Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
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Yoon’s jailed mother-in-law excluded from latest parole list
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Hybe and Min Hee-jin, CEO of Hybe sublabel Ador, lock horns
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[Pressure points] Leggings in public: Fashion statement or social faux pas?
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[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'
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Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
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Nicaragua shuts down Seoul embassy
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Rocket engine expert, ex-NASA exec to lead Korea's new space agency
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[Javier Solana] Time to reset Turkey-EU relations
MADRID ― Just five months ago, Osama bin Laden was alive, Hosni Mubarak was firmly in control in Egypt, and Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali ruled Tunisia with an iron hand. Today, popular rebellion and political change have spread throughout the region. We have witnessed brutal repression of protests in Syria and Yemen, Saudi troops crossing into Bahrain, and an ongoing battle for Libya.For Europe, the “A
June 15, 2011
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Power is so totally hot
How was Anthony Weiner so easily able to find such willing sexting partners?Even conceding that Weiner’s pecs were pretty impressive when he took off his shirt, this is nevertheless the embodiment of the geeky guy we all grew up with who struggled with girls. Sure, his quick thinking and tart tongue probably earned him a few points with ladies, but not to a level that could account for the online
June 15, 2011
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[Bruce Gale] Stakes on growth plan
No other president has invested as much political capital in a national development program.This assessment by Danareksa Research Institute’s chief economist Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa of a new economic blueprint launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on May 27 says it all.Since his reelection in 2009, Yudhoyono has tried various means to stimulate economic growth by improving the performance of
June 15, 2011
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West is still waiting for its Libya gamble to pay off
Hope isn’t a strategy. But it was a major part of NATO’s decision to launch an air war against Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi almost three months ago.Back in March, when the bombing began, the leaders of France, Britain and the United States hoped Gadhafi’s regime would shatter under the shock and awe of modern munitions, and that Libyan military officers would take the advice of their European counterpa
June 15, 2011
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[Joel Brinkley] Afghanistan: Money pit for U.S.
If you were to read two new government reports on American aid to Afghanistan, you would come away first astounded and then utterly furious, just as I did. Ten years into the Afghan war, our government still heedlessly throws many billions of dollars at Afghan organizations that steal some of it and pass the rest off to militants who use it to kill American troops.The State Department, for example
June 15, 2011
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With reported rapes, the DSK case is the exception
The charges filed recently against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn have perpetuated a myth: that the U.S. justice system moves swiftly and effectively to resolve allegations of sexual assault.In the wake of Strauss-Kahn’s arrest, the media, particularly in Europe, have highlighted the perceived equality and fairness of a justice system that allows an immigrant single mother with relatively
June 14, 2011
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[Lee Jae-min] English lectures at Korean colleges
Imagine how awkward it would be if you were required to speak a foreign language with your colleagues on a particular topic at a designated time each week. All other times, you use your mother tongue with them. This is the awkwardness that many Korean instructors feel in front of Korean students during English-only classes. Interestingly, that awkwardness usually does not occur in front of foreign
June 14, 2011
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[Albert R. Hunt] Deluded parties taste victory without deficit cuts
Republicans and Democrats alike need a significant deficit-reduction package. It is increasingly elusive. President Barack Obama and his congressional allies face a sputtering economic recovery that signals an inhospitable election environment next year, a bad situation getting worse. They need an infusion of confidence that most analysts say a serious debt deal would achieve. Republicans need to
June 14, 2011
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[Gus West] Banking: Senate reins in debit card ‘swipe fees’
Remember those dark days after the 2008 financial collapse, when Congress vowed it would get tough with the banks? Well, that resolve seems to be dwindling. A move to undo some of the reforms legislators were touting just months ago was barely stopped last week.The issue at hand this time was debit cards. Currently, when you make a purchase with a debit card, the retailer has to pay a so-called sw
June 14, 2011
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[Kim Seong-kon] Caring about others: from egotism to altruism
At school, we teach our students that Korea was founded on a humanitarian ideal called “Hong-Ik In-gan,” which means “devoting ourselves to the welfare of humankind.” In reality, however, you must go far to find someone who genuinely cares about others’ welfare these days. In fact, we are too busy securing and insisting on our own welfare. As a result, the so-called “NIMBY (not in my backyard)” me
June 14, 2011
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Afghan troop withdrawal must be significant
President Obama must soon choose whether to order a “significant” withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan ― as he promised ― or content himself with a token drawdown. After nearly a decade of war and a troop buildup that seems to have produced results, the president should abide by his commitment, even if it means overriding his military advisors.In December 2009, when he authorized a surge of
June 13, 2011
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[Shashi Tharoor] India turning itself into a donor
NEW DELHI ― The recent India-Africa summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at which India’s government pledged $5 billion in aid to African countries, drew attention to a largely overlooked phenomenon ― India’s emergence as a source, rather than a recipient, of foreign aid.For decades after independence ― when Britain left the subcontinent one of the poorest and most ravaged regions on earth, with an ef
June 13, 2011
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[Meghan Daum] What’s with the ‘hiker hate’ in the U.S.?
