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South Asia
Social media in Pakistan proves its strength
A controversial decision to make plastic wrapping over all checked in luggage mandatory at Pakistan airports was withdrawn less than one day after it was announced. The decision waded into controversy amid heavy criticism by frequent flyers concerned about delays and costs and environmentalists worried about the negative consequences of…
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South Asia
Pakistan: proving identity mandatory for making purchases
[Islamabad] The Federal Board of Revenue has made it mandatory: ordinary citizens have to show Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) in case of making purchases of over Pakistan rupees 50000 (US$312). In the case of a female buyer, the CNIC of her husband or father will be considered valid for…
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East Asia
Trade minister to visit U.S. as Seoul works to ramp up int’l support over dispute with Tokyo
South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee is set to visit the United States Tuesday to rally support from the country’s key ally in a deepening trade dispute with Japan. During the five-day stay in Washington, Yoo will meet with officials from the U.S. government and Congress and explain South Korea’s…
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East Asia
Pompeo says he hopes N.K. takes different position in talks
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday he hopes North Korea takes a different position when the two sides resume nuclear talks. In a series of interviews with U.S. media outlets, the top U.S. diplomat also expressed hope the talks will begin “soon.” The comments come after U.S. President…
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East Asia
Officials of two Koreas to meet in Manila amid Seoul-Tokyo diplomatic row
Officials of South and North Korea are expected to meet at an international peace conference in the Philippines this week amid a growing diplomatic row between Seoul and Tokyo over wartime forced labor and economic retaliation, conference organizers said Tuesday. The government of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea’s most populous province…
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Business
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano dies at 72
Vienna: Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has died at age 72. The former Japanese diplomat who led the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog since 2009 had participated in several Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conferences over the last several years. The lifelong diplomat began his…
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IT-Science
Hyundai launches hybrid version of latest Sonata model
Hyundai Motor Co. on Monday launched the gasoline hybrid version of its all-new Sonata sedan in the domestic market for customers wanting fuel-efficient cars. The Sonata 2.0-liter gasoline hybrid model comes with a six-speed automatic transmission and a solar roof, and it boasts a fuel economy of over 20 kilometers…
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East Asia
S. Korea: Newly registered pet dogs up 40 pct in 2018
The number of newly registered pet dogs in South Korea rose nearly 40 percent in 2018 from a year earlier, the country’s animal quarantine agency said Monday. Around 147,000 new dogs were registered to the state-run Animal Protection Management System last year, compared with the newly registered 105,000 pet dogs…
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East Asia
Moon urges innovative growth to counter Japan’s trade pressure
President Moon Jae-in said Monday his government will redouble its push for innovative growth in South Korea’s manufacturing sector, especially by nurturing globally competitive startups, as part of a long-term response to Japan’s trade pressure. He pointed out that Tokyo’s export restrictions have added to the economic troubles facing Asia’s…
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Politics
Saudi Arabia to host U.S. armed forces “to strengthen security”
Jeddah: Saudi Arabia has announced that it would host U.S. armed forces “to strengthen security and stability” in the region. A spokesperson in the Saudi Ministry of Defense said that “King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has approved hosting US Armed Forces in…
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