• Preparing for the end of the Afghan war

    International combat operations in Afghanistan, now involving mostly U.S. troops, are to come to a formal end at the close of 2014, at roughly 13 years by far America’s longest-running war. The families of the returning troops will be delighted to see them come home; the rest of the country…

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  • East Asia

    Celebs join campaign trail

    Entertainers, sports stars livening up election atmoshpere Since official campaigning for the presidential poll began this week, a number of celebrities have joined forces to support the leading candidates, Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in, in order to charm undecided voters. Members of the celebrity cast have different supporting roles in…

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  • East Asia

    NK sacks defense minister

    North Korea has sacked its defense minister in a shake-up apparently aimed at bolstering loyalty to its young leader Kim Jong-un among the military elite, reports said Thursday. The regime replaced Kim Jong-gak as minister of the People’s Armed Forces after just seven months in the position. He is replaced…

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  • East Asia

    Envoy in China to discuss NK

    Seoul’s top nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam left for Beijing Thursday to discuss North Korea as speculation mounted over a possible long-range missile launch by Pyongyang. Recent satellite images have shown preparations being made at a launch site at the North’s Sohae Satellite Launch Station on the nation’s West Coast, raising…

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  • East Asia

    First-borns often win presidential elections

    Park, Moon are ‘functional’ first children marking rare cases in Korean history Many American presidents, including Barack Obama and his predecessor George W. Bush, have been either first-born sons or the eldest children in their families. Is the tendency featuring “first-born children born to rule” also applicable to Korean political…

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  • East Asia

    Tour of Taiwan

    Taiwan will touch your heart TAIPEI — Only two-and-a-half hours from Seoul, Taipei is a great option for a quick getaway. The Taiwanese capital has everything from rare ancient Chinese relics and splendid Confucian temples to a wide array of local cuisine and lots of places for a shopping spree.…

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  • East Asia

    Leading Members Of NK Communist Party Visit Friendship Tower In Pyongyang

    The delegation of China’s Communist Party, led by Politburo member Li Jianguo, visits the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. <AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin>

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  • East Asia

    All Reservoirs In Ji’an County, China’s Jiangxi Province, Under Repair

    A laborer works on the consolidation of a reservoir in Wan’an County of Ji’an, east China’s Jiangxi Province, Nov. 29, 2012. Since winter, all kinds of reservoirs have been under consolidation and repair at fever pitch in Ji’an. <Xinhua/Zhou Mi>

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  • East Asia

    Will Judge Koh tackle flaw in jury system?

    US expert says her ruling on Dec. 6 will answer this question There is more than a simple interpretation of law at stake when U.S. Federal Judge Lucy Koh rules next month on a $1.05 billion verdict in favor of Apple in its patent dispute with Samsung. “Koh now has…

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  • East Asia

    Naro rocket launch may be delayed to next year

    GOHEUNG, South Jeolla Province – The nation’s third attempt to launch the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) was again aborted Thursday, due to problems in the second-stage of the rocket, colloquially known as Naro. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said that it will determine the next launch date after…

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