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World
Istanbul Airport bans ‘meet and greet’ signs
Istanbul: Istanbul Airport has banned welcoming arrival passengers with pickup signs, saying the decision taken by the security commission aimed to avoid “backstreet agentship.” “The most important duty in the transfer of tourists belongs to the airports and Istanbul Airport needs to be built in a more modern and guest-oriented…
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Politics
North Korea defectors sense job opportunities in coffee
Seoul: Cho Kyung-ja (alias), a 33-year-old North Korean defector, is busy operating an espresso machine, preparing four cappuccinos, grinding, temping, frothing and sometimes wiping away beans that scatter here and there. As she lays the four cups down on a table, she shyly smiles as she says, “Excuse me. Here…
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Politics
North Korea passes ball into U.S. court, leaves room for both dialogue, provocation: experts
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to have passed the ball into the United States’ court with a New Year’s message that warned of “shocking actual action” and a “new strategic weapon” but still stopped short of abandoning negotiations altogether, experts said. Convening a four-day ruling party session through…
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Society
Koreans greet new year with bell-ringing ceremonies nationwide
Seoul: South Korea welcomed the new year with traditional bell-ringing ceremonies in Seoul and other cities nationwide at midnight Tuesday. The most attention-grabbing bell-ringing ceremony took place at Bosingak Belfry in Jongno, central Seoul, as several prominent celebrities rang the bell 33 times amid cheers from tens of thousands of…
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Politics
South Korea conducts Dokdo defense exercise
Seoul: The South Korean military conducted an exercise on Friday to strengthen defense capabilities for the country’s easternmost islets of Dokdo, the first such drills in four months, a source said, amid budding efforts to restore ties with Japan strained over trade and wartime history. The Korean Navy did not…
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Culture
Three months in, House of BTS pop-up store in Seoul bustles with fans
Seoul: Hirari Yamauchi, a 48-year-old Japanese housewife, and her teenage daughter flew to South Korea for a two-day trip this week, solely for a highly anticipated visit to a pop-up store themed around K-pop boy band BTS currently open in Seoul. The mother and daughter discovered BTS a year ago…
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Politics
Xi ‘almost certain’ visit S. Korea in first half of next year
Seoul: Chinese President Xi Jinping is “almost certain” to visit South Korea in the first half of next year, a presidential official said Wednesday. President Moon Jae-in invited Xi to visit the South in the near future when they held summit talks in Beijing on Monday. Xi said in response…
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East Asia
Gyeongju picked as ‘East Asia Culture City 2021’
Gyeongju: Gyeongju, the capital of ancient Korea, has been selected as the South Korean city to represent the Culture City of East Asia 2021, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday. South Korea, China and Japan launched the Culture City of East Asia project in 2014 to promote…
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Business
BTS’ latest three concerts in Seoul had economic effect of $860.7 million
Seoul: K-pop boy band BTS created an economic effect worth 1 trillion won (US$860.7 million) with its latest three concerts in Seoul, an academic report showed Monday. The septet finished off its latest world tour, “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself,” with the final leg in Seoul where three evening concerts at…
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Culture
Bahraini artist features in international 2020 calendar
Manama: In a first for Bahrain, an artwork highlighting Bahraini women during the pearling era and their important role in society during that period has been selected to feature in the international excellence 2020 calendar issued by an intercontinental company. The painting by Bahraini artist Leena Al Ayoobi represents the…
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