• Culture

    Russia Joins WTO

    A vendor waits for customers at a Moscow market, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012. On Wednesday Russia joins the World Trade Organization, 19 years after it first began negotiating entry into the group, which restricts import duties and subsidies in an attempt to create a truly level playing field for…

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  • Culture

    K-drama leads ‘hallyu’

    A variety of soap operas, from trendy shows to epic series, grace the small screen from morning till night. The popularity of Korean TV dramas has spilled over the nation’s borders since the late 1990s, igniting “hallyu,” or the Korean wave. The biggest hit of the first half of this…

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  • Culture

    Muslims In Moscow Observe End Of Ramadan

    Muslim men, bowing toward Mecca, perform Eid al-Fitr prayers that marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012. More than two hundred thousand Muslims gathered at Moscow’s mosques to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr. <AP/NEWSis> news@theasian.asia

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  • Culture

    Muslims In Panama City Celebrate Last Day Of Ramadan

    Muslim children participate in a prayer during the celebration of the last day of the fasting month of Ramadan, in Panama City, capital of Panama, on Aug. 19, 2012. <Xinhua=Mauricio Valenzuela> news@theasian.asia

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  • Culture

    Oh Ji-ho: shrewd actor hidden behind dimples

    Ask any Korean entertainment fan about heartthrob actor Oh Ji-ho and you would most likely receive an answer related to his signature smile. The singular focus on his facial expression — as well as his even more famous dimple — has been a mixed blessing. His good-guy image led him…

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  • Culture

    Nepalis Mark Birthday Of Hindu God

    A Nepalese woman watches from a temple while she offers prayers during Janmashtami festival in, Katmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. Janmashtami festival marks the birthday of Hindu god Krishna. <AP/NEWSis> news@theasian.asia

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  • Culture

    SISTAR: Unpredictable girls ready to grow up but no too fast

    As the girls of SISTAR settled down in the sofas of their dressing room backstage at SBS’s weekly K-pop show Sunday, it was striking how comfortable they looked, despite the presence of a reporter they had never met before. First to find her spot, Soyou, 20, asked for her poofy…

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  • Society

    From ‘Gangnam’ to US, video goes viral

    Korean pop singer PSY’s new song “Gangnam Style” is capturing the world’s attention with its wacky music video. The title track of his sixth studio album has topped various online charts including Melon and Naver music for three consecutive weeks since its release on July 15. On YouTube, over 15…

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  • Culture

    A Nepalese Hindu Takes Holy Bath For Festival

    A Hindu devotee offers prayers on the occasion of Janai Purnima, or Sacred Thread festival, near Pashupati temple in Katmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012. On Janai Purnima Hindus take holy baths and perform their annual change of the Janai, a sacred cotton string worn around their chest or tied…

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  • Culture

    Colorful Parade To Celebrate Buddhist Festival In Sri Lanka

    In this Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012 photo, a decorated elephant parades as Sri Lankan traditional dancers perform during the annual Buddhist festival of the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Hundreds of thousands of Buddhists throng the hill-capital every year to venerate Buddha’s tooth relic which is taken…

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