• East Asia

    North Korea angers US

    In the wake of North Korea’s stakes-raising rocket launch this week, the United States is expected to seek harsher financial measures on the Kim Jong-un regime, similar to those mobilized on Iran. But in the longer term, Washington faces tough choices on how to handle Pyongyang given what analysts describe…

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  • East Asia

    Multicultural Awards held in festive mood

    “Little Psy” Hwang Min-woo and Nigerian Vanessa Ossy were among the recipients of the 1st Multicultural Youth Awards at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, Thursday, in recognition of their outstanding achievements in promoting diversity. Hwang born to a Vietnamese mother and Korean father brought down the house with…

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  • East Asia

    Polls show gap significantly tightens

    With just days before the Dec. 19 presidential election, the race between Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in is becoming too close to call. Park, the ruling Saenuri Party candidate enjoyed a lead outside the statistical margin of error in some polls a few days ago. However, the latest polls show…

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  • East Asia

    Seoul warns NK of ‘serious’ consequences

    South Korea began its push Thursday to implement “more serious” penalties against North Korea for its long-range rocket launch this week, as details emerged about the feat that has intensified concerns over Pyongyang’s missile threat. The U.N. Security Council earlier in the day (KST) convened an emergency meeting to discuss…

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  • East Asia

    ‘Onionskin’ envelopes create stir

    Concerns have risen over possible violations of voting privacy in the ongoing absentee ballot for the Dec. 19 presidential election because of the envelopes used to return the completed voting papers. Voters complained on Thursday, the first of the two-day absentee ballot, that the return envelopes are glassine and almost…

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  • East Asia

    2 hours of jubilation

    About 30 minutes ago before the start of the 1st Multicultural Youth Awards ceremony, the hall on the 19th floor of the Korea Press Center was all but deserted. A group of volunteers sat at the reception table at the doors to the hall, with final checks being made on…

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  • East Asia

    Chinese Young Couples Rush To Get Married On “Triple 12 Day” For Good Luck

    A young couple show their marriage certificates at a civil affairs bureau in Zaozhuang City, east China’s Shandong Province, Dec. 12, 2012. Young couples across the country rushed to get married on Dec, 12, 2012, or 12/12/12, hoping that the “triple 12 day” will bring them good luck. In Chinese,…

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  • West Asia

    Yemenis Clean A Street During National Cleaning Campaign In Sanaa

    A Yemeni soldier cleans a steet during a national cleaning campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, on Dec. 12, 2012. The Yemeni government launched the first and biggest ever cleaning campaign in the capital Sanaa on Wednesday. The campaign may allow Yemen to enter the race to break a Guinness World Record…

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  • South Asia

    Indian Students Vow To End Practice Of Aborting Female Fetuses In Mumbai

    Indian students hold placards as they take an oath vowing to eliminate the practice of aborting female fetuses in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. In India, daughters are often seen as a burden because tradition requires that a bride’s family pay the groom’s family a large dowry of cash…

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  • South East AsiaCrime Scene of a car accident in Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo: www.vivanews.com)

    [Indonesia Report] UN asks Indonesia to reduce traffic accidents

    The United Nations (UN) has asked Indonesia to reduce the number of deaths due to traffic accidents. Each year about 32,000 lives are lost due to traffic accidents, according to report by Vivannews.com quoting  Deputy Chief Police Commissioner General Nanan Sukarna. “The demand to reduce the number of deaths by traffic accidents…

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