century, including portraits of the royal family and Marie-Antoinette’s golden tableware. The portraits of Louis XIV,

Hynix Semiconductor Inc., Micron Technology Inc. and Nanya Technology Corp. asked a federal judge in California to delay a patent-infringement trial scheduled for May 2 over claims brought by Rambus Inc. Jared Bobrow, a lawyer representing the memory-chip makers, said in a letter Wednesday to U.S. District Judge Ronald M. Whyte in San Jose, California, that the trial should be taken “off calendar”

The Asan Medical Center has adopted the cutting-edge Gamma knife device, “Perfexion” for its Gamma Knife Center.The center, which has recently marked 5,000 cases of operation for the first time in the nation, said the device will enhance accuracy and sophistication in the surgery room. Gamma Knife is a radiosurgical treatment that delivers a dose of gamma radiation to the target with surgical prec

Elonva, infertility treatment by MSD-Korea, the Korean branch of the Merck & Co., gained the Korea Food and Drug Administration’s approval last week, the company said Monday. The follitropin beta (gene recombination)-based injection was proven effective for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) on women receiving assisted reproductive technology. The drug can replace the seven-session injection of

Seoul National University Hospital’s Parkinson Center said Monday it has developed an original DBS Electrode Location Analysis System to treat Parkinson’s disease and will provide an international service online at http://delas.ondemand3d.com.The DELAS method involves transplantation of a 1.27 millimeter-thin electrode to the focus of the brain and providing constant electrostimulation to it. The

Samsung Electronics Co. announced Tuesday that it won 30 prizes, including two top honors, at an international design exhibition.The Korean electronics giant said it grabbed 30 awards at the 2011 iF Product Design Award. Organized by the International Forum Design in Hanover, Germany, since 1953, the award recognizes products for their overall design, originality and their consideration for enviro

Ear-piercing engine sounds and the smell of burning tires. Formula One, the world’s fastest sport, is back again this year.Korea held its inaugural F1 Grand Prix in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, last year and the second edition of the event is slated for Oct. 14-16.One big change from last year’s event is that the local organizer has reduced ticket prices by 30 percent from the previous season.

It’s finally here. Three months after FC Seoul defeated Jeju United to bring home the K-League title, the 2011 season starts Saturday with a record 16 teams looking for success.How success is defined depends on the team, but almost half will be dreaming of the golden trophy. The serious contenders are the usual suspects and teams that have all won it in the last decade: Seoul, Jeonbuk, Suwon, Poha

Lee Dong-won performs in the preliminary round of the World Junior Figure Skating Championships at the Gangneung Indoor Ice Rink, Gangwon Province, Monday. (Yonhap News)GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province ― The crowd suddenly became silent as Lee Dong-won took his opening pose Monday afternoon in the preliminary round of the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Gangneung.His hands were shaking. Al

The Asian Football Confederation’s Champions League, the continent’s premier club tournament, kicks off Tuesday, with four South Korean teams in the battle for regional bragging rights.On Tuesday, Jeju United of the K-League, the first division South Korean league, hosts Tianjin Teda of China in Group E action.In Group F, FC Seoul travels to the United Arab Emirates to take on Al Ain.Then on Wedne

GOODYEAR, Arizona (AP) ― Choo Shin-soo’s elbow is a little sore. Suddenly, the Cleveland Indians have another concern in their outfield.The club’s star right fielder was kept out of Cleveland’s starting lineup for the spring training opener against Cincinnati on Sunday to rest his left elbow, which flared up in recent days. Choo had Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery on the same elbow in 2007

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province ― Less than a month before the World Figure Skating Championships, promising young skaters from across the world arrived in Gangneung for the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, which take place from Wednesday to Sunday.The five-day competition organized by the International Skating Union is taking place at the Gangneung Indoor Ice Rink with more than 200 skaters

In Monaco, South Korea striker Park Chu-young converted a penalty kick in the 35th after Caen defender Thomas Heurtaux handled the ball inside the area.Park doubled the lead in the 62nd with a powerful drive from the edge of the box.Monaco’s Park Chu-young (center) is congratulated by teammate Thomas Mangani after his goal. (AFP-Yonhap News)But Youssef El-Arabi pulled one back for Caen in the 67th

SAO PAULO (AP) ― Brazil needs to improve the pace of upgrades to airports, infrastructure and stadiums before the 2014 World Cup, according to a report from a government watchdog group.The Brazilian Audit Court criticized officials for missing deadlines, not controlling costs and a lack of transparency in their work. The Audit Court is responsible for overseeing how the Brazilian government spends

Yang Yong-eun handles Alvaro Quiros; Martin Kaymer ousts Noh Seung-yulMARANA, Arizona (AP) ― The slow road back for Tiger Woods took another detour Wed-nesday when he followed a clutch birdie with a shocking shot into the desert and lost to Thomas Bjorn in the first round of the Match Play Championship.It was only the second time that Woods, the No. 3 seed, had been eliminated in the first round.B

Figure skating coach Brian Orser is coming to Korea next week for the first time since parting with Olympic medalist Kim Yu-na, his agent confirmed Tuesday. Orser is coming for the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships, slated to run from Feb. 26 to Mar. 6 in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.Orser, the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medalist, is currently coaching 16-year-old American Christina G

The government assured Thursday that it would continue to back PyeongChang’s 2018 bid and work to bring the Winter Olympics for the first time here.“2018 Winter Games is our top priority this year,” said Choung Byoung-gug, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in a public meeting explaining the government’s sports policy. “We have successfully passed the IOC’s inspection, but we still have a lon

Kim Byung-hyun looks to regain pitching prowess in JapanAfter toiling in a baseball netherworld for almost three years, Kim Byung-hyun, a former Major League Baseball All-Star from South Korea, is trying to get back on his feet in Japan.Kim, 32, signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Nippon Professional Baseball last month, and as the team was preparing for the upcoming season here in Okinaw