However, the veggie created a storm around itself when a rural South Korean town made a video ad on garlic which some farmers say is obscene and has even sexually objectified the agricultural product.
Yes, you read it right. The small county in the Asian country has made a saucy advertisement which allegedly objectifies the innocent garlic. The controversy surrounds a 30-second video that had been posted on a YouTube channel for Hongseong County, a small central-west South Korean town of about 100,000 people known for its local “Hongsan” garlic, for about two years.
The video shows a woman touching the thigh of a man named “Hongsan” with a full garlic head mask and saying words like “very thick” and “hard” to apparently describe the quality of the local garlic. As per a report in India.com, it is also a parody of a famous scene from a 2004 hit Korean movie titled “Once Upon a Time in High School.
The spicy ad, which reportedly generated about 190,000 views in the YouTube, had been largely kept underground, but began to take root in the larger public when it was aired on electronic billboards at a Seoul express bus terminal and a downtown street in the central city of Daejeon last month ahead of the garlic’s release.
One farmer who saw the video notified some farmers’ groups, while South Korean media also began reporting about it, leaving a bad taste in people’s mouths.
Here is the video:
During their talks in Washington on Friday, Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup and his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, decided to restart the allies' high-level Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) meeting at an early date and strengthen the Table Top Exercise (TTX), Yonhap News Agency quoted the official as saying.
Seoul and Washington have been seeking to resume the EDSCG, a gathering of the allies' vice-ministerial defence and diplomatic officials, which was suspended in 2018 amid joint efforts to promote diplomacy with Pyongyang.
The EDSCG is a key policy dialogue that Seoul has been counting on to enhance the credibility of America's extended deterrence -- its stated commitment to mobilizing a full range of its military capabilities, including its nuclear options, to defend its Asian ally.
Expected to resume in September, the gathering itself is predicted to send a message of deterrence to the North, observers pointed out.
Along with the policy coordination, the two countries are also seeking to step up their military training.
TTX is an exercise aimed at practicing possible allied responses to hypothetical nuclear scenarios, like the North's nuclear blackmail, its impending nuclear use and actual use of nuclear arms.
"TTX is aimed at arriving at optimal allied responses in the event of the North's nuclear use," the official told reporters.
"The strengthening of TTX is in line with the efforts to enhance the credibility of extended deterrence."
At last week's talks, Lee and Austin also agreed to conduct this year's summertime combined training based on the concept of an "all-out" war, the official said, an indication of the breadth of the training set to take place from August 22-September 1.
The training, newly named "Ulchi Freedom Shield", involves the computer simulation-based command post training, field maneouvers and Ulchi civil contingency drills -- a makeup tantamount to a revival of the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) drills.
The UFG was abolished in 2018 under the then liberal Moon Jae-in administration, as it remained keen on facilitating diplomacy with the North, which has decried the exercise as a war rehearsal.
The measure in place for South Korean nationals was slated to expire July 31, its foreign ministry said Monday.
The six nations are Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, Yonhap news agency reported.
Affected by the extension as well are some regions in Russia and Belarus, located within 30 kilometers of the Ukrainian border, along with the southern region of the Philippine archipelago.
The ministry cited local security conditions, the high possibility of security instability and the risk of terrorism continuing there "for a considerable period of time."
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch in waters off the North's eastern coastal city of Sinpo at 2.07 p.m. and that the missile flew some 600 km at a top altitude of about 60 km, reports Yonhap News Agency.
The latest launch marks the North's 15th show of force this year. It came just three days after the reclusive regime test-fired what was thought to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and also ahead of the inauguration of South Korea's new President Yoon Suk-yeol.
"The North's recent series of missile launches are acts of serious threat that undermine peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the international community, and a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions," the JCS said in a statement, urging Pyongyang to immediately stop them.
During a military parade last month, the North showcased a set of SLBMs, including a "mini-SLBM" that it claimed to have successfully test-fired from a submarine in October last year.
The SLBM is a bedrock asset for nuclear retaliation as a submarine carrying it can operate undetected, launch counterstrikes and thus allow a country to survive an enemy's preemptive attack.
At the parade, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hinted his country could use nuclear arms in case of encroachment on its "fundamental rights," raising speculation he is shifting to a more aggressive doctrine for nuclear use.
Concerns have persisted that the North could continue to engage in provocations, such as another ICBM launch or a nuclear test, particularly around Yoon's inauguration slated for Tuesday or his summit with US President Joe Biden scheduled for May 21.
The Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association said its eight member companies offered to donate medical goods worth 3 billion won ($2.43 million) at the request of Global Life Sharing - a Seoul-based nonprofit group that provides medical support to war- and poverty-stricken areas, Yonhap news agency reported.
The companies are Kyung Dong Pharmaceutical, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Dongkook Pharmaceutical, Il Yang Pharmaceutical, Genu Pharma, Firson, Hana Pharm, and Hanmi Pharmaceutical.
They promised to swiftly supply medicine, including antibiotics and ointments for burns, which were especially requested by the Ukrainian Embassy in South Korea.
The packaging process started over the weekend, and the donated goods will be soon delivered to Ukraine by air, the association said.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that India-Republic of Korea consultations on disarmament and non-proliferation were held at New Delhi, with the two sides exchanging views on developments in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation relating to nuclear, chemical and biological domains, outer space matters, regional non-proliferation issues, conventional weapons and export control regimes.
The Indian delegation was led by Sandeep Arya, Additional Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs, while the Korea delegation was led by Younghyo Park, Director General for Non-proliferation and Nuclear Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The MEA said that India engages in relevant multilateral forums and with partner countries on disarmament, non-proliferation and international security affairs.
India's engagement is based on its longstanding commitment to the goals of universal and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament and the objectives of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
India believes that this goal can be achieved through a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed global and non-discriminatory multilateral framework, as outlined in India's Working Paper on Nuclear Disarmament submitted to the UN General Assembly in 2006.
With the objective of strengthening the non-proliferation architecture, India has also joined various export control regimes, namely Australia Group, Wassenaar Arrangement, Missile Technology Control Regime and has harmonised its controls with the Nuclear Suppliers Group lists.
