• N. Korea’s blackmail missile

    TOKYO ― The Unha-3 rocket launched from Sohae in North Korea on the morning of Dec. 12 passed through Japanese air space over the island of Okinawa 12 minutes later, and crashed into the Pacific Ocean roughly 300 kilometers east of the Philippines. The launch could be considered a mild…

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  • East Asia

    New leaderships to reset NE Asia relations

    Park to move cautiously amid regional spats, analysts say With the election of Park Geun-hye as the next president, South and North Korea, Japan and China have all elevated new leaders in a series of rapid-fire transitions. Northeast Asia’s political perfect storm is here, and analysts warn the confluence of…

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  • Invitation to President-elect

    “I regard a rising India as a factor of peace and stability in the world and expect her role to get bigger progressively” observed Madame Park Geun-hye when I called on her last May, soon after she had led her party to an impressive victory in the National Assembly elections.…

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  • East Asia

    NK leader calls for better ties with South

    North Korean leader Kim Jong-un emphasized improved inter-Korean relations during a rare New Year’s address, Tuesday, and vowed to spur “radical” improvements in his country’s outdated economy. In the first such address since 1994, when Kim’s late grandfather Kim Il-sung spoke, the young leader urged Seoul to reaffirm its commitment…

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  • South Asia

    A Bomb Goes Off In Karachi, Killing Two People And Injuring 35 Others

    People wheel an injured man at hospital in Pakistan’s Karachi on Jan. 1, 2013. At least two people were killed and 35 others injured on Tuesday evening as a bomb went off in a busy area in Karachi. Cameramen film a vehicle damaged by a motorcycle bomb in Pakistan’s Karachi…

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  • West Asia

    Yemen, Due To Its Aridness, Relies On Groundwater For Its Water Supply

    A Yemeni villager stands next to a well drilling rig on the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, Jan. 1, 2013. Yemen is one of the most arid countries on the earth and relies almost exclusively on groundwater for its water supply. The amount of water used in agriculture in Yemen is…

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  • South Asia

    Pakistanis Mourn Death Of Seven NGO Members By Attack At Swabi

    People gather at the attack site in northwest Pakistan’s Swabi on Jan. 1, 2013. At least seven people including six females of a non-government organization were killed as their team came under attack in Swabi, local media reported on Tuesday. Pakistanis mourn over the death of NGO workers in northwest…

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  • West Asia

    Shitte Pilgrims Gather To Remember Martyrdom Of Imam Hussein In Kabala, Iraq

    Shiite faithful pilgrims gather in front of the holy shrine of Imam Abbas, top, for Arbaeen in Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. The holiday marks the end of the forty day mourning period after the anniversary of the 7th century martyrdom of…

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  • West Asia

    Iranian Soldiers Celebrate Successful Test Firing Of Long-Range Missile

    Iranian soldiers celebrate after successfully launching missiles during the fifth day of the six-day naval drill dubbed Velayat 91 from the coastline of the sea of Oman in southern Iran on Jan. 1, 2013. Iranian navy test-fired Tuesday the Noor long-range missile in the ongoing naval drill, the official IRNA…

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  • West Asia

    Palestinian Protesters Throw Stones Toward Israeli Soldiers During Clashes

    A Palestinian protestor hurls stones towards Israeli soldiers during clashes near the West Bank village of Tamoun on Jan. 1, 2013. Palestinian protesters throw stones towards Israeli soldiers during clashes near the West Bank village of Tamoun on Jan. 1, 2013. Palestinian protesters throw stones towards Israeli soldiers during clashes…

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