A businessman and friend of President Lee Myung-bak received a prison sentence on Thursday for taking kickbacks in return for using his influence to help a troubled company.Chun Shin-il, chairman of Sejoong Namo Tour agency, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and a forfeit of 3.2 billion won (US$2.96 million) for influence-peddling."The jail term was inevitable since we need to eradic

Members of organized crime outfit “Bookmoonpa” were arrested for violations of the Act on Punishment of Violence etc., according to Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency.The mob’s vice-leader, surnamed Choi, and 15 other members were detained, while another 74 were booked without detention.The group was organized in Suwon in 1983 by their leader, surnamed Kim, who is now abroad. Therefore, Choi is bel

CAIRO (AP) -- Al-Qaida has selected its longtime No. 2 to succeed Osama bin Laden following last month's U.S. commando raid that killed the terror leader, according to a statement posted Thursday on a web site affiliated with the network.Ayman al-Zawahri, who will turn 60 next week, is the son of an upper middle class Egyptian family of doctors and scholars.His father was a pharmacology professor

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Older people who eat olive oil have a lower risk of stroke than those who do not, suggested a study of more than 7,000 French people that was published Wednesday in the United States.Researchers at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Bordeaux, France followed 7,625 people age 65 and older from three cities -- Bordeaux, Dijon and Montpellier -- for a period o

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greece's prime minister, struggling to ensure Parliamentary approval for a crucial austerity bill, said he would reshuffle his Cabinet and seek a vote of confidence for his new government after coalition talks with opposition parties failed.The negotiations collapsed Thursday as rioters clashed with police in the streets of Athens during a general strike and renewed fears of

The health ministry said Wednesday that it will allow 44 over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products to be sold not only at licensed drug stores, but also at supermarkets, convenience stores and any other retail outlet.The measure is expected to go into effect as early as August, considering the time needed for administrative procedures to revise related regulations and for preparations by phar

Chinese tourists emerging as biggest spendersDespite recent unfavorable conditions including North Korea’s bombardment on Yeongpyeong Island, the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, an earthquake and radiation fears in Japan, Seoul City sees a slight increase in the number of foreign visitors to the capital this year.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, the number of foreig