Of the total 44.2 million eligible voters nationwide, 27 million had cast their ballots at 14,464 polling stations, five hours after the start of voting, the National Election Commission (NEC) said as quoted by Yonhap news agency.
The provisional tally does not include the results of the two-day early voting last week.
More than 16 million, or 36.9 per cent of the registered voters, already cast their ballots in the early voting on March 4 and 5, which will be counted together starting with the voting rate to be released after 1 p.m.
The fire burned an estimated 21,179 acres of woodland in Uljin, about 330 km southeast of Seoul, and its neighbouring city of Samcheok as of Saturday afternoon, according to forest and firefighting authorities.
That is more than double the size of woodland reported to have been affected the previous day, reports Yonhap News Agency.
The blaze started on Friday morning on a road near a mountain in Uljin and spread north to Samcheok in the afternoon, driven by strong winds and dry weather, according to the Korea Forest Service (KFS).
It destroyed at least 153 homes and 53 other structures, but no casualties were reported.
The fire once threatened a nuclear power plant, the nation's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) production complex, and power transmission lines in the areas, but the firefighters brought the blaze under control before it reached the facilities, officials said.
But as the fire began to spread south again toward villages in Uljin following a switch in the wind direction, some villagers were forced to evacuate to safety.
As of Saturday afternoon, 4,296 firefighters were battling the blaze with 46 helicopters and 273 firetrucks deployed, focusing their efforts on blocking the southward spread of the fire and again on protecting the nuclear, gas and power facilities, according to the authorities.'
Firefighters were experiencing difficulties in extinguishing the fire with helicopters due to strong winds of 27 mps and thick smog created by the forest fire.
"Since the area affected is so big, our goal this morning is to overpower the flames moving southward," Choi Byeong-am, chief of the KFS, told reporters. "We aim to bring all flames under control by the sunset," he added.
Wildfires also broke out in two other areas of Gangwon Province -- Gangneung and Yeongwol-- during the day, disrupting traffic on a highway and a railway along the coast.
President Moon Jae-in called for all-out efforts to prevent any casualties and protect key industrial facilities from fires.
"It's fortunate that there were no casualties overnight and core facilities such as Samcheok liquefied natural gas complex and Hanul nuclear power plant remain safe," Moon was quoted by presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee as saying after being briefed on the situations.
"Please make every effort to prevent casualties and protect core facilities from wildfires and make all-out efforts to extinguish them as early as possible."
Moon also instructed the government to do everything possible to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals in Ukraine after he was briefed on the crisis in the wake of Russia's attack, said Park Soo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for public communication, Yonhap news agency reported.
"The use of armed forces causing human casualties cannot be justified under any circumstances. Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence must be guaranteed. Any dispute between countries should be resolved not through war but through dialogue and negotiation," Moon was quoted as saying.
"As a responsible member of the international community, the Republic of Korea expresses support for international efforts, including economic sanctions, aimed at curbing armed invasion and resolving the situation peacefully, and will take part in them," he said, referring to South Korea's official name.
Moon called for measures to ensure the safety of South Koreans in Ukraine and minimise economic impacts.
"The government's relevant ministries should be fully prepared and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of overseas Koreans and minimise the impact on the economy and businesses," he said.
Earlier in the day, Russian troops launched attacks on Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation despite international calls for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
The Korean Embassy in Ukraine stepped up its warning as shelling in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine intensified in new signs of fears that a war could start within days, reports Yonhap News Agency.
A total of 68 Korean nationals were staying in Ukraine as of Saturday, which excludes diplomatic staff and 10 living in the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, according to the Mnistry.
Among them, 40 will depart Ukraine over the weekend, while the embassy will continue to persuade other citizens to flee the nation or move to the western region for their safety.
The Embassy has been providing emergency kits and information about bomb shelters for the remaining citizens in case of contingency, it noted.
The Korean Embassy has relocated its staff to temporary offices in Ukraine's Liev on the western border and Przemysl in Poland's southeastern region since February 16.
Some 44.5 per cent of the country's 1.18 million couples, who were legally married in the five years up to November 2020, did not have children, up from 42.5 per cent a year earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea.
The newlyweds include first-time and other newly married couples residing in the country, reports Yonhap News Agency.
The proportion of newly married couples with children has been on a steady decline from 64.5 percent in 2015 to 63.7 per cent in 2016, 62.5 per cent in 2017 and 59.8 per cent in 2018.
The number of babies born to newlyweds fell to 0.68 in 2020 from 0.71 the previous year.
South Korea has been struggling with a decline in childbirths as many young people delay marriage or give up on getting married or having babies amid economic difficulties and changing social norms.
The country's total fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime -- hit a record low of 0.84 last year, much lower than the replacement level of 2.1 that would keep South Korea's population stable at 52 million.
It marked the third straight year that the total fertility rate was below one.
Home ownership affected childbirths, the data showed. Newlyweds who have their own homes had an average of 0.76 newborn, higher than 0.62 for newly married couples without a home.
Of the total, 42.1 percent of the newlyweds owned their own house, down 0.8 percentage points from a year earlier, but 87.5 per cent of them took loans, with the average amount growing 18.3 per cent on-year to 132.58 million won ($112,939), the data showed.
It appears to have been related to the country's drastic rise in housing prices over the past couple of years.
The newlyweds earned a yearly average income of 59.89 million won in 2019, up 4.9 per cent from a year earlier, and 52 per cent of the total were dual-income households, according to the data.
The number of new marriages declined by 6.1 per cent on-year in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the data showed.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) dismissed reports that claimed Kim Yo-jong ousted Kim Jong-un after a coup, reports Yonhap News Agency.
A separate government official also said such reports are not true.
Citing a report from US-based tabloid "Globe", some news outlets here said Kim Yo-jong staged a coup between May 6 and June 5, and removed Kim Jong-un from the post.
The report claimed Kim Jong-un at recent events is actually an impostor, pointing out that his appearance is different than the past, with substantial weight loss.
Speculations about Kim Jong-un's well-being have been brought up by media regularly since last year.
In July, the NIS dismissed rumours over Kim Jong-un's health problems as "groundless".
The North Korean leader earlier this month attended a defence development exhibition in Pyongyang and called for boosting military capabilities.
