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South Asia
India’s ruling coalition endorses creating 29th state of Telangana in South India
India’s ruling coalition endorsed creating a new state in southern India, which immediately spurred activists to call for other long-standing demands for separate states to be met. The United Progressive Alliance coalition unanimously agreed to endorse that a new state called Telangana be carved out of Andhra Pradesh state, civil…
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West Asia
UN experts to investigate three alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria
U.N. experts will travel to Syria as soon as possible to investigate three alleged incidents of chemical weapons attacks, the United Nations announced Wednesday. U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said the green light for the investigation followed “the understanding reached with the government of Syria” during last week’s visit to Damascus…
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South Asia
Ruling party-nominated Mamnoon Hussain elected as Pakistan’s new President
Pakistani lawmakers elected a textile businessman who briefly served as the governor of southern Sindh province as the country’s next president Tuesday, the election commission chief said, a result that was widely expected. The election of Mamnoon Hussain, nominated by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N party, followed a late night…
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East Asia
China, Japan, S. Korea launch 2nd round of trilateral FTA talks in Shanghai
China, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan started their second round of trilateral talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) on Tuesday. The talks, which will end on Friday, will cover the cargo and service trade, rules of origins, customs procedures, trade remedies, intellectual property rights and e-commerce, said Yu Jianhua, a representative…
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South East Asia
Cambodia’s opposition demands investigation of election irregularities
After nearly three decades of autocratic rule, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen may be facing his biggest political dilemma in years, with his party’s parliamentary majority vastly eroded in weekend elections by a burgeoning opposition that could block his forming a government. But the farmer’s son whose favorite pastime is…
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South Asia
Over 250 inmates escape from central jail in Pakistan after armed Taliban’s attack
Prison guards said Tuesday that they were totally overwhelmed when around 150 heavily armed Taliban fighters staged a late-night attack on their jail in northwest Pakistan, freeing over 250 prisoners including over three dozen suspected militants. It was the second such attack by the Taliban on a prison in the…
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The role of Provincial Women Development Councils in Afghanistan
Since 2001, integrating gender sensitivity into national policy making and implementation has taken the centre stage for most development initiatives in Afghanistan. A chain of developments focusing on enhancing the role and contribution of Afghan women towards national development has underscored the relevance of mainstreaming gender into the national development…
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West Asia
Israel-Palestine negotiators shake hands as peace talks resume in Washington
Why does it matter? Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would remove a major source of instability in the Middle East, reduce the risk of war there and improve U.S. ties with the Arab and Muslim world. A peace deal, to be endorsed by 57 Muslim and Arab nations, would end Israel’s…
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“Distance makes the heart grow fonder”
Interview with the Philippine Ambassador to Korea Luis Cruz Going back and forth between Korea and Singapore has become routine for Ambassador Luis and Minda Cruz. They joined the Foreign Service together in 1983 and have been on joint and separate missions from London, Beijing, Malaysia, and Singapore to Korea.…
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South Asia
Nepal’s mountaineer Serchan tries to regain Mt. Everest Record at 83
Kathmandu: An octogenarian Nepali mountaineer, whose Guinness World Record as the oldest man to conquer Mt. Everest, the highest peak of the world, was breached by a Japanese octogenarian in May this year, is planning to climb the peak again in Spring next year. Onetime Guinness World Record holder octogenarian…
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