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Society
South Korean prefer Jeju and Gangwon for internal flights
A new study shows that South Korean women prefer travelling to Jeju island, while men prefer Gangwon province for internal flights. The “Cheil” report shows that 25% of South Korean women have searched for info on travelling to Jeju island, in the farthest Southern part of the country. On the…
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West Asia
Right activists dismiss Qatar labor reforms
Rights groups on Wednesday criticized reforms of Qatar’s “kafala” labor system for foreign workers, which critics have likened to modern-day slavery, as an AFP report shows. Qatar’s prince, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, approved on Tuesday a new law overseeing the sponsorship “kafala” system – which currently only allows workers to…
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South Asia
Nepal elects first female president
Nepal’s parliament, on Wednesday, elected communist lawmaker Bidhya Bhandari as the country’s first female president after the adoption of a landmark constitution last month. The former defense minister and the vice-chair of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) defeated her opponent Kul Bahadur Gurung by 327 to…
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West Asia
Animate Dubai festival offers more opportunities to the region
Animate Dubai launches this December and the team are proudly announcing the festival schedule and new initiatives which are set to engage with their global following. A wonderful addition to the program of events is the ‘Works in Progress’ (WiP) component of the festival, a section that is now open for…
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Culture
Gonzo: the legacy of the Doctor of Journalism
If Raoul Duke and yours truly (Rahul Duke?) share one similarity, it is that we have run away from journalism most of our lives. I used to consider journalism a mediocre, sucker-for-money, sensationalist, borderline sociopathic occupation. Now I am a journalist (Talk about becoming what you hate!). Being a film…
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South Asia
A way for change in blasphemy law of Pakistan
The Supreme Court in Pakistan on Tuesday urged the state to ensure that no one is forced to endure an investigation or trial on the basis of false blasphemy allegations. The court also rejected the appeal against death sentence of Mumtaz Qadri, who has received death sentence for killing the…
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South Asia
Unspeakable taboo: alcohol in Middle East
Alcohol or liquors are one of the unspeakable taboos around the Middle Eastern countries, with their Muslim majority. Quran prohibits Muslims from drinking alcohol or being intoxicated in any way, but has it always been that way? And does that ever stop them? And who says what’s considered intoxicated and…
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Society
South and North Korea discuss communication between separated families
Kim Seoung Go, head of South Korea’s Red Cross, said that she had discussions with her North Korean counterpart to ensure that the remaining family members of separated families are still alive. They also discussed the possibility of enabling them to exchange letters and video calls. She added in an…
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Society
President Park defends unified history textbooks decision
President Park Geun Hye defended her plan to issue a unified version of history textbooks across the country, in a parliament speech on Tuesday 27th October. She said the it’s the older generations’ mission to present the youth with a correct version of history to prepare them for the future.…
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West Asia
Iran could join Syria talks with US and Russia
Iran is likely to be invited for the first time to international talks with the US and Russia over the Syrian conflict after a longstanding opposition, the US says. US state department spokesman John Kirby said it was unclear if Iran’s leaders would attend the talks, starting in Vienna on…
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