He was also seen smoking cigarettes with officials at the event, according to photos released by the North.
Asiana will begin running business class cabins on select domestic flights from November 5, according to company officials.
The full-service carrier had removed business class seats on domestic flights in November 2003, reports Yonhap News Agency.
Business-class services will be available on domestic flights running on A321 and A330 aircrafts.
They will be priced at 160,000 won for flights connecting Gimpo International Airport in Seoul and Jeju, according to officials.
Industry observers said Asiana's decision to resume business class on domestic services is to enhance its profitability and fend off challenges from low-cost carriers (LCCs) amid the pandemic.
As LCCs target consumers with cheaper tickets, Asiana opted to beef up premium cabin services to attract people in need of more comfortable, luxury offerings.
LCCs have been aggressively expanding promotions on domestic trips as lots of international flights have been suspended or reduced due to the pandemic.
According to data from the Transport Ministry, 26.1 million seats were supplied by domestic flights in the January-August period, up from 24.74 million seats in the same period a year earlier.
In a press statement published by the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yong Chol, department director of Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), said: "As we have already clarified, we will make them realise by the minute what a dangerous choice they made and what a serious security crisis they will face because of their wrong choice."
Kim Yong Chol made the remarks one day after Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the WPK, issued a similar warning: "the choice of hope or despair is totally up to the South Korean authorities", Xinhua news agency reported.
He stressed that the military exercises slated by South Korea with the US "would be an unfavourable prelude further beclouding the future of the inter-Korean relations".
"But the South Korean authorities have now revealed that peace and trust much touted by them whenever an opportunity presented itself were just a wordplay," said Kim Yong Chol, who is in charge of South Korea affairs in the country.
South Korea "must be made to clearly understand how dearly they have to pay for answering our good faith with hostile acts after letting go the opportunity for improved inter-Korean relations," he added.
Despite strong opposition from Pyongyang, South Korea and the US started their four-day preliminary drills on Tuesday and the joint military exercises are expected to run through next week from August 16 to 26.
The leaders of both North Korea and South Korea agreed to resume the inter-Korean hotlines two weeks ago, which was cut off for more than a year.
The North has since demanded that the South suspend drills to accelerate a thaw in the strained inter-Korean relations.
Briefing newsmen at a press conference in the State on Friday, Union Minister for Steel Birender Singh said the company left Odisha as the government failed to provide land for the multi-million project.
Posco had to withdraw the project due to continuous delay in acquisition of the required land for the establishment of the plant.
The Centre supports foreign direct investment (FDI), said Singh, adding, “BJP came up with a new Land Acquisition Bill but Odisha didn't take any initiative in introducing the reforms in the land acquisition procedures.”
There are many more reasons under wraps that led to Posco's exit. We aim to achieve 300 million tonnes steel production capacity in India of which a 20% is expected from Kalinganagar only, added the Union Minister.
Meanwhile, Odisha Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallik said the government had transferred the required land for the project but Posco left the State as it did not want to participate in the mining auction.
The South Korean steel major scrapped its plan to set up the 12-million tonne (mt) steel plant in Paradip and surrender the allotted land early this year.
Earlier, the company had signed an agreement with Odisha in June 2005 and sought 4,004 acres of land. However, the acquisitions got delayed due to agitation by the locals, which often took a violent turn.
On the first day of construction work at Nuagaon gram panchayat, no local resistance was reported. The Abhayachandpur police and Assistant Tahsildar of Erasama closely monitored the progress of the work.
The IDCO authorities have decided to build the boundary wall at the 1,700 acres of land, earlier meant for the Posco project, to prevent encroachers.
The boundary wall is likely to be built around 18 km covering adjacent villages Nuagaon, Govindapur, Polanga, Gadakujanga and Baynapala at an estimated cost of Rs 13 crore. As per reports, an Odisha-based company has been assigned with the work.
Earlier, IDCO had included the land into its land bank for future industrial purpose after the South Korean company withdrew from its project.
According to sources, the Odisha government has written 4 letters to Posco.
A total of 1880 acre land acquired in Kujang and Ersama tehsils of Jagatsinghpur was allotted to Posco. This land included 578 acre non-forest government land and 1301 acre forest land.
In February 2016, Posco authorities informed the state government that they were not keen on the project anymore.
Also Read: JSW likely to set up steel project on Posco land
“Posco was asked to take possession of the rest of the land by depositing the required funds. However, in return they said that they were not interested. Hence, Idco has informed them about the cancellation of land allotment,” said Industries minister, Debi Prasad Mishra.
The said land has been kept in a land bank. Sources informed that JSW has shown interest in setting up a steel plant. JSW chief Sajjan Jindal had met government officials yesterday in this regard.
Addressing the media on the second day of his two-day visit after his talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Modi said: "I express my gratitude to President Moon for his condolences on Pulwama attack last week and his support against terror."
He said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India's Home Ministry and South Korea's National Police Agency will further forward the counter-terrorism agenda.
"Time has come for the global community to come together and go beyond words to act against terrorism," he said.
At least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were killed in the worst-ever terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir since militancy hit the state in 1989. A Jaish-e-Mohammad operative on February 14 rammed an explosive laden SUV into a CRPF bus on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Pulwama.
Modi said both New Delhi and Seoul are committed to strengthen their mutual and global cooperation to combat terrorism.
He said the defence sector is an important part of the country's growing partnership with South Korea. "And induction of K-9 Vajra artillery gun in Indian Army ia an example of this friendship.
"To increase cooperation with South Korea in the defence sector, we have agreed to make a roadmap for defence technology and co-production," he said.
He also welcomed the partnership of South Korean companies in the defence industrial corridors being built.
The bilateral relations between the two nations have reached new heights, he said, adding that the special strategic partnership that New Delhi-Seoul shares is "very significant" even for the world.
Modi is on two-day visit to South Korea. Later in the day, he will be accorded with the Seoul Peace Prize.
The company, which plans to launch its first car in the Indian market in the second half of 2019, has invested $1 billion in the facility which has come up in Erramanchi village in Anantapur district.
Ancillary units have invested another billion dollars in two vendor parks in the region.
