SEOUL - A SOUTH Korean court ruled on Thursday that US software giant Microsoft breached fair competition rules but dismissed suits seeking compensation.

Two local software firms - Digito.Com and Sanview Technology Inc - filed suits requesting 30 billion won (S$35 million) and 10 billion won respectively.

ALBUQUERQUE (New Mexico) - AS A lightning-sparked fire charred thousands of acres in south-western New Mexico, biologists and firefighters used helicopters and trucks for an unusual evacuation.

They captured 250 Gila trout - a threatened species - from a creek in south-western New Mexico and are moving them to a hatchery in the opposite corner of the state.

TAIPEI (Taiwan) - CHINESE officials have invited Taiwanese companies to supply selected mainland cities with ultra-bright, energy-saving LED lights, the latest in a series of big business deals between the rivals.

At a two-day conference that ended on Wednesday, Chinese delegates asked leading Taiwanese light-emitting diode makers to participate in a mainland project to light up 10 cities with cutting-edge LED street lights.