-
East Asia
Why Tokyo and New Delhi Are Reaching Out to Beijing and Vice Versa
The volatility of US President Donald Trump’s administration has thrown many a government across the world into a tizzy. With Washington blowing hot one day and cold the next, foreign-policy mandarins in various world capitals have been burning the proverbial midnight oil, trying to develop strategies to deal with the…
Read More » -
East Asia
Singapore: an upbeat new year’s message
Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong delivered an upbeat new year’s message. On the political front a younger team is in place to take over the leadership after Lee who plans to step down in 2021. Poised to be the next prime minister is current finance minister Heng Swee Keat.…
Read More » -
East Asia
Fine dust ups risk of lung cancer by 20%
Airborne fine dust can greatly increase the chance of developing lung cancer, according to a South Korean medical team. The team analyzed the correlation between fine dust and the development of respiratory diseases and concluded that long-term exposure increases the risk of lung cancer by up to 20 percent. It also increases…
Read More » -
East Asia
97% of Koreans suffer ‘physical or mental’ distress due to fine dust: survey
Almost all Koreans are suffering from physical or mental distress due to airborne ultrafine dust that has blanketed the nation for days, a survey showed on Tuesday. In an online survey of 731 adults by recruiting website Incruit, 97 percent of them have found it difficult to live in the contaminated air…
Read More » -
Education
Things I Want in Lebanon: My Wish List
Lebanon – land of the brave, the sort-of free, and the hummus. It is a great place to live because it never gets boring; there are always new and exciting places to try in this tiny but vibrant country. However, despite being an endless chain of restaurants, shopping centers,…
Read More » -
Culture
Georgia’s New President for Peace, Consolidation, and Reconciliation
Newly elected, the 5th, and the first female President of Georgia (as well as in the South Caucasus) Salome Zurabishvili held her New Year 2019 Speech in front of the new presidential residence – the Orbeliani Palace, renovated historical building, initially built in the 18th century, and belonging to one…
Read More » -
East Asia
A Difficult Year for Iran
2019 would be a very difficult and of course crucial year for the president Hassan Rouhani. The New Year in Iran is celebrated on March 21 with the onset of spring from ancient and pre-Islamic time. Many Christians are now living in Iran and due to the respect Muslims have…
Read More » -
World
Needing More than two Symbolic Religious Buildings
In a message of peace and tolerance, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi inaugurated Al-Fattah Al-Alim; one of the Middle East’s largest mosques and the new Coptic Cathedral of the Nativity, the largest in the Middle East, in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) in ceremonies held with the celebration of the New…
Read More » -
South Asia
Pakistan: War against four ills
Prime Minister Imran Khan said in his New Year message that 2019 would be the year of the beginning of Pakistan’s golden era and pledged to wage “jihad” [war] against the “four ills of our country — poverty, illiteracy, injustice and corruption”. Felicitating the nation on the New Year, Prime…
Read More » -
South East Asia
Duterte optimism of 2019
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte expressed that 2019 will be a better year for the Philippines, as he encouraged Filipinos to “learn from the past” so that the nation can move forward confidently. He made this message as the Office released his official statement to media last Jan. 1, 2019. Duterte…
Read More »