The state-of-the-art facility, which has come up on 536 acres of land, will manufacture 300,000 vehicles annually.
Kia marked the start of trial operations with a launch ceremony at the Anantapur plant, in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and South Korean Ambassador Shin Bongkil, President & CEO of Kia Motors Corp Han-Woo Park and Managing Director and CEO of Kia Motors India, Kookhyun Shim.
Kia Motors, the world's eighth largest automaker, will start the manufacturing with SP2i, a SUV based on the Kia SP Concept, first showcased at India's Auto Expo 2018.
"The SP2 is inspired by India and combines everything Indian customers need and desire in a car. We are confident that the SP2 will redefine the SUV segment in India with its futuristic design and competitive features and pricing," said Shin Bongkil.
"Today, we officially begin our journey to becoming one of the top five automakers in India by 2021, with a new model that will appeal to forward-looking and outgoing Indian buyers," said Shim.
The Anantapur plant, Kia's 15th globally, will create over 3,000 direct and 7,000 indirect jobs.
An integrated automotive production facility, it employs the latest production technologies, with more than 300 robots automating the press, body and paint shops
The plant houses a five-acre training facility that offers a Basic Technical Course (BTC) in automobiles in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corp (APSSDC), helping develop manufacturing skills among young people.
Instead of the scheduled 45 minutes, she spent 90 minutes asking questions about architecture, intricate inlay work and historical perspectives. She spent 20 minutes inside the mausoleum.
She thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the visit.
According to her guide Nitin Chwla, she said she was much impressed with the cultural programmes at Ayodhya and the grand arti at the Saryu river. Cultural exchanges will bring the two countries closer, she added.
UP ministers Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Srikant Sharma welcomed her at the Kheria airport and accompanied her during her visit to the Taj Mahal.
Th result also knocked the Koreans out of semi-final contention.Harmanpreet opened the Indian scoring in the fifth minute with a firm drag-flick and returned to score two goals in the last quarter with rasping shots in the 47th and 59th minute to become the tournament's third player to score a treble.
India's Dilpreet Singh and Pakistan's Aleem Bilal are the other players to have registered hat-tricks in the Asian Champions Trophy.After Harmanpreet opened the scoring, Gurjant made it 2-0 in the 10th minute when he picked up a through ball on top of the circle, turned around and sent a stinging shot into the boards.
Lee Seung-Il brought Korea back into the game with an opportunist strike in the 20th minute.
Lee picked a short pass inside the scoring zone and sent a rasping shot into the top left corner of the goal, but Korea could not deliver goal-bearing shots in some openings they created after half-time.
Harmanpreet's return to goal-scoring action sealed the fate of the encounter."I feel happy the way I am shooting the penalty corners. I just focused on a job and they goals came," said Harmanpreet.
After Korea's loss in their last preliminary league outing, they are left on three points.The four semi-finalists have been decided, but the league standings will be finalized only after Malaysia, Pakistan and Japan play their last preliminary round matches on Thursday.
India stayed on top of the standings with 13 points from five outings, followed by Malaysia on 10 points from four matches, Pakistan on seven points from four outings and Japan on four points in four games.
Korea will play Oman Saturday in the play-off to decide the fifth and sixth positions.
Hosts Oman, who are yet to earn a point from four fixtures, still have a game against Japan remaining.
Even a victory over Asian Games gold medallists Japan, Oman cannot log more than three points.Indian coach Harendra Singh was all praise for Harmanpreet.
"He is one of the best penalty flickers in the game," the coach said.
The 48th IPCC session in South Korea's western port city of Incheon brought together about 570 representatives from 135 countries and international organisations, Xinhua news agency reported.
It approved the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius that will be a key scientific input into the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Poland in December.
The report highlighted a number of climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in comparison to 2 degrees Celsius or higher.
It examined pathways available to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, what it would take to achieve them and what the consequences could be.
The report found that limiting the warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius would require "rapid and far-reaching" transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport and cities.
The special report was requested by 195 nations when they adopted the Paris Agreement in December 2015 at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UNFCCC.
The report would become a key scientific basis for the COP24 to the UNFCCC, scheduled for December in Poland, according to the IPCC.
The IPCC was established by the United Nations Environment Program and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments about climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation strategies.
"South Korea are one of the teams touted to win the AFC U-16 Championship and the match against them will be the most challenging ninety minutes that any one of us has ever faced. Korea Republic are the overwhelming favourites," Bibiano told www.the-aiff.com.
"They are tactically very agile and have swift players in almost all positions who are capable of catching the opponent defence off guard. However, we were underestimated in our 1-0 win over Iraq in the Four-Nation Tournament and we were underestimated in the group stages of the AFC U-16 Championship. But here we are, we will give everything that we have in the match against Korea Republic," he said.
After advancing through the group stages of the AFC U-16 Championship for the first time in 16 years, the Indian U-16 national team is aiming high.
With just a win away from qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru next year, the squad is apprehensive about the challenge that lies ahead.
"Everybody in the squad including the staff knows the gravity of our quarter-final bout. The boys have sacrificed a lot for these coming ninety minutes and have worked tirelessly day in and day out for the same. This is the moment that they have been preparing for, almost their whole lives till now," Bibiano said.
"The gravity of the moment is immense and everybody is apprehensive of what it means and what it can mean for Indian football."
India has never defeated Korea Republic in any format in football, but Bibiano said if the team, which has drawn many plaudits for their performance, plays to their strength they can give their more illustrious rivals a run for their money.
"We are raring to go. It would not be easy but it would be worth it. If we play to our strengths, we can give them a run for their money. We will fight."
Are missed chances in front of the goal still a major concern?
"We are creating chances at will and we created some of the best goal scoring opportunities of the match against both Iran and Indonesia. If we had taken those chances we could have won both matches," Bibiano opined.
"All of those matches are past and we are working on our finishing in the training sessions. Going ahead we cannot afford to be complacent in front of goal in the knock out matches. That will hurt us very badly," he added.
India will only need a draw against Sri Lanka on Tuesday to end its pool as a top ranked team and enter the semi-finals.
It was India's fourth successive victory in Pool after winning 17-0 against Indonesia, 26-0 against Hong-Kong China and 8-0 win against Japan in their first three matches respectively.
