A request by South Korean prosecutors to arrest Lee Jae-yong, the 48-year-old vice chairman and de facto leader of Samsung Electronics, has added to the troubles for the country's most valuable company after a spate of recalls last year. Lee faces allegations he offered $36 million in bribes to a friend of President Park Geun-hye, who has been impeached. Prosecutors say they also suspect him of embezzlement and lying under oath. A Seoul court will review the request for his arrest Wednesday and

Hong Kong's tough former deputy leader Carrie Lam, widely seen as China's favourite in an upcoming election for the top post, pledged Monday to end the divided city's "heartache" as she announced her candidacy.   Lam was deputy to the unpopular current chief executive Leung Chun-ying until she resigned to contest the poll, but is a less disliked figure.    Leung is vilified by the city's pro-democracy camp as a puppet of Beijing squeezing the semi-autonomous city's freedoms.   Hong Kong has beco

The chief of Kumho Asiana Group, parent of Asiana Airlines Co., said Tuesday that he will exercise his right to buy back a tire-making unit from its creditors currently up for sale.The creditors of Kumho Tire Co., led by the state-run Korea Development Bank, are set to announce this week a preferred bidder for a 42.1 percent stake in South Korea's No. 2 tire maker, with a Chinese tire maker reportedly picked as the prime bidder."It is right to exercise the right to buy back (Kumho Tire)," Kumho

-런던 위치한 영국 고등법원에서 1월 16일 재판 시작-삼성 승소시 휴미라 바이오시밀러 유럽 출시 전망 밝아져-애브비, 중복특허 ‘시간끌기’로 휴미라 경쟁제품 출시 막아-영국 법원, ‘애브비 특허 보호전략 본격 테스트 올린다’　　삼성바이오에피스와 바이오젠이 지난해 영국에서 다국적제약사 애브비를 대상으로 냈던 ‘휴미라’ 특허 무효소송의 첫 공식 재판이 16일(현지시간) 영국 고등법원에서 열린다.　　일본 제약사 후지필름 교와 기린 바이오로직스도 삼성과 함께 원고 측으로서 법정에 서게 될 예정이다.　본 재판은 런던에 위치한 영국 고등법원 (UK High Court of Justice) 산하 특허법원 (Patents Court) 에서 열릴 예정이다. 해당 정보는 코리아헤럴드가 British and Irish Legal Information Institute를 통해 입수한 특허법원의 헨리 카르 (Justice Henry Carr) 판사의 공식 문건을 통해 확인되었다.　　삼성바이오에피스는 파트

 WASHINGTON (AFP) - SpaceX says it has determined the cause of a launchpad explosion that destroyed a satellite in September and is ready to start launches again as early as Sunday.　An unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded September 1 in Cape Canaveral, destroying a satellite that Facebook planned to use to beam high-speed internet to Africa.　That marked a setback for the California-based private space firm and its founder Elon Musk, who wants to revolutionize the launch industry by making ro

The mobile Internet is found to be the most frequently used medium among South Korean teenagers outstripping TVs, newspapers and other traditional media, according to a survey released Tuesday. The study, conducted from June 23 to July 29, also showed that one in four teens have experience using one-person broadcasting on online platforms such as YouTube and South Korea‘s AfreecaTV.The Korea Press Foundation unveiled the results of their “2016 Media Usage by Teenagers” survey based on one-on-one

South Korea‘s Constitutional Court held its first open hearing Tuesday to determine the fate of President Park Geun-hye following her impeachment over a corruption scandal involving her and her longtime friend.　Park, who has had her presidential powers suspended until a decision is made by the court, did not appear before the nine-member bench in a widely anticipated move.　Court President Park Han-chul closed the session nine minutes after it began, citing Park’s absence.　“We will do our best to

The past three Januaries, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called President Park Geun-hye to exchange New Year’s greetings and express his hopes for progress in her key foreign policy initiatives.This year, however, Ban, long bandied about as a powerful presidential contender, has yet to make a call to the impeached president, reinforcing speculation that he is distancing himself from the unpopular leader mired in a highly charged corruption scandal.Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Donald Trump is questioning the effectiveness of the United Nations, saying it‘s just a club for people to ``have a good time,’‘ after the U.N. Security Council voted last week to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, 　 　The president-elect wrote Monday on Twitter that the U.N. has "such great potential," but it has become "just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time. So sad!" 　 　On Friday, Trump warned, "As to the U.

