Most Popular
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Iran’s president found dead at helicopter crash site
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Seoul rolls out W250b package in bid to lure foreign talent
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N. Korea slams US subcritical nuclear test, vows measures to bolster nuclear deterrence
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Korea's increasing US investment mutually beneficial: report
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Yoon vetoes bill for special probe into young Marine's death
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Minister warns against trusting NK stated intentions, says Moon misguided
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South Korea bans viral North Korea propaganda video praising Kim
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AI Seoul Summit to discuss ways to make AI equitable in Global South
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SNU alums nabbed for digital sex crimes
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Hermes celebrates craftsmanship
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Obama’s difficulties in coping with the unexpected
President Barack Obama’s first-term foreign policy was epitomized by success in fulfilling his campaign promise to end the U.S. role in Iraq and by the stunning U.S. Special Forces killing of Osama bin Laden.Obama’s second term, however, seems increasingly exemplified by last year’s withdrawn promise to bomb Syria for using chemical weapons and his all-too-public inability to develop and implement a strategy to halt the advance of the transnational Islamic State.For many critics, Obama had it wr
Sept. 5, 2014
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[David Ignatius] Confirm the ambassadors
WASHINGTON ― Talk about America’s decline is usually wrong. But how else would you describe a country that, in a world of exploding tensions, is unable to confirm dozens of ambassadors to foreign posts because of partisan political squabbling? Even by Washington standards, the Senate Republicans have hit a new low for hypocrisy. They denounce President Barack Obama’s inaction on foreign policy ― and simultaneously refuse to confirm his nominees for U.S. ambassadors to such hotspots as Turkey, on
Sept. 4, 2014
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Tweaking the agenda for Obama’s Europe trip
U.S. President is headed to Europe this week. There used to be a time prior to his election when he would travel to Europe and inspire the masses ― mostly on the strength of their own idealistic projections. But now, never has a Nobel Peace Prize laureate seen so many global conflicts erupt on his watch, while mostly standing there slack-jawed like a spectator at a fireworks display.Stopping first in Estonia, then in Wales for the NATO leaders’ summit, Barack Obama has already nicely sidestepped
Sept. 4, 2014
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[Mergawati Zulfakar] Benefits of ASEAN economic bloc
One question posed by a university student during a Ministry of Trade and Industry outreach program in June was whether Malaysia will be swarmed by cheap products and laborers from other ASEAN countries come Jan. 1, 2015.That seems to be a common misperception about the ASEAN economic community that actually will only be launched at the end of next year.At the many roadshows organized by Miti on ASEAN this year, minister Mustapa Mohamed and his officials would often be queried on the same subjec
Sept. 4, 2014
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Foreign affairs are not a military matter
Finally and as expected, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has named his military-school classmate Thanasak Patimaprakorn the new foreign minister. Thanasak is also the supreme commander of the Thai Armed Forces.The appointment comes amid growing geopolitical tensions in many parts of the world, including this region. Major world and regional powers are competing to secure their places in a new and fast-changing political landscape. Countries in Southeast Asia are engaged in disputes with th
Sept. 4, 2014
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Pitching in for inclusive growth in Philippines
I’m often asked what needs to be done for the Philippines to achieve inclusive growth, or economic growth with widest participation and whose attendant benefits are felt by all. We all know the Philippine economy has lately been growing faster than most in the region, but having that growth come from a broader base and uplift the lives of the least endowed among us remains elusive.What will bring about more inclusive growth in the economy? We need more of our economy’s growth to come from sector
Sept. 4, 2014
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Nepal aims to achieve ‘total literacy’ next year
Nepal’s fast increasing literacy is definitely something to be proud of. In 2008, just over half of the population was literate ― the literacy rate stood at 55.6 percent. Since then, the rate has increased by leaps and bounds. According to the 2011 Census, Nepal’s literacy rate was 65.9 percent. In the three years since, the rate has increased to a staggering 84 per cent, according to the government. If all goes well, the government looks set to achieve its ambitious goal of “total literacy” ― a
Sept. 4, 2014
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[Kim Ji-hyun] Why more of us should be playing by the rules
Yesterday morning, as I was waiting to make a right turn, a truck driver coming in the opposite direction flashed his high beams at me, and for a minute, I was furious.That kind of behavior is insulting and uncalled for. I stopped there for a second, wondering exactly what I had done to irk him so much when the driver flashed his lights again, motioning for me to make the turn.I softened up, and I remembered that I was in Tokyo. I thanked him with a nod, and went my way. During my short stay her
Sept. 3, 2014
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[Cass R. Sunstein] Extremism loves company
Why do people become violent extremists? You might speculate that the answer is poverty. George W. Bush thought so: “We fight against poverty because hope is an answer to terror.” Or you might think a lack of education explains it. Laura Bush thought so: “A lasting victory in the war against terror depends on educating the world’s children.” Neither of these answers is correct, however. Most extremists, including those who commit violence, are not poor and do not lack education.Suicide bombers a
Sept. 3, 2014
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[Kim Myong-sik] Soft discipline to end atrocities in military?