It was drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh (1st minute), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (5th), Lalit Upadhyay (16th), Manpreet Singh (49th) and Akashdeep Singh (56th) who contributed to India's scoreline.
For South Korea, Skipper Manjae Jung (33th, 35th) and Jhongyun Jang (60th) scored.
India's first goal came from a penalty stroke scored by Rupinder. It was a goal bound ball stopped by the last South Korea defender with his body that resulted in them conceding the penalty stroke.
The team further won two penalty corners in the final minute of the first quarter. While Rupinder's first flick had to be taken again as it was blocked by the first rusher, his second attempt was well-saved by the South Korea goalkeeper.
However, only minutes earlier, Rupinder set-up India's second goal superbly converted by Vice Captain Chinglensana Singh Kangujam.
It was a brilliant showcase of one-touch hockey where Rupinder's long-pass from the centre of the midfield found an impressive deflection off Chinglensana's stick.
India continued to play with superb speed, with impressive counter attacks that put the South Korea defence on immense pressure.
India's third goal came in the 16th Minute through a smart scoop pass from Simranjeet Singh that was well controlled by Lalit Upadhyay who had positioned well to take a successful deflection that landed the ball over the Republic Of Korea goalkeeper into the net.
South Korea however made brave attempts to overcome the initial setback as they created chances to score.
In the 24th minute, Republic Of Korea won two back-to-back penalty corners but couldn't make much of the opportunity as India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and first rusher Manpreet Singh's efforts respectively ensured India kept a clean sheet.
In the following minute, Amit Rohidas helped win India's fourth penalty corner of the match but could not convert.
South Korea immediately launched a quick-fire counter attack, landing the ball in their striking circle in just three touches. But the shot taken was way off the mark.
South Korea made a strong start to the third quarter when a long-pass into the circle trying to fetch a perfect deflection unfortunately hit the cross-bar.
But a smart referral saw Republic Of Korea win a penalty corner. Sreejesh's block in an attempt to clear the ball was deemed dangerous as it hit the Republic Of Korea striker in the circle.
This time South Korea used a smart variation which was successfully converted by the team's skipper Manjae Jung.
South Korea tricked India's defence to score yet another goal through Manjae that narrowed the team's lead to 2-3.
India missed some potential chances to score in the following minutes as forwards Akashdeep Singh and SV Sunil narrowly missed scoring goals in two separate attempts.
The final quarter was tense as Republic Of Korea defence upped their ante while India pushed for goals.
Manpreet Singh struck India's fourth goal set up by a good interception by Akashdeep. Manpreet was excellent in receiving the ball from Akashdeep and made a quick dribble into the striking circle and took a powerful back-hand shot to beat Republic Of Korea goalkeeper that helped take India's lead to 4-2.
A clever pass by Mandeep Singh to Akashdeep saw him convert yet another splendid back-hand shot taking India's score to a comfortable 5-2.
Meanwhile, India won a penalty corner with a little over four minutes left for the final hooter. A good flick by Rupinder was pushed away by the Republic Of Korea goalkeeper denying India's fifth attempt at penalty corner.
A defensive error saw India concede a penalty corner in the last minute of the match. Their opponents retook the penalty corner after the ball struck the foot of India's first rusher.
They were awarded yet another penalty corner after it again struck the foot of defender Amit Rohidas.
This time Jhongyun Jang was successful in beating Sreejesh to fetch third goal for his team.
According to CyberMedia Research (CMR) India's "Mobile Handset Review", Samsung with 48 per cent topped the premium market (Rs 30,000 and above), followed by Chinese smartphone player OnePlus with 25 per cent share and Apple at third with 22 per cent share.
"The premium smartphone segment, though small, is driven by aspirational, tech-savvy millennials and in the coming years, will continue to grow significantly. Samsung's flagship S9 helped it garner a lion's share of the premium smartphone segment," Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, said in a statement.
One in two premium smartphones shipped in the first half of 2018 was a Samsung device.
"The success of OnePlus 6 can be traced to the intelligent brand strategy of packing the best specs at competitive price points, contributing to the emergence of a new 'budget premium' smartphone segment under sub-Rs 30,000," added Ram.
During the first half of 2018, OnePlus introduced its "OnePlus Experience Stores" and is planning to embrace offline in a big way, to complement its strong online presence.
The iPhone-maker suffered a decline in demand for its iPhones due to pricing challenges on account of post-duty increase.
"Apple is reworking its India strategy for the all-important second half of 2018, with new retail partnerships, first-party stores and service overhauling with India-focused apps and services, including refreshed Apple Maps," said Narinder Kumar, Lead Analyst-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.
Samsung led the first half on the back of its partnerships with telcos and e-commerce players, and aggressive promotional push, including attractive cash back offers and exchange benefits contributing to consumer demand remaining high.
"Going forward, the new ‘budget premium' segment will see an aggressive competition from market players, including ASUS, Huawei, Vivo, OPPO and likely new entrants, such as POCO from Xiaomi, taking the fight to established market leaders like Samsung, Apple and OnePlus," added Prabhu.
This is the first time in 10 years that military fleets of the two countries will be able to communicate by radio to avoid tensions and confrontations at sea, reports Efe news.
A South Korean Navy vessel situated near Yeonpyeong island - which Pyongyang bombed in 2010 - on Sunday carried out the first test call, which was answered by a North Korean boat.
In May 2008, when inter-Korean relations had hit a low after conservatives came to power in South Korean elections, maritime communication between the two countries was cut off after North Korean vessels stopped responding to South Korean radio messages.
In June 2004, when the two Koreans maintained amicable relations, they agreed to use the same radio frequencies and visual signals for better communications in the waters around the Korean Peninsula.
Earlier this month, the first-ever communications at sea between South and North Korean patrol ships were carried out.
For the first time in the tournament, India were put under pressure and it forced the coach Srinivas Reddy to come out with a different strategy. On the other hand, Iran, who came into this tournament without the services of some star players, displayed some attacking game to outplay Pakistan.
Iran will now face India in the summit clash on Saturday here.
In the second semi-final of the day, South Korea straightaway put pressure on the Indian defenders with some good raiding. After eight minutes, the scoreboard read 7-3 in favour of South Korea, thanks to their star raider Jang Kun Lee.