LG Group and KT Corp. on Tuesday announced their withdrawal of membership from the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), becoming two of the first major conglomerates to do so following the influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her close friend Choi Soon-sil.　The announcements came after the FKI, the country‘s largest business lobby that counts the top 600 firms as members, came under wide public criticism for its role in what is believed to be an illicit and coercive

Prosecutors said Tuesday they have indicted a local accounting firm and its employees on charges of writing false reports for cash-strapped Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME).　The prosecution said three employees at Deloitte Anjin LLC are suspected of providing favorable reports for the ailing shipyard in 2013 and 2014 while being aware that the company was cooking its books.　Another former employee at the firm was indicted last month over similar allegations.　Prosecutors said t

　CAIRO (AFP) -- A bomb blast killed at least 25 worshippers during Sunday mass inside a Cairo church near the seat of the Coptic pope who heads Egypt‘s Christian minority, state media said.　The explosion ripped through the church at around 10:00 am (0800 GMT), Egyptian security officials said.　It was the deadliest suspected attack on the country’s beleaguered Christian minority in recent memory.　The blast in the church adjacent to Saint Mark‘s Coptic Cathedral in the Abbasiya neighbourhood shatt

GENEVA (AFP) -- Regular rail service through the world‘s longest tunnel began on Sunday, carrying passengers deep under the Swiss Alps from Zurich to Lugano. 　The famed Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) had a ceremonial opening in June, attracting European leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande for its maiden ride. 　The Swiss national rail service (SBB) had announced that Sunday would mark the start of normal commercial traffic through the 57-kilometre (35-m

BEIJING (AP) -- China patrolled the waters of a series of hotly contested islands Sunday, a day after staging a flyover of two strategically important waterways near Taiwan and Japan.　 　Chinese government statements said both weekend exercises were routine. The exercises come shortly after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen spoke to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a call strongly denounced by China, which considers Taiwan to be Chinese territory. 　 　At least 10 Chinese planes on Saturday fle

The United States has told South Korea that it is looking forward to cooperating with Seoul‘s acting president in light of the recent parliamentary passing of the presidential impeachment bill.South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday that Avril Haines, White House deputy national security advisor, spoke to Cho Tae-yong, Seoul’s deputy chief of the National Security Office, on Saturday night.Cheong Wa Dae (Yonhap)According to Cheong Wa Dae, Haines reiterated the U.S. commitment

For South Korean farmer Lee Hyo-shin, demanding the ouster of President Park Geun-hye was a slow and grueling 10-day journey atop a vehicle unable to move faster than 20 kilometers (12 miles) per hour. He was one of hundreds of thousands of South Koreans who marched on Saturday in streets near Seoul's presidential palace, where Park is bracing for what's likely to be a bitter and prolonged fight against lawmakers who may attempt to impeach her as early as next week. Police said 260,000 people to

HAVANA (AFP) - Cuba declared nine days of public mourning Saturday for its late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, and said his ashes will be buried at a ceremony on December 4 in Santiago de Cuba.From November 26 to December 4, "public activities and shows will cease, the national flag will fly at half mast on public buildings and military installations," a statement from the state executive said.Castro's ashes will be buried in the historic southeastern city of Santiago on December 4 after a f

HONG KONG (AFP) - A huge rainbow flag led thousands through the streets of Hong Kong Saturday as the city's LGBT community braved the rain and wind to call for equality at its annual pride parade.Participants dressed for this year's "naughty green" theme sang and danced through downtown Hong Kong, which has been criticised for lagging behind other Asian hubs in terms of LGBT rights.Organisers said 6,800 people took part, while police put the figure at 2,500. Attendees included city lawmakers, wh

MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Fidel Castro, the socialist Cuban icon who has died aged 90, as the "symbol of an era," the Kremlin said in a statement Saturday. "The name of this distinguished statesman is rightly considered the symbol of an era in modern world history," Putin said in a telegram to Cuban President Raul Castro cited by the Kremlin. "Fidel Castro was a sincere and reliable friend of Russia."Putin added that Castro has managed to build a "free and independe

Prosecutors on Saturday summoned for questioning the sister of a key figure in the corruption scandal engulfing South Korea in the latest development relating to the investigation into the scandal. "Choi Soon-deuk has been under questioning from 2:00 p.m. as part of an investigation into the corruption scandal," the prosecution said in a text message sent to reporters. Choi Soon-deuk (Yonhap)Choi Soon-deuk is the elder sister of Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the sprawling influence-pedd