The story of Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd, the American hikers who in July 2009 crossed the border ― inadvertently, all evidence suggests ― from Iraqi Kurdistan into Iran and were imprisoned for espionage, is back in the headlines. Shourd, who was released in September on humanitarian grounds and after paying $500,000 in bail, has been promoting a “rolling hunger strike” to remind us
June 13, 2011
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Nuclear proliferation: Engaging with Iran
As ambassadors to Iran during the last decade, we have all followed closely the development of the nuclear crisis between Iran and the international community. It is unacceptable that the talks have been deadlocked for such a long time.The Arab world and the Middle East are entering a new epoch in which no country is immune from change. This includes the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is facing t
June 13, 2011
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[Trudy Rubin] Ex-bin Laden colleague sees al-Qaida’s influence waning
LONDON ― Abdullah Anas, a jovial, bearded onetime Algerian imam, was a close colleague of Osama bin Laden in the jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan.He considered bin Laden a friend, but broke with him over the slaughter of innocents on 9/11. Today, Anas thinks al-Qaida’s grip on the minds of radical Muslim youth is finally ending.“I think the philosophy of al-Qaida is failing now,” Anas says
June 13, 2011
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[Dick Polman] Democrats sing new tune on finances
Obviously, if we had a dime for every time the politicians junked their avowed convictions, we’d all be living in luxury. But it’s still breathtaking to behold the Democrats’ blatant embrace of a sleazy campaign tactic that they condemned just eight months ago.Last autumn, President Obama and his political allies insisted that secret donations were a “threat to democracy.” On the eve of the 2010 c
June 12, 2011
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[David Ignatius] Obama’s ‘partnership deficit’
WASHINGTON ― There was some head-scratching in Washington at the recent presentation of the Medal of Freedom to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The previous foreign recipients included Pope John Paul II, who championed the freedom of Eastern Europe; Nelson Mandela, who triumphed over apartheid in South Africa; and Helmut Kohl, who reunited Germany. Did Merkel, for all her good qualities, really f
June 12, 2011
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[Peter Goldmark] GOP playing with fire on debt ceiling
There they go again.The Republicans in the House of Representatives are acting like jackasses. And they’re doing it on the critical issue of the debt ceiling, which could undermine confidence in the United States around the world if it is mishandled.The Republican-dominated House of Representatives recently said they would refuse to raise the national debt limit unless their draconian spending cut
June 12, 2011
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[Anne Michaud] Arab Spring must not leave women behind
This year’s Arab Spring uprisings against authoritarian regimes included many prominent women: There was a Tunisian blogger who was among the first to alert the world to the country’s growing turmoil. And there were demonstrators, journalists, bloggers and tweeters in Egypt who forced the February ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.But since those inspiring days, the news from this region has paint
June 12, 2011
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How new is Egypt’s ‘new’ foreign policy?
CAIRO ― In the months since Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation, his successors have signaled a shift in foreign policy by reaching out to former adversaries. Egypt’s government has welcomed Iranian diplomats and embraced the Palestinian group Hamas. Many interpret such moves as clear evidence of Egypt’s desire for a diplomacy that is not subordinate to American interests.But Mubarak ne
June 12, 2011