The Indian raiders and defenders tried hard to match the pace of the Koreans but failed which forced Indian coach to make substitute in the initial minutes, bringing in raider Monu Goyat.
And just when thing seemed lost in the middle for India, Thakur, after couple of empty raids, narrowed the point difference through a brilliant raid and then defender Mohit Chillar equalized with a great catch to make it 7-7 in the 11th minute.
The much-awaited moment came when Goyat touched one player to hand India a crucial lead, which India did not tasted in first 15 minutes of the game followed by Thakur making an all-out to make it 13-8.
The last five minutes of the first half game saw Goyat and Thakur taking some points to end the first half, taking seven points lead.
Never looked back moment came for India in the second half when young defender Girish Maruthi single-handedly grabbed Jang Kun Lee to break the backbone of the South Korea's attack.
Thakur then forced his opponents to play with two players and then defenders inflicted an all-out in 24th minute to make scoreboard read 24-11.
After that, Korea tried to make a come back when they force India to play with only three players Chillar, Maruthi and Thakur. But Thakur's experience helped India to maintain their lead and also sent back Jang to almost seal the match.
With less than five minutes of game remaining, India played calmly and did not allowed South Korea to take points in numbers and in the last, wrapped up the issue comfortably.
From Group F, Sweden secured the top spot with six points, while Mexico, finished second with six points. Germany ended the group stage with three points -- same as South Korea, who are also going home.
Photo credit:Twitter
The number of visitors to tourist sights near the border has gone up 30 per cent, from 1,200-2,300 per day in the same period last year to 1,500-3,000 per day, Yonhap News agency reported.
The sights include a tunnel constructed by North Korea for invading the South and the Dora Observatory from which the North Korean village of Kaesong is visible.
The local government also ascribed the rise in the number of tourists to the lifting of restrictions on package tours imposed by Chinese cities following a diplomatic spat last year.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a historic meeting in the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone on April 27. At the summit, the pair agreed to agreed to pursue "complete denuclearization" of the peninsula.
The message was issued by the standing committee of South Korea's National Security Council (NSC) after North Korea cancelled Wednesday's talks for implementing the Panmunjom Declaration signed on April 27 between its leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Efe news reported.
"While reaffirming their stance that the declaration... must be carried out without any disruption, the members agreed to continue consulting with the North side to hold the high-level talks at an early date," the committee said in a statement.
In the declaration, the two Koreas had agreed to work for establishing peace and denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.
The council, headed by top security advisor Chung Eui-yong, also backed the summit between Kim and the US President Donald Trump, on June 12 in Singapore, although Pyongyang's statements on Wednesday raised doubts about its future.
The NSC said it would boost cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Pyongyang to make the summit a success "under the spirit of mutual respect".
North Korea had announced that it was reconsidering its participation in the summit, alleging that the US wanted to pressurize it to accept a complete unilateral nuclear disarmament, a condition which it termed unacceptable.
The officials from both sides would meet in the Panmunjom border village in the Peace House inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas, Xinhua quoted a statement as saying.
The Panmunjom Declaration was announced on April 27, after the third and historical inter-Korean summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
In the declaration, they agreed to complete denuclearisation and the alteration of the current armistice agreement to a peace treaty by the end of 2018.
The two leaders had agreed to hold senior-level talks to discuss follow-up measures to enforce the declaration. The Korean Peninsula had remained technically at war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in armistice.
Seoul had proposed for the dialogue on Monday, but Pyongyang wanted it on Wednesday, which has now been agreed upon.
The five-member North delegation, led by Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Peaceful Reunification Committee will include railway, sports and inter-Korean economic cooperation officials.
The South Korean delegation will be headed by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon.
Under the Panmunjom Declaration, the two Koreas agreed to connect and modernise railways and roads in the east transport corridor and between Seoul and Sinuiju in North Korea.
They also agreed to encourage exchanges, cooperation, visits and contacts at all levels to raise the sense of national reconciliation and unity.
To resolve humanitarian issues, the two sides would hold a reunion of families separated across the border around the August 15 Liberation Day, when the Korean Peninsula was liberated from Japanese colonial from 1910-45.
The Army would extend full support to the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korea's Moon Jae-in to ensure the meeting was held in an atmosphere of stability, the spokesperson told Efe news.
It was decided that the first part of the Key Resolve drills, which started on Monday, would conclude on Thursday and the second part, which would last approximately one week, would start after the summit.
The allies have already concluded the Foal Eagle exercises, which began on April 1 and were deliberately cut to half their normal duration of a month amid the rapprochement with North Korea.
Pyongyang has long denounced the joint drills in South Korea as a rehearsal to invade its territory and on many occasions responded with missile tests, but this year the exercises have the nod of the North Korean regime, which reportedly agreed to their conduct during a meeting with South Korean officials in March.
The group of 280 people crossed the military demarcation line at 9.26 a.m., according to the South Korean Unification Ministry.
Headed by the Pyongyang's Sports Minister, Kim Il-guk, the delegation also includes North Korean Olympic Committee officials as well as 21 journalists and 26 members of a Taekwondo exhibition team that will perform during the Games, reports Efe news.
It is expected that the all-female North Korean cheerleading squad will be sent to the women's ice hockey games that the two Koreas will field together as a joint team.
It is the first time in 13 years that the North's cheerleading squad has visited the South for a sporting event.
The regime is thought to have carefully selected the cheerleading members for their beauty and family credentials. Ri Sol-ju, wife of the current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was in the cheerleading squad that attended the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon, South Korea.
In addition, a delegation consisting of about 20 officials, 22 athletes and a 140-member band that will perform during the Games also arrived recently in the South.
The North Korean delegation's trip to the South for the Olympics is the outcome of a historic agreement reached this month between the two countries - which technically have been at war for more than 65 years - facilitating the participation of the North in the Games.
The two Koreas will parade together during the opening of the Games on Friday.
Kim Yong Nam, president of the North Korean Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and its top representative for the PyeongChang Olympics, will arrive on Thursday in the South and will be accompanied by other political representatives of the regime for a three-day stay.
