The Korea Herald

MS sees Windows as key to growth plan

World BusinessSept 15, 2011

Ballmer assures analysts Windows remains solid foundation despite slowing PC salesSAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer assured analysts on Wednesday that Windows remains the software maker’s financial foundation, even though slowing personal computer sales are raising worries about the o
Italy gives final approval to austerity plan

World BusinessSept 15, 2011

ROME (AP) ― Italy’s Parliament gave final approval to Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s government’s austerity measures, a combination of higher taxes, pension reform and slashed spending that sparked street protests in Rome.The Chamber of Deputies passed the package by a vote of 314-300. The Senate, Parl
Fitch downgrades five Spanish regions

World BusinessSept 15, 2011

MADRID (AFP) ― Fitch Ratings on Wednesday downgraded the credit of five Spanish regions, including the powerhouse of Catalonia, warning they will struggle to cut deficits in a weak economy.The red ink running through the accounts of Spain’s regional governments is a major concern for the markets, wh
Pianist wins prize at Romanian competition

MusicSept 15, 2011

Korean pianist Sohn Jeung-beum last week won the second prize at the George Enescu International Competition in Bucharest, Romania, Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation announced Wednesday.Known as one of the biggest classical music international competitions in Eastern Europe, the event is being held e
BASF Korea appoints new head

IndustrySept 15, 2011

BASF Korea, the local unit of the global chemicals group, said Thursday it has promoted Shin Woo-sung, head of its human resources division, to new chief executive.Shin, 54, will replace Cho Chin-wook, whose five-year term is expiring on Sept. 30. Shin Woo-sungA graduate of Seoul National Univ
Korean researcher appointed to U.N. panel

Social affairsSept 15, 2011

Kim Hyoun-soo, explosives expert at the state-funded Agency for Defense Development, has been appointed as a member of the International Explosives Technical Commission under the International Civil Aviation Organization, officials said Thursday.The 54-year-old researcher at the High Energy Density
Jonathan Lee named Dokdo envoy

Social affairsSept 15, 2011

Teenager to campaign on green issues around Korean isletsYoung environmentalist Jonathan Lee has been named a goodwill ambassador to promote environmental protection for Dokdo, the easternmost islets of Korea.The North Gyeongsang provincial government, whose jurisdiction covers the islets, said Wedn
China sentences four to death over Xinjiang unrest

World NewsSept 15, 2011

BEIJING (AFP) ― China has sentenced four people to death over unrest in the ethnically-torn Xinjiang region, state media reported Thursday, after vowing to crack down on “terrorism” in the troubled far-western area.Two others were jailed for 19 years over a wave of deadly violence in July in the reg
Future NASA rocket to be most powerful ever

World NewsSept 15, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) ― To soar far away from Earth and even on to Mars, NASA has dreamed up the world’s most powerful rocket, a behemoth that borrows from the workhorse liquid-fuel rockets that sent Apollo missions into space four decades ago.But with a price tag that some estimate at $35 billion, it may
Turkey to join NATO’s missile defense shield

World NewsSept 15, 2011

ANKARA (AP) ― An early warning radar will be stationed in Turkey’s southeast as part of NATO’s missile defense system, the foreign ministry announced Wednesday. The deployment reflects improving relations with the United States, which were strained after the invasion of Iraq.The system is capable of
‘Kabul attack a propaganda win for Taliban’

World NewsSept 15, 2011

Afghans’ ability to stop attacks in capital questioned in face of American withdrawalKABUL (AP) ― The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan on Wednesday acknowledged the Taliban gained a propaganda victory in a 20-hour assault focused on the U.S. Embassy, which left 27 police, civilians a
S. Korean maestro meets N. Korea artists

MusicSept 15, 2011

A renowned South Korean conductor attended orchestra performances and met artists on a visit to Pyongyang aimed at promoting cultural exchanges and ease tensions, state media said Wednesday.Chung Myung-whun, who leads the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and also serves as a UNICEF “goodwill ambassador,
Older pills often safer despite patient views

HealthSept 15, 2011

CHICAGO (AP) ― Many consumers mistakenly believe new prescription drugs are always safer than those with long track records, and that only extremely effective drugs without major side effects win government approval, according to a new study.A national survey of nearly 3,000 adults finds that about
[Editorial] Cornered opposition party

EditorialSept 15, 2011

The main opposition Democratic Party appeared to be coming roaring back when its gamble paid off in the April parliamentary by-elections. Its leader, Sohn Hak-kyu, ran in one of the ruling Grand National Party’s conservative bastions and won.Then came an ill-advised decision by Oh Se-hoon, the GNP-a
[Editorial] Abandoning principle?

ViewpointsSept 15, 2011

In his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Unification Minister-nominee Yu Woo-ik said he would exercise “flexibility in methodology” in relations with North Korea while maintaining a “principled approach” to them. In making this remark, did he mean to be deliberately ambiguous or did he have a probl