Culture

Much like other Christians around the world, Iranian Armenians begin preparations for the New Year on the last days of December.

Directed by Abbas Askari and produced by Mohammad Hossein Sadeghi, the Iranian animation "Lopeto" won the award of best animation at Ahmedabad International Children Film Festival.

Dozens of cooperation documents were signed among Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan tour agencies on the sidelines of a regional tourism development forum held in the Tajik capital.

Turkey jailed a bakery union head for "publicly insulting the Turkish nation" on Wednesday, state media reported, after he said society's "stupid" fondness for bread explained why it had elected President Tayyip Erdogan's governments for two decades.

Local authorities in the central Japanese city of Gifu were on maximum alert Sunday as 460,000 people, more than the city's population, flocked to a festival to catch a glimpse of a superstar dressed as a warlord astride a horse.

Candlelight vigils and rallies were held in South Korea on Saturday to commemorate the 156 people killed in a Halloween crowd crush, with public anger growing over one of the country's deadliest disasters.

Large conglomerates and their consumer-facing service affiliates rushed to cancel Halloween events, Sunday, the day after at least 153 people died in a crowd crush a day earlier in Seoul's Itaewon, according to market watchers.

The hip alleys of Itaewon were once considered one of the main destinations in Korea to celebrate Halloween, as people gathered there to enjoy the annual event before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the nation three years ago. With nightclubs, bars and restaurants packed tightly together, Itaewon was a popular place for culturally curious Koreans to easily mingle with people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

It is that time of year again when scary ghosts, zombies, vampires and witches compete with beautiful princesses, heroic characters of modern lore and cute whimsical creatures lifted from the pages of comic books for treats and praise ― it is, of course, Halloween.

At least 120 people were killed and 100 more were injured after being crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities in the capital Seoul, South Korean officials said.