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[Ashraf’s Tales of Arabia] Borders and Smugglers
Abu Hassan, the man of books, in the north Syrian city of is Al-Qusair, is fond of two things; cave and spring. His most endearing document is Al-Qusair’s cave which survived damage or destruction by quarry dynamite, thanks to the efforts of his city people. Abu Hassan sat on the…
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[Ashraf’s Tales of Arabia] Peace is better than war
Early next morning, some 33 centuries ago, in the city of Kadesh, to the north of Damascus, near the Syro-Lebanese border. The young Egyptian king Ramses II launched a massive assault, but was outnumbered by the Hittites, and the assault was lacking in terms of chariots, and soldiers suffered from…
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Column
“Its the Symbol of Economic Growth”
Sri Lankan Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa (1st R) participates in a ceremony marking the start of construction of the 350 meter high Lotus Tower, in Colombo on Jan. 20, 2012. Sri Lanka began to work on the future tallest tower in South Asia here on Friday as another symbol…
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Column
[Ashraf’s Tales of Arabia] Syria, ‘3000 Years Ago’
You immediately fall in love with River Asi (Orontes) the moment you walk along either of its banks. After a brief introduction, you even think it is extending its hands to embrace you as it winds here and there, giving way to you for the plains it cultivated with love…
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Column
Park v Chun, Where They Stayed
On 25th anniversary of the death of student Park Jong-chul A cell in a police detention centre where a student died from torture. And a cell in a Buddhist temple where a general did his penance. In stark symbolic contrast, these sites have been associated with key episodes in the…
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Don’t miss a chance for closer Koreas
The death of Kim Jong-il and the new start of Kim Jong-un leadership is an opportunity for peace in the Korean peninsula and improvement in inter-Korean relations but at the same time, a challenge. Kim Jong-un himself knows the fact that he must solve the current economic issues for the…
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Beyond Words
Understanding and Interpreting Body Language Humans pride themselves on their seemingly unique ability to verbalize feelings and ideas. While the mouth tells one story, gestures and posture may tell a different story. In today’s competitive and increasingly global business culture, the value of effective and active communications seems obvious .often…
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N. Korea Kim Jong-un and Boris Yeltsin
North Korea has suddenly got a new leader. Predictably enough, people want to make sense of this sudden change and many Pyongyangologists (admittedly, not a large group) look into their crystal balls in an attempt to guess what line the newNorth Korean strongman will take. When dealing with all of…
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Column
International Students Breaking Down Barriers
Being invited to the farewell party held by the Non-Resident Nepalese Association of Korea for the Ambassador H.E. Kamal Prasad Koirala as a representative of KISSA (Korea International Students Support Association), I found myself being immersed in yet another culture. Besides a small number of Korean participants, I was the…
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East Asia
Soft Power is Telling on the Generation Y
North Koreans are in deep mourning, bereaved of their father figure Kim Jong Il. They have grown up knowing only one leader, first Kim Il Sung, the founder of the political dynasty,and then his son Kim Jong Il, who died last week. The leadership mantle has been handed down…
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