South Korea's telecom watchdog said Thursday it will impose a fine of 85 million won ($83,554) on the country's top fixed-line operator, KT Corp., over its recent data leak incident, a decision that will strengthen an ongoing class action lawsuit by the victims of the leak.The Korea Communications Commission decided on the disciplinary measure after hackers stole some 11.7 million pieces of personal information from 9.81 million KT subscribers through the company's website between August 2013 an

North Korea on Thursday fired three short-range rockets into the East Sea, raising military tension, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.At around 5 p.m., the communist state fired three short-range projectiles with a range of some 190 km from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan.“We are strengthening our readiness posture in case there are additional launches,” said the Defense Ministry in a press release.Pyongyang fired a series of rockets and missiles in February and March this year in an angry

(AFP) - Japan's biggest mobile carrier NTT Docomo said Friday it would abandon a once-hopeful Indian telecoms business, becoming the latest major firm to run into trouble in the huge market.The Tokyo-based company said it would move to unload its 26.5 percent stake in money-losing Tata Teleservices as it also announced that its annual net profit turned down. Docomo, which had invested about $2.6 billion in the Indian firm over the past five years, held a board meeting Friday at which directors d

(AFP) - Standard and Poor's on Friday downgraded its rating of Russia's ability to repay debt as alarm grew over the effects of the Ukraine crisis on the economy amid increased capital flight and slumping growth.Russia's central bank also hiked interest rates by half a percentage point in a move aimed at curbing inflation which could also help limit capital flight and pressures on the ruble.Russia saw capital outflows in the first quarter of 2014 double from the level a year earlier to $50.6 bil

(AFP) - French carmaker Peugeot Citroen, fighting its way out of crisis with a new Chinese shareholder Dongfeng, reported on Friday a rise in sales in the first quarter of this year.Sales revenue rose by 1.9 percent to 13.3 billion euros ($18.4 billion), despite unfavourable exchange rates, and the number of vehicles sold rose by 7.7 percent from the equivalent figures last year.The number of vehicles sold totalled 726,000, with a boost from the group's two main markets in Europe and in China.PS

(AP) – A drunken passenger who caused a hijack scare on a Virgin Australia flight was arrested after the plane landed on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, an airline official said Friday.The Australian passenger on the flight from Brisbane acted aggressively and began pounding on the cockpit door before he was handcuffed by the crew, Heru Sudjatmiko, airport manager for Virgin Australia, told Metro TV.``There was no hijacking at all,'' he said. ``It was only a miscommunication.''The passenger w

Microsoft Corp. completed its deal to take over Nokia Oyj’s phone business, ending a seven-month wait to renew its assault on the mobile market and leaving the Finnish company seeking growth in wireless networks.The final price may be “slightly higher” than the 5.44 billion euros ($7.5 billion) announced in September, Nokia said today in a statement. About 30,000 employees are transferring to Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft as part of the transaction, which was delayed amid regulatory scruti

The operator of a ferry that sank off South Korea's south coast earlier this week, leaving hundreds dead or missing, has been involved in many other accidents at sea, records showed Saturday.Chonghaejin Marine, the owner of the ill-fated ferry Sewol, has been in marine accidents involving engine trouble and collisions every two to three years in the recent past, the records showed.Three weeks before Wednesday's sinking of the 6,825-ton Sewol, one of Chonghaejin's passenger ships collided with a

Survivors of a ferry that sank off South Korea's south coast earlier this week have shown serious symptoms of depression and anxiety, a hospital chief said Saturday.A total of 29 passengers have been confirmed dead since the 6,825-ton ferry Sewol capsized and sank off the southwestern island of Jindo on Wednesday. More than 260 others remain unaccounted for, with most of them feared to be trapped inside the vessel. Of the 174 survivors so far, 80 have been treated at the Korea University Ansan H

MOKPO, South Jeolla Province – The head of Mokpo Hankook Hospital on Saturday called for the survivors of the Sewol ferry disaster to be given time and space to recover from their ordeal. Eleven survivors are being treated at the hospital, and eight more have been discharged after treatment. 　“Please do not ask more than what is absolutely necessary,” Dr. Ryu Jae-kwang, Mokpo Hankook Hospital director, told the press.“The chief of the neuropsychiatry department, Dr. Jung Jae-jin, has told me thr