According to a White House statement on Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence will lead the delegation with his wife Karen Pence, who is also a member of the delegation, Xinhua news agency reported.
Vincent Brooks, commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea, along with his predecessor, retired James Thurman, will be part of the delegation.
Other members include Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce, diplomat Marc Knapper and 2002 Olympic gold medalist in ladies figure skating Sarah Hughes.
The Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held on February 9-25.
Using hybrid carbon/polymer (HCP) composite as a stretchable current collector, the research team developed a highly stretchable rechargeable battery based on aqueous electrolytes, according to the study published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.
"Our findings are expected to expand the number of stretchable nanocomposites with electrochemical and mechanical properties available for use in a wide variety of applications," said Kwanyong Seo, Professor at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST).
Stretchable electronic devices have recently attracted tremendous attention as next-generation devices due to their immense flexibility.
The increasing interest and demand of flexible electronics has fueled the search for highly stretchable electrodes with high mechanical durability and high electrical conductivity during deformation.
Although many methods have been proposed for these electrodes, none of them has managed to simultaneously achieve high stretchability for the electrodes and have a scalable manufacturing process.
The research led by Professor Soojin Park of UNIST solved such issues using a conductive polymer composite, composed of Jabuticaba-like hybrid carbon fillers containing carbon nanotubes and carbon black in a simple solution process.
The shape of this structure resembled that of a Jabuticaba tree, the Brazilian grapetree, the researchers said.
The research team observed that the HCP composite is found to effectively retain its electrical conductivity, even under high strain rates.
This makes it suitable for use in highly stretchable aqueous lithium-ion batteries, the study said.
World No.56 Chung, the first South Korean to advance into the singles semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament, pulled the plug after feeling pain in his left foot, reports Efe.
"It's bittersweet to reach the final this way," said 36-year-old Federer, the oldest man to march into an Australian open final since 1972. It will be his seventh final at Melbourne.
The 19-time Grand Slam champion, who fired nine aces and 24 winners, has not yet dropped a set at this year's Australian Open.
In his 30th Grand Slam final, Federer is due to play Croatia's Marin Cilic, who eliminated Britain's Britain's Kyle Edmund 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.
Cilic also defeated world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 2-0 after the Spaniard retired injured.
"We saw it against Rafa, and we saw it again last night against Edmund. He (Cilic) brings power, basically everything. He had the same problem as Chung had in the Wimbledon final. We will see a fresh and ready Marin this time around," added Federer, who beat Cilic in last summer's Wimbledon final.
Chung told Xinhua news agency: "Over the last few days I've had blister, over blister, over blister. I had it shaved off and now it is red raw.
"We tried an injection to numb the pain but it didn't work. A lot of players get callus and as they go, they shave them down, but because I played so many matches in a row, I didn't know to shave them down, so that's how they started."
The IOC decided to suspend the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) with immediate effect, but Russian athletes would still be able to compete at the PyeongChang Games in uniforms bearing the name "Olympic Athlete from Russia" under the Olympic Flag, and the Olympic Anthem will be played in any ceremony.
Samuel Schmid, former Swiss president entitled to lead the investigation commission, said an over-17-month IOC investigation has "confirmed the systemic manipulation of the anti-doping rules and system in Russia during the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014, as well as the various levels of administrative, legal and contractual responsibility".
"This was an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport," said IOC President Thomas Bach. "As an athlete myself, I'm feeling very sorry for all the clean athletes."
The IOC "has issued proportional sanctions for this systemic manipulation while protecting the clean athletes. This should draw a line under this damaging episode and serve as a catalyst for a more effective anti-doping system led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)," he added.
But Russia has denied state-sponsored doping scheme alleged by WADA report.
The Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement earlier in November that "The investigation had obtained data that WADA lacked any evidence of Russia's guilt in the mass use of doping by athletes."
While the phone was released in Italy on Friday through major mobile carriers, the V30 will be launched in Germany, Spain and Poland by the end of December, Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday.
LG said it marks the first time it is releasing a V-series smartphone through European mobile carriers.
The V30 boasts one of most advanced cameras in the smartphone industry, with one of the dual-lens rear cameras adopting an aperture of F1.6.
LG Electronics, meanwhile, posted losses in its smartphone business for the 10th consecutive quarter in the third quarter of 2017.
The fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft will take part in the 'Vigilant ace' exercise with the South Korean air force from December 4 to 8.
The US also plans to deploy F-35 and F-16 fighters and the B-1B strategic bombers.
This is the first time that the US has deployed six F-22 at one time in the Korean peninsula, which serves as another warning to Pyongyang after the latter launched a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile - its most sophisticated missile to date - on Wednesday.
This deployment, as well as the three US nuclear aircraft carriers deployed last month near the North Korean waters, falls under the agreement in October between Seoul and Washington to increase rotational deployment of strategic assets of the US in the Korean peninsula.
South Korea and the US seek to pressurize North Korea to return to the negotiating table to abandon its nuclear programme.
"The missile flew eastward and the South Korean military is analyzing details with the US," Fox News reported citing Yonhap.
There have been signs that indicated Kim Jong Un regime was planning a missile launch in recent days.
Japan's Kyodo News reported on Monday that Japanese government detected radio signals that indicated a possible missile test in the near future.
North Korea last fired a missile on September 15 that flew over Japan's Hokkaido Island before splashing into the Pacific ocean.
The plant, Kia's first in India, is coming up in Penugonda in Anantapur district.
Lokesh told reporters here that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is personally monitoring the project.
It was in April that Kia had announced that it will foray into India by setting up the plant with an investment of $1.1 billion and the plant will produce three lakh cars a year.
It was then stated that the production will commence in the second half of 2019.
The minister said Dixon's electronic manufacturing unit at Renigunta near Tirupati would soon be inaugurated.
India's first lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant is also coming in Renigunta.
Andhra Pradesh has set a target of attracting 200,000 jobs and $5 billion investment in electronics by 2019.
Lokesh, who is son of the Chief Minister, said the state had bet big on manufacturing, which currently contributes 8 percent to State Gross Domestic Product (GSDP).
