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South Asia
New Delhi: Genesis of Tectonic Shift in Politics
The feeble rumblings of an impending fundamental tectonic shift in Indian politics were heard in New Delhi in a series of public meetings. They were addressed by non-political civil society organizations for the past three years. Essentially, the discourse of these public meetings emanated from sheer rampant corruption in public…
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West Asia
The Aftermath of Gangnam Fever
Bringing countries and cultures together The Korean “Hallyu” wave started several years ago. It overwhelmed the Middle East with Korean dramas like Winter Sonata and Jewel of the Palace, which made people discover Korean culture years before the Gangnam era. Then came 2012 and the mega hit song “Gangnam Style”…
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South East Asia
Leyte rising- from the shoulders of women
The impact of super-typhoon Haiyan that hit central Philippines last November 2013 was tremendous. More than 10,000 lives were lost, and half a million Filipinos lost their homes, livelihoods and farms. More than 1.1 million students were affected, as their schools were washed out or ravaged by the winds and…
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East Asia
Current state of North Korean defector women and children in China
Recently, it has become increasingly more difficult to find North Korean defector women and children living in the Yan Bian region of China. This is because the number of people escaping from North Korea has sharply decreased. One reason for this decrease is North Korea and China’s cooperation to thoroughly…
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East Asia
Why human rights slogans fail in Pyongyang?
Earlier this year, the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(North Korea) published its report on the human rights situation in North Korea. The report catalogued a long list of human rights abuses that have been ommitted by the North Korean state in the…
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South Asia
A Statistically Tested Way to Stop Terrorism and Boost Pakistan’s Economy
Over the years prominent Pakistani leaders have held identical opinions alleging that Pakistan is invincible. The recent Pakistani Taliban attacks including those on Karachi’s international airport have put that claim to the test. Yes, it is true the terrorists were defeated due to the brave warriors who gave their lives.…
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East Asia
[Asia Round-up] Japan inflation rate hits 23-year high Jump
Consumer prices in Japan rose at their fastest pace in 23 years in April, following an increases in sales tax. Prices rose 3.2% compared with the same period last year, beating analysts’ forecasts of a 3.1% jump. The government raised its sales tax rate from 5% to 8% on 1…
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West Asia
[Asia Round-up] 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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West Asia
Syrian children and women refugees: Easy targets, hard future
With more than one million refugees in Lebanon alone, Syrian families who fled to escape the war in their country are facing another one. It is a war with different weapons that sometimes look worse and bitter. Some will find it an easier escape to scarify their own lives, as…
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East Asia
[Asia Round-up] Hong Kong holds world’s largest ivory burn
When Hong Kong announced the start of the world’s largest ivory destruction project, one would expect a massive pyre, with flames engulfing the tusks. Instead, the tusk fragments were crushed into small chunks, placed in fiber drums and incinerated at a temperature over 1,800 degree Fahrenheit at a waste treatment…
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