A woman accused of leaving the scene of a minor traffic crash in western Arkansas told police she did it because she didn’t want her ice cream to melt.Van Buren police say one vehicle rear-ended another on Arkansas Highway 59 on Sunday evening, but that the driver of the second car didn’t stop to check on the vehicle she had hit. The other driver called police and set off in pursuit.Fort Smith tel

South Korean stocks closed 0.35 percent higher on Wednesday as speculations over stimulus measures continued to bolster investor sentiment, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 6.63 points to 1,874.45, gaining for a second straight session.Trading volume was moderate at 332.6 million shares worth 4.5 trillion

(MCT)A German university is suing a student for lost income because he finished his bachelors and masters degrees in only 20 months.The School of Economics and Management in Essen is asking the court to make former student Marcel Pohl, 22, pay an extra $3,772 after he obtained his degrees in only three semesters instead of the usual 11, The Local.de reported Tuesday."When I got the lawsuit, I thou

Police in Florida said a man accused of attacking two women with a sword and a peanut butter sandwich bit the inside of a patrol car.Polk County sheriff's deputies said Mark Miller, 50, of Winter Haven told them he became angry Friday when two women were banging on his trailer, WFTV, Orlando, reported Tuesday.Miller told deputies he never left the doorway, but the women said he exited his trailer

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start on Wednesday, boosted by overnight gains on Wall Street, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 10.5 points, or 0.56 percent, to 1,878.32 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Foreign investors continued to scoop up shares, and are set to become net buyers for the third straight session. Retail investors, however, opt

South Korean retailers' confidence for the third quarter fell slightly due to persistent concerns about sluggish economic growth, a poll showed Wednesday.The retail business survey index came to 103 for the July-September period, down from 105 tallied for the last quarter, according to the survey of 943 retailers by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).Despite the dip, the index has r

South Korean stocks closed 0.87 percent higher Tuesday as weak economic data from major economies spurred expectations that policymakers may move toward stimulus measures, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 16.17 points to 1,867.82. Trading volume was moderate at 340.8 million shares worth 4.67 trillion won

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. maintained the top spot in the U.S. mobile phone market, strengthening its supremacy as the world's leading handset manufacturer, data showed Tuesday.The company's market share in the United States came to 25.7 percent during the three-month average period ending in May, up 0.1 percentage point from three months earlier, according to U.S. analytics f

South Korea had already signed a provisional military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan in late April, but didn't report it to the National Assembly, Seoul officials confirmed Tuesday.The tentative agreement on sharing delicate military intelligence was signed on April 23 in Tokyo between Army Brig.Gen. Shin Kyung-soo, the deputy chief of international policy at Seoul's defense ministry, and Ke

KYODO -- Low levels of radioactive cesium were found in 141 infants and children in Japan's Fukushima prefecture, a study found.The average amount of cesium in the 141 samples was 2.2 becquerels per kilogram, but three cases had over 10 becquerels of cesium per kilogram, Kyodo News reported.An average of about 64 becquerels of radioactive potassium, which is found naturally in the environment, was

Former President Kim Young-sam has been hospitalized after showing signs of a cold, his aides and hospital officials said Tuesday.The 85-year-old Kim, who served as president from 1993 to 1998, was admitted to Seoul National University Hospital in downtown Seoul on Monday afternoon due to light cold symptoms, according to the former president's chief secretary and hospital officials.The former pre

WASHINGTON - Nearly 1.8 million people in the eastern U.S. faced a third sweltering day without power Monday as the death toll from weekend summer storms rose to 22, and utility officials said power likely would not return for several days.Stifling homes and spoiled food were some of the challenges as temperatures approached or exceeded 38 degrees Celsius. Concerns rose about the sick and elderly

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start on Tuesday as tech heavyweights, including Samsung Electronics, posted firm gains, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 13.86 points, or 0.75 percent, to 1,865.51 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Samsung Electronics climbed 1.02 percent after falling more than 2 percent in the previous session due to a U.S. co

South Korea's foreign reserves rebounded in June from the previous month as investment profit gained and a weaker dollar raised the conversion value of non-dollar assets, the central bank said Tuesday.The country's foreign reserves reached $312.38 billion as of the end of June, up $1.51 billion from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).The foreign reserves in May retreated afte

A “vomit charge” introduced by Chicago city government took effect on Sunday.Under the rule, taxi drivers can ask customers who vomit in their cabs for $50.“In a lot of ways, it’s empowering the driver to say there is a consequence to puking all over their cabs,” said a spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.Although the rule is not part of a police ticke

South Korean stocks slipped 0.13 percent on Monday as renewed optimism over the eurozone debt crisis faded amid concerns over downbeat economic data and second-quarter earnings, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.After opening higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 2.36 points to close at 1,851.65, stemming a two-session winning streak. Tra

North Korea's state-run media have been playing a new hymn dedicated to the country's leader Kim Jong-un in an apparent effort to reinforce his personality cult and justify the regime's hereditary succession of power.The title of the song, "Onwards toward the final victory," is the last phrase of Kim's speech on April 15, which marked the 100th birth anniversary of his grandfather, the country's f

Most of South Korea's 10 largest conglomerates are estimated to have suffered a drop in their earnings in the first half of the year from a year earlier amid economic woes and declining demand in advanced economies, data showed Monday.With the exception of Samsung and Hyundai Motor Group, eight of the top 10 conglomerates saw their first-half business results worsen, according to data from financi

South Korea will press ahead with the signing of a landmark military pact with Japan after briefing the National Assembly about it, a senior official said Monday, dismissing speculation the sensitive accord could be scrapped altogether due to mounting public criticism.On Friday, the government put the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) on hold at the last minute – just an

South Korea is considering accepting Iran's proposal to supply oil to Seoul using its own oil tankers, a government source said Monday, after oil imports from Tehran were halted due to the European Union's ban on insuring Iranian oil shipments.Iran has proposed that South Korean oil refiners use Tehran's own oil tankers, a move that would allow them to receive crude shipments without concerns over