From this week, soldiers at combat outfits can meet their families and friends during off-duty hours on weekdays as well as weekends; those on frontline GOP (general outpost) duties can receive visitors on holidays only. Soldiers can make the schedule for the 28 days of furlough during their 21-month compulsory service on their own ― such as into four weeklong outings, two fortnights or three and one. The Defense Ministry will distribute cellphones (the old folding types) to small groups of enli
Sept. 3, 2014
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Sell U.S. visas, for the right price
This summer’s scenes of ragged Central American children and teenagers crammed into makeshift detention centers didn’t exactly affirm Lady Liberty’s invitation to “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Rest assured, however, that your well-rested, your rich, your coddled elites face their own difficulties opening the golden door to U.S. citizenship. Exhibit A is the dysfunctional U.S. program that’s meant to grant foreign investors green cards in return for invest
Sept. 3, 2014
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India’s foolish crush on Japan
Narendra Modi, India’s new prime minister, visited Japan twice during his long decade of ostracism by the West. He is one of only three people that Shinzo Abe follows on Twitter. Commentators have hailed Modi as “India’s Abe” because he seems as determined as the Japanese prime minister to boost national self-esteem through economic growth. Japanese direct investment in India is rising; it may even help realize Modi’s grand, Japan-inspired vision of “smart cities” and bullet trains across India.
Sept. 3, 2014
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[Lee Jae-min] Racing against the clock
It is everybody’s nightmare when the deadline for a project is approaching but progress is slow. A deadline, if well managed, works as a catalyst for a positive outcome ― we all experience last-minute creativity and efficiency sparks under extreme time pressure. When, however, a deadline is imposed but the task is unrealistic, this positive last-minute drive does not work. People just have to let the chips fall where they may.Ever since a deadline was set as the end of this year at the July summ
Sept. 2, 2014
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Democracy in the twenty-first century
NEW YORK ― The reception in the United States, and in other advanced economies, of Thomas Piketty’s recent book “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” attests to growing concern about rising inequality. His book lends further weight to the already overwhelming body of evidence concerning the soaring share of income and wealth at the very top.Piketty’s book, moreover, provides a different perspective on the 30 or so years that followed the Great Depression and World War II, viewing this period as
Sept. 2, 2014
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Women in math: Things are better, but still bad
Last month, Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman in history to win a Fields Medal ― “math’s Nobel Prize.” This is a cause for celebration, but also for reflection.Things are definitely better than they once were for women in mathematics. In the late 18th century, Sophie Germain, who made significant contributions to number theory despite having no formal schooling, had to use a male pseudonym initially to get the attention of renowned scholars Joseph-Louis Lagrange and Carl Friedrich Gauss,
Sept. 2, 2014
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[Kim Seong-kon] Beware! It’s a jungle out there
Last Saturday, my cellphone kept vibrating incessantly as it received numerous text messages that read, “The email I sent you bounced back due to insufficient space in your account. Check your email storage.” I immediately checked my email account and saw this warning: “You have used 150 percent of your email storage. Please delete old emails to free up space.” How was that possible? Only the day before, I had noticed the graph indicated I had used only 50 percent of the space allotted to me. Su
Sept. 2, 2014
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Let the Middle East govern itself
NEW YORK ― It is time for the United States and other powers to let the Middle East govern itself in line with national sovereignty and the United Nations Charter. As the U.S. contemplates yet another round of military action in Iraq and intervention in Syria, it should recognize two basic truths.First, U.S. interventions, which have cost the country trillions of dollars and thousands of lives over the past decade, have consistently destabilized the Middle East, while causing massive suffering i
Sept. 2, 2014
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[Daniel Gordis] Israelis fear end of their state
The cease-fire is holding. The sirens have stopped, the bomb shelters are being closed, most of the reservists have returned home. This weekend, for the first time in months, Israelis (like Gazans) will finally be able to exhale. But the press, quite rightly, is reminding Israelis that peace is almost certainly not at hand. “Gaza war? Merely a blip on the Mideast radar,” Haaretz’s headline read this morning. The two sides have battered each other into a stalemate. Both accepted terms their leade
Sept. 1, 2014
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WHO’s misplaced Ebola priority
The World Health Organization is nothing if not opportunistic, impulsively jumping on every public health issue that makes the front page. And, of course, it always calls for lots more money to throw at the disease-of-the-month. The latest on the WHO’s radar is the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, which has tallied about 1,500 cases. To address it, WHO wants more than $430 million ― from governments, development banks, the private sector and in-kind contributions.The plan, outlined in a docu
Sept. 1, 2014
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[Naomi Wolf] Flex hours, remote working as new model
NEW YORK ― Have two highly skilled women ― with four babies and toddlers between them ― finally found a way to achieve an ideal work-family balance? It looks as if PowerToFly, a new startup launched to place women around the world in tech jobs with flexible hours and the ability to work remotely, has done just that.The founders have deep roots in news media, social media, and technology: Katharine Zaleski is former Executive Director of the digital Washington Post and the first news editor of th
Sept. 1, 2014