He hoped that with plants by Kio, Asian Paints, Hero Motors, Apollo Tyres and Ceat Tyres, the sector would ramp up substantially and the state would be able to achieve the target of 30 percent by 2024.
The contribution of manufacturing to Gujarat's GSDP is 34 percent against the national average of 16 percent, he added.
The military exercise was carried out on an unspecified date and involved the units of several regiments of the two countries, according to the Seoul-based US Pacific Command.
"The field exercise allowed the South Korean and US troops to gain familiarity with each other's weapon systems and capabilities, with an end goal of building an enduring partnership between the two units," it said.
This the first time the allies conducted short range air defence training on the Korean Peninsula, aimed at "de-conflicting engagements of enemy aircraft based on sector of fire, and utilizing secondary means of targeting enemy aircraft when their primary weapon system becomes combat ineffective", Efe news quoted the Command as saying.
"The President's engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," a White House statement said.
Trump's trip will also include a stop in Hawaii, the BBC reported. He will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. The trip will take place November 3-14.
Trump will discuss the "importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region to America's prosperity and security", the statement said.
The Kim Jong-un regime responded with strong words to the new sanctions passed on Monday in the UN Security Council and said it will increase its military capabilities, reports Efe news agency.
In a statement published by the state news agency KCNA, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said the sanctions were "aimed at depriving the DPRK of its legitimate right for self-defence and completely suffocating its state and people through full-scale economic blockade".
The UN Security Council on Monday had unanimously approved a new round of sanctions aimed at stifling North Korea's economy, which includes limitations on Pyongyang's petroleum and by-product imports as well as a ban on its textile exports.
In the first official reaction from Pyongyang, which rejected the sanctions categorically, the regime said that it will continue developing its programmes at a faster pace.
"The adoption of another illegal and evil 'resolution on sanctions' piloted by the US served as an occasion for the DPRK to verify that the road it chose to go down was absolutely right and to strengthen its resolve to follow this road at a faster pace without the slightest diversion until this fight to the finish is over," the Ministry said.
It also held Washington responsible for the situation and said it was necessary to establish a "practical equilibrium" with the US to maintain peace and security in the region.
The sanctions are less drastic than what was initially intended by the US, which also called for a ban on UN member countries selling gas, oil and refined petroleum products to North Korea.
Russia and China, who have veto powers, opposed certain conditions in the draft resolutions, opening a new round of negotiations which concluded with a decision to soften the measure to curtailing crude oil sales to the country rather than prohibiting them completely.
US President Donald Trump said "we think it's just another very small step (...) but the sanctions are nothing compared to what ultimately will have to happen".
Trump has not ruled out an attack on North Korea and said he is considering suspension of US trade with all countries that do business with Pyongyang.
The new set of sanctions, the ninth such measure against the regime since 2006, imposes a cap of half a million barrels on the export of refined petroleum products to North Korea for the three months starting October 1, apart from a 2-million barrel cap for the year starting Jan. 1, 2018.
Due to sanctions, including those imposed earlier banning exports of coal, iron and seafood, North Korea is set to lose $2.7 billion or 90 percent of its total exports, according to US estimates from last year.
The UN Security Council approved these sanctions following the North Korean army's sixth and strongest nuclear test on September 3, which Pyongyang said was a hydrogen bomb.
According to a report in Korean outlet ETNews, the earphones will feature noise cancelling technology and it's expected that they will also work alongside the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.
Samsung was also rumoured to have been working on a Bixby speaker, though it has now been claimed that those plans have been scrapped.
A software update released earlier this month has already brought an English-speaking version of the Bixby voice assistant to the US.
It was rumoured that Samsung will launch its next flagship Galaxy Note 8 device in September to counter its biggest rival Apple. Last week, the South Korean giant "accidentally" revealed the device on Twitter.
In a tweet, Samsung promoted its new processor Exynos 8895 (commonly known as Exynos 9) that is used in the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus.
The smartphone used in the photo has an Infinity Display which has even smaller bezels than the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus.
This matches almost exactly with the images that were leaked in June when it was reported that Galaxy Note 8 will have a 6.2-inch display, dual cameras, 3,300 mAh battery, the Exynos 8895 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and 6GB RAM.
It is also rumoured that this upcoming flagship will be the priciest one till now with a price tag of $900.
Interestingly, the next iPhone is also rumoured to be the costliest Apple device till date with a cost price of $1,000 and will be launched in September.
A total of 400,000 units of the refurbished smartphone, named the Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition, will go on sale at around $600, according to a company statement.
Samsung was forced to suspend the production and sales of the Galaxy Note 7 due to repeated incidents of the devices blowing up, which, subsequent investigations showed, was caused by a manufacturing fault in the battery, Efe news reported.
The fiasco involving Samsung's flagship smartphone led to the company incurring operating losses of around 6.1 trillion won ($5.2 billion).
The redesigned Galaxy Note will have completely updated software as well as a lower-capacity battery compared to the original model after attempts to develop a long-lasting but small battery were found to be partly to blame for the phones catching fire.
Following the smartphone's recall last year, Samsung received a large number of petitions from environment groups asking it to repair and reuse the 4.3 million Note 7 handsets that had been produced.
In March this year, Samsung agreed to recycle the faulty models and launch them again for sale. The South Korean electronics firm is expected to launch the Galaxy Note 8, successor to the Note 7, in August in New York.
The device, equipped with a camera and a 64-GB memory card, was seized on June 9 in a mountainous area near the border between the two countries after it apparently crashed, reports Efe news.
The South Korean army seized the drone and confirmed that the device had taken photos of the Thaad site in Seongju, according to a defence official.
More than 10 photos of the US-made missile defence system, taken from a height of two to three metres, were among the hundreds of photos found on the memory card, while the rest were of forests and residential areas.
Seoul estimates that Pyongyang operates over 300 drones for military purposes and that, if the origin of the new device is confirmed, it would be a demonstration of North Korea's progress in espionage and use of military technology.
The US and South Korean governments under former President Park Geun-hye agreed to install the Thaad anti-missile system in last July as a preventive measure against North Korea's repeated missile tests.
Its deployment began this April, but South Korean President Moon Jae-in's government called for its suspension on June 7 in order to study its environmental impact, although a part of the system that was already deployed remains operational.