(AFP) - President Barack Obama will use an Asian tour beginning next week to bolster US alliances in the region at a time of increased geopolitical tension. Obama is scheduled to visit Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines, and will be under duress to address maritime territorial disputes between US allies and China.Aides said Friday that the president would restate staunch US support for its friends, underline its role as a Pacific power, and seek to reassure the region that his Asia

AFP) - Automaker Fiat-Chrysler said on Saturday that it would begin producing the iconic American brand Jeep in China from 2015 to meet demand in the world's largest car market.Fiat-Chrysler -- created by Italy's Fiat acquiring Chrysler of the United States -- will produce three Jeep sport utility vehicle (SUV) models in China, including one specifically designed for the Chinese market, the company said in a statement.The announcement came ahead of the Beijing auto show, which opens to the publi

(AFP) - Investigators on Saturday arrested the captain accused of abandoning the South Korean ferry that capsized three days ago with 476 people on board, as divers finally accessed the submerged vessel and spotted bodies inside.Lee Joon-Seok and two of his crew were taken into police custody in the early hours of the morning, charged with negligence and failing to secure the safety of passengers in violation of maritime law.The 69-year-old captain has been severely criticised for abandoning his

Desperate search and rescue efforts for hundreds still unaccounted for in a deadly ferry accident in waters off South Korea's southwestern coast continued for a fourth day on Saturday, with the whole country clinging to dim hope of finding survivors.Hundreds of Navy and Coast Guard officers, along with civilian divers, have been battling strong underwater currents and low visibility to reach 273 people believed to be trapped inside the ferry Sewol that sank three days ago.More than 72 hours have

(AFP) - After the tech euphoria of 2013, the fast-moving sector has hit a speed bump.The wobbly action of 2014 is still an open question: is this a correction, bear market or a bubble like the catastrophic dot-com boom and bust of 1999-2000.By some measures, segments of the tech sector look to be over the top, even after recent slumps."There are some astronomical valuations out there," says Roger Kay, an analyst who follows tech companies at Endpoint Technologies."That is a little troublesome be

North Korea threatened on Friday to settle scores with South Korea over what it claims were atrocities against North Korean fishermen by the South Korean Navy.The move came hours after South Korea repatriated three North Korean fishermen and their boat, which crossed the western maritime border due to an engine failure.The South Korean Navy captured the fishing boat that sailed into South Korean waters Thursday evening after its repeated warnings to retreat back to the North's waters.The South K

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- New Zealand is closing the books on a contentious, multibillion dollar program of asset sales.The government announced on Friday it would sell a minority stake in power company Genesis Energy for 736 million New Zealand dollars ($638 million). The company will list on the New Zealand stock market on April 17.Including Genesis, New Zealand has sold 49 percent stakes in three power companies and a 20 percent stake in Air New Zealand over the past year, raising a tot

MACAU (AP) – ``The Grandmaster'' won best picture, best director for Wong Kar Wai and five other honors at the Asian Film Awards. Backstage, Wong and his star, best-actress winner Zhang Ziyi, were all smiles with their awards. But their thoughts were with the family of Ju Kun, a ``Grandmaster'' crew member who was a passenger on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.Wong said that although he's happy for all the recognition the film's cast and crew have received, he regrets that a member of the team coul

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – Guus Hiddink will take over as Netherlands coach after the World Cup, when Louis van Gaal is stepping down, the country's football association announced on Friday.Hiddink will lead the Netherlands until the end of the 2016 European Championship in France and then be replaced by Danny Blind.Blind and former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy were appointed as 67-year-old Hiddink's assistants.Hiddink said he was honored to return for a secon

A sizable number of South Korea's top firms listed on the main and tech-heavy exchanges held their annual general shareholders' meetings Friday and received approval for the appointment of corporate directors while outlining their plans for the future.The Korea Securities Depository said a total of 497 listed companies whose fiscal year ended in December held their shareholders' meeting during the day.The companies include 157 firms listed on the main bourse KOSPI, 322 companies on the tech-lade