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West Asia

Lee Kun-hee, The Man behind Revolutions

First comments I read in Arabic,on the death of Samsung Electronics Chairman; Mr. Lee Kun-hee, showed that he was the man behind revolutions. If we speak of Arab region, it is clear how every house, and each citizen might be expressing easily their own experiences with some products with the…
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East Asia

Geisha girls

Geisha girls parade down the streets toward Asakusa Shrine in the compound of Sensoji Temple in Tokyo, Friday, May 16, 2014, prior to the annual Sanja Festival, one of the three major festivals in Tokyo, scheduled on May 16-18.
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South East Asia

[Asia Round-up] ASEAN displays solidarity as region suffers

The Malaysia Airlines plane that has gone missing is testing relations among ASEAN friends. Vietnam responded quickly, deploying emergency officials to the area where the plane was last seen on radar. Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand had no nationals on board but are lending a helping hand to Malaysia. Two-thirds of…
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West Asia

Five years to stay or leave

The new minister of social affairs is trying to offer solutions for restricting, organizing and controlling the visa trade in Kuwait by limiting the duration of expatriates’ residency in Kuwait to five years. When I first read about it, I thought it was a joke and a waste of time…
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West Asia

A gateway for Syria solution

The Homs truce could be the gateway for a solution in Syria, despite some skepticism expressed by some people as opposition fighters make their way out of the troubled city following the deal brokered under United Nations sponsorship. Most skepticisms are fueled by questions about what is going to happen…
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West Asia

Qatar to end sponsorship system for expat workers – Doha unveils labor reforms but no timetable

DOHA: Qatar, host of the 2022 football World Cup, said yesterday it will abolish its controversial sponsorship system for foreign workers, whose treatment in the energy-rich state has stirred mounting international criticism. FIFA chief Sepp Blatter described the move as a “significant step,” but Amnesty International said it lacked substance…
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West Asia

President renames excellence award; VP says march towards Vision 2021 will continue

The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has ordered that the Emirates Government Service Excellence Award be renamed the Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award as a tribute to the outstanding role played by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of…
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West Asia

Yemen’s dire need for WOMENOMICS

In his speech at the 68th session of the U.N. General Assembly, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe talked about many key issues that matter to the world, but what was more interesting for me personally was the interest he showed in empowering women in the economic sector―let’s call it, “womenomics.”…
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West Asia

Saudi Arabia’s desire to hold talks with Iran

Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal made an important announcement Tuesday when he said that he invited his Iranian counterpart and that he is ready to negotiate with him. This announcement signaled a change in Saudi Arabia’s policy toward Iran and came during US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s…
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East Asia

Kimono-clad woman at Yushima Tenjin shrine

A kimono-clad woman strolls along a wall enclosure to Yushima Tenjin shrine in Tokyo, Thursday, May 15, 2014. The shrine is devoted to the “god of learning” so many students visit for prayers during the country’s high school and college entrance examinations every February.
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