• West Asia

    The unborn girls of the South Caucasus

    31-year-old Azerbaijani resident of Bilasuvar, Ramila – whose name has been changed for purposes of anonymity – is the mother of three children. Her third child is a seven-year old son. To “get” a son was not an easy task for Ramila. To obtain the proud status of “the mother…

    Read More »
  • East Asia

    Missiles vs. missiles

    Donald Kirk – The Korea Times The prospect of a missile war between North and South Korea poses a threat to regional stability that previously seemed unimaginable. Images of North and South Korean gunners firing ballistic missiles at one another from redoubts far north and south of the demilitarized zone…

    Read More »
  • East Asia

    Chinese air force drill in Sea of Japan

    The Chinese military has revealed a bomber squadron with the East China Sea Fleet have recently conducted a long-range combat drill in the Sea of Japan. The bombers travelled thousands of kilometres and conducted saturation attacks on vessels of a simulated enemy to improve their capability of continuous strikes at…

    Read More »
  • South East Asia

    Duterte says he will ‘whack’ UN observer in the head

    Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has blasted the United Nations as “stupid” for criticizing his controversial war on illegal drugs that has claimed over 1,000 lives. Duterte warned the global body not to interfere in the nation’s affairs and reconfirmed his will to continue waging war against drugs and crime when…

    Read More »
  • East Asia

    North Korea closes down embassy in Uzbekistan

    North Korea has closed down its embassy in Uzbekistan as part of a restructuring of its missions in the Commonwealth of Independent States, a diplomatic source in Uzbekistan said on August 20, Trend News reports. The source said that the North Korean embassy informed foreign embassies in Tashkent, the Uzbek…

    Read More »
  • Central Asia

    Kazakhstan and Israel to jointly manufacture UAVs

    Kazakhstan and Israel have reached agreements on joint production of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle), Kazakh ministry of defense said on August 22, Trend reports. The message did not reveal the UAV models that Kazakhstan and Israel plan to manufacture. The agreements have been reached during the meeting of Kazakh and…

    Read More »
  • East Asia

    A Korean woman’s prison letter in Mexico

    Somebody please listen to my story. My name is Yang, Hyunjung, I am 38 years old, and I have spent the last 8 months in a Mexican prison. I am charged with human trafficking and procuring prostitution, a charge more serious than murder in Mexico, and awaiting trial. My actual…

    Read More »
  • West Asia

    Deadly blast rocks wedding ceremony in Turkey

    More than 50 people have been killed and more wounded in a suicide attack at a wedding ceremony in Turkey’s southeastern province of Gaziantep, near to the Syria border. People’s Daily reported that Turkish authorities say their initial investigation into a deadly attack on a wedding in southeastern Turkey is…

    Read More »
  • East Asia

    China to ban poorly-behaved tourists from traveling

    Chinese tourists blacklisted by the country’s tourism authority for behaving poorly while traveling are likely to be banned from traveling abroad as part of the country’s efforts to promote civilized tourism. In a draft industry standard issued by the China National Tourism Administration (NTA), the behavior of travel agencies and…

    Read More »
  • East Asia

    Chinese TV dramas in Mongolia: Can entertainment become political?

    John Holland – The UB Post The first two of twenty-five Chinese television dramas have begun to be aired in Mongolia. Yet, behind the polite rhetoric by governmental officials on the virtues of cultural exchange, there is concern among ordinary Mongolians about the future influence that these shows could have…

    Read More »