SOUTH KOREA

Asian shares rose on Wednesday as indications of progress on a U.S. budget-reduction deal boosted investor confidence while encouraging quarterly numbers from Apple Inc and International Business Machines helped Asia's beaten-down tech sector gain for a second day.

Asian shares rose on Wednesday as indications of progress on a U.S. budget-reduction deal boosted investor confidence while encouraging quarterly numbers from Apple Inc and International Business Machines helped Asia's beaten-down tech sector gain for a second day.

The United Auto Workers is talking with a lot of foreign automakers about representing their U.S. plants' hourly workers and could see a deal by year end, top union officials said.

The United Auto Workers is talking with several foreign automakers about representing their U.S. plants' hourly workers and could see a deal by year end, top union officials said.

Asian shares rose on Wednesday as indications of progress on a U.S. budget-reduction deal boosted investor confidence while encouraging quarterly numbers from Apple Inc and International Business Machines Corp helped Asia's beaten-down tech sector gain for a second day.

Asian shares rose on Wednesday as indications of progress on a U.S. budget-reduction deal boosted investor confidence while encouraging quarterly numbers from Apple Inc and International Business Machines Corp helped Asia's beaten-down tech sector gain for a second day.

The number of Chinese Internet users hit 485 million at the end of June, with microblogging and group-buying posting the highest user growth rates, a Chinese government Internet statistical body said on Tuesday.

In Korea people have beat the summer heat by drinking liquor and dining on dog meat. Some Koreans are trying to change the practice. They believe it's unacceptable to eat man's best friend.

Both the Korean companies are in contention.

Global consumer confidence fell in the second quarter to its lowest level in a year and a half as an uncertain economic outlook, a deepening euro zone debt crisis and rising inflation made people more cautious, a survey showed on Sunday.

The consumption of dog meat has had a long history in South Korea as well as other Eastern Asian countries. South Koreans call their 3 hottest days of the year Boknal and traditionally go to picnics in the mountains and valleys. People beat the summer heat by dining on liquor and dog meat. Dog meat is a traditional cuisine. The meat is considered to possess qualities that help stamina and balance the body's heat during the summer months.

The United States and the European Union slammed China's partial easing of export control of the rare earth minerals on Thursday.

Apple Inc's Korean unit has paid compensation to a user of its popular iPhone after collecting location data without consent, lawyers and court officials said, the first payout by the company over these complaints.

Schwarzenegger will begin shooting for the Western Movie The Last Stand in September

The agent and manager of Hines Ward says the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and Dancing With the Stars winner was not impaired by alcohol while driving. Ward was arrested on a charge of drunken driving in Georgia early Saturday.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and Dancing With the Stars winner Hines Ward faces 40 hours of community service and driver's license suspension according to Georgia law, if convicted of the DUI he was charged there early Saturday morning.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge announced on Wednesday that Pyeongchang would host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Here's a look at Korea's winter wonderland.

German-based automaker Volkswagen will export its U.S. made Passat to South Korea by 2012 for sales in that country.

LG Electronics Inc slashed its sales targets on Thursday, as it struggles to break into the fiercely-competitive smartphone market.

Broadcast revenues for the period covering the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games will exceed $4 billion, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said Thursday.

LG Electronics Inc, the world's No.3 handset maker, cut its 2011 smartphone and handset targets on Thursday because its Optimus series has failed to stop the runaway success of Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S.