Seoul sends anti-piracy unit to Strait of Hormuz after Iran seizes South Korean tanker
SEOUL: South Korea’s anti-piracy unit began operations in the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday to respond to heightened tensions after Iran’s seizure of a South Korean oil tanker, officials said. On Tuesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps seized the tanker, MT Hankuk Chemi, due to what Teheran claims to be environmental and chemical pollution by the […]
Yearender: Top 10 events in Kyrgyzstan in 2020
By Nurzhan Kasmalieva BISHKEK: The year was difficult in every sense and in all the spheres. The COVID-19 pandemic declared by WHO in March 2020, ruined all the plans planned for 2020 and exposed problems in health care in many countries. In general the current year has brought a lot of problems. First of all, these […]
Yemeni riyal on ‘rebound’ 20% against U.S. dollar as people voice optimism over new government
By Peter Song Reporter at Asia N SEOUL: The Yemeni riyal has risen by more than 20% enabling the Yemeni economy has entered a recovery phase, “Arab News” reported on December 20. The riyal rose from 925 riyals (about 4,093 KRW) to 750 riyals (about 3,300 KRW) against the U.S. dollar. According to “Arab News”, […]
Kyrgyzstan’s participation in Belt and Road Initiative is vital for country
By Nurzhan Kasmalieva Reporter, Kyrgyzstan BISHBECK: Kyrgyz and Chinese, who were linked by the Silk Road in ancient times, now are linked by the joint One Belt, One Road project. The Belt and Road initiative, announced by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2013, unites the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. […]
Budget vote in Malaysian parliament goes ahead despite presence of quarantined MPs in full PPE
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s parliament waded into controversy after three MPs currently undergoing home quarantine were allowed into the parliament to participate in a vote on the budget for the Federal Territories Ministry. The three MPs, reportedly Health Minister Adham Baba and M. Saravanan from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and P. Prabakaran from the opposition […]
Japan Crown Prince Fumihito formally declared first in line to throne
TOKYO: Crown Prince Fumihito was on Sunday formally declared first in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne at a ceremony that had been postponed for seven months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Emperor Naruhito, dressed in a traditional dark orange robe, proclaimed his younger brother as crown prince to the people of Japan and the […]
Cambodian Premier Hun Sen placed in quarantine for COVID-19
By Chhay Sophal Thisiscn, Cambodia PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and some of his government officials on Wednesday went into quarantine and tested for COVID-19 after they had come in contact with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto who was tested positive for the virus after meeting the premier and others a day earlier. […]
Gyeonggi-do’s Basic Income Model and Suwon City, Korea
By Khatuna Chapichadze Georgian Technical University San Diego State University Professor TBILISI: After the coronavirus outbreak in Korea, quite contested, however, very interesting idea of providing the universal basic income (UBI) for citizens, became popularly debated in the country. In consistence with his A New Gyeonggi Province, A Fair Society Provincial Policy, Korea’s most populous Gyeonggi […]
Pompeo tells Sri Lanka United States seeks to strengthen partnership
By Leo Nirosha Darshan ENCL – Colombo COLOMBO: US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told Sri Lanka Chinese Communist Party is a predator. We see from bad deals, violations of sovereignty and lawlessness on land and sea. The United States comes in a different way. We come as a friend and as a partner. Pompeo […]
North Korea, Iran, Syria remain on US State Sponsor of Terrorism list
WASHINGTON: Three countries now remain on the US State Sponsor of Terrorism list following the delisting of Sudan. According to the State Department website, the three countries are Syria (listed in 1979), Iran (1984) and North Korea (2017). Sudan was put on the list in 1993 after it was accused of harboring groups that Washington deemed […]