-
East Asia
The Appalling Cost of Western Hubris
Given the vast literature on the Indochina wars, whether the French colonial conflict of 1945 to 1954 or the US war with North Vietnam of 1954 to 1975, it might be asked why the need for another study of a familiar subject. The value of this new, magisterial account, which…
Read More » -
East Asia
Jogye Order hopes to launch templestay in North Korea
The Jogye Order, South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect, is planning to launch a templestay program at Shingye Temple on Mount Geumgang as part of their effort to open “a new chapter in inter-Korean Buddhist exchanges” amid their reformation movement, Ven. Wonhaeng said Wednesday. “We are going to discuss details of…
Read More » -
East Asia
Korea: Jeju massacre victims get their names cleared in court
The Jeju District Court overturned military court rulings that imprisoned Jeju Islanders in a bloody ideological conflict from 1948 to 1954, Thursday, clearing the names of the 18 surviving plaintiffs and recognizing them as wronged victims of the Jeju April 3 Uprising and Massacre. The ruling panel said the national…
Read More » -
East Asia
Sound and Fury: Does Abe’s Constitutional Revision Really Matter?
Much attention has been paid recently to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s desire to revise the country’s constitution in what would be the first and only change since it was adopted in 1947. The focus especially has been on his intent to change Article 9, which prohibits the country from…
Read More » -
South East Asia
Challenging Duterte: Maria Ressa and the Philippine Media
With her sharp mind, unflinching attitude and acerbic humor, journalist and businesswoman Maria Ressa has built a news brand in the Philippines that is at the center of a struggle for the future of free expression in that country. Not one to back down from a fight, Ressa is just…
Read More » -
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 » -
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 »