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East Asia
AJA member Nasir Yusoff passes away
By Habib Toumi BAHRAIN: I last spoke with Nasir Yusoff on May 4. He was in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia, and I was in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. He told me about how happy he was to be reunited with his extended family in their root village about 1,400 kilometers…
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Society
Singapore denies entry to ‘extremist’ Indonesian preacher
By Ivan Lim, Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: On May 16, an Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara travelled from neighbouring Batam island by boat and arrived at Tanah Merah Ferry Point in Singapore. The cleric, who had been known to the authorities for his extremist religious views, was “interviewed”…
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Culture
A woman victim of sexual violence wins Cannes’ Best Actress award
By Alireza Bahrami CANNES: The 75th Cannes Film Festival (2022) awarded one of its most special prizes to a woman who was a victim of sexual violence a few years ago. Zahra Amir Ebrahimi, the star of “Holy Spider” at the Cannes Film Festival, won the Best Actress award. The film…
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Politics
Spotlight on Kyrgyzstan as first Eurasian Economic Forum kicks off in Bishkek
BISHKEK: The First Eurasian Economic Forum was opened in the capital of Kyrgyzstan Bishkek attended by about 2,500 participants. In his welcoming speech, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Zhaparov said the Eurasian Economic Union is capable of being a major player in the world economy…
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Culture
Alexandria hosts Racoda Asian Film Festival 2022
By Ashraf Aboul-Yazid President, Asia Journalists Association ALEXANDRIA: Racoda, a digital platform interested in cinema, has announced preparations for the launch of the Racoda Asian Film Festival; exciting news, which relives the history of the Silk Road of caravans that set off from Asia to reach the Mediterranean Basin, north…
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Politics
Singapore has a Prime-Minister-in-waiting
By Ivan Lim, Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: He is Finance Minister Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai. A career civil servant-turned- politician, he has been designated as the new leader of the fourth generation (4G) cohort of the ruling People’s Action Party(PAP). It is a spectacular rise for the…
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Society
First for Saudi Arabia as domestic flight takes off with all-female crew
JEDDAH: Saudi women have made history by flying a plane with a fully female crew. “For the first time in Saudi aviation history! #flyadeal operated the first flight with an all-female crew, the majority of which are Saudis by the newest A320 aircraft. Flight 117, flew from #Riyadh to #Jeddah,”…
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Politics
Reflections on Philippine elections
By Alin Ferrer-Garganera, Public service media practitioner Radio anchor/ broadcaster MANILA: We just concluded the national elections in the Philippines on May 9, 2022, and the results are in. To say it was shocking to many would be an understatement. Twelve new senators have been proclaimed. Almost 90% of the…
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Society
Bishkek’s mesmerizing parks – Where history, nature co-exist peacefully
BISHKEK: Taking a stroll in Ala-Too Square, the cultural and political hotspot in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, my mind went back to a lecture delivered by Professor Hyunjoon Yoo from the College of Architecture and Urbanism, Hongik University, at the AsiaN 10th anniversary forum in Seoul. The lecture in…
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West Asia
Officers foil attempts to smuggle 730 kg drugs into Kuwait
KUWAIT: Customs officers seized nearly 730 kilograms of drugs that were on their way to be smuggled into Kuwait. Officers were able to stop a boat making its way into the territorial waters towards Kubbar Island, a sandy island around 30 kilometers off the southern coast of Kuwait. The officers…
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