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S.Korean big entertainment agency at crossroads for biz diversification

​YG Entertainment, which manages South Korean boy band Big Bang, is at crossroads as the talent agency is stretching beyond music business into fashion and cosmetics by the use of popularity of its artists such as "Gangnam Style" rapper Psy and girl group 2NE1.

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S.Korean big entertainment agency at crossroads for biz diversification

YG Entertainment, which manages South Korean boy band Big Bang, is at crossroads as the talent agency is stretching beyond music business into fashion and cosmetics by the use of popularity of its artists such as "Gangnam Style" rapper Psy and girl group 2NE1.

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S.Korea's industrial output rebounds in three months

​South Korea's industrial production rebounded for the first time in three months, but it was not big enough to justify a full-fledging recovery, a government report showed Friday.

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S.Korean shares rise on Samsung buyback news

​South Korean shares rose for five straight sessions Thursday as Samsung Electronics announced a plan to buy back shares worth 2.2 trillion won (about 2 billion U.S. dollars) in the previous day.

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Japan's Supreme Court rules 2013 upper house elections held in state of unconstitutionality

​Japan's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the 2013 Upper House vote was held "in a state of unconstitutionality"due to the disparity in the weight of individual votes across different constituencies.

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Australian committee recommends stronger laws around foreign property investment

​A parliamentary committee has recommended that Australia's federal government enforce stronger rules regarding foreign property investment.

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Philippine economic growth slows to 5.3 pct in Q3

​Philippine gross domestic product ( GDP) growth slowed to 5.3 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier as the expansion of all major economic sectors decelerated during the period, the local statistics agency said Thursday.

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Japan's ex-trade minister to stand in snap election despite dubious expenses

​Former Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yuko Obuchi who stepped down from the Cabinet last month over allegations her support groups misused political funds and filed dodgy reports between 2008 and 2012, still plans to defend her Liberal Democratic Party seat in December's snap election.

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Free trade zone between Customs Union and Vietnam under negotiation: Putin

Negotiations on a free trade zone agreement between the Customs Union and Vietnam are at the final stage, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

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Will new bilateral security deals with the U.S. ensure lasting peace in Afghanistan?

​Afghanistan's lower house of parliament on Sunday allowed a limited number of the U.S.-led coalition alliance to remain in Afghanistan, after the 2014 pullout of the NATO-led forces from the country.

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People-to-people ties in Asia key to economic success

​Australia's deepening people-to- people relationships in Asia, especially with China, is the cornerstone of economic success for the nation's future, according to Reserve Bank of Australia Deputy Governor Philip Lowe.

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80 arrested as Hong Kong authorities clear Mong Kok occupying area

​Some 80 people have been arrested as of 8 p.m. Tuesday as Hong Kong's police assisted bailiffs clearing the occupying area in Mong Kok, according to the police.

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Cambodia's famous elephant to retire after offering rides to tourists for 3 decades

Sambo, the internationally famous elephant known for years as one of capital Phnom Penh's most famous attractions, will retire to northeastern Cambodia's Mondulkiri province this week, an owner and officials said Tuesday.

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Chinese couples flocking to S.Korea for wedding snaps

In a beauty salon in the Gangnam district of Seoul, 26 year-old Chinese bride-to-be Na Hongyi awaited a Korean style make-over before taking her all-important wedding photos.

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Japanese researchers succeed in recreating key kidney unit

Researchers in Japan have recreated the basic structural unit of a kidney, which may lead to effective treatments for renal failure, the Asahi Shimbun reported Tuesday.

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Australia faces new biosecurity threats

Australia is facing a potential biosecurity attack from a number of viruses which have the potential to seriously damage food supplies, according to a new report released on Wednesday.

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Singapore university plans to launch two more satellites

Singapore's Nanyang Technological University plans to send two more satellites into outer space by the fourth quarter of 2015, it said on Tuesday.