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West Asia
Iraq and Kuwait sign agreements to strengthen economic ties
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, background right, and his Kuwait counterpart Sheikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah, background left, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, foreground right, and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheik Sabah Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah, foreground left, sign agreements in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, June 12, 2013.…
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Politics
Nelson Mandela responds better to treatment in hospital
Former President Nelson Mandela began responding better to treatment Wednesday morning for a recurring lung infection following “a difficult last few days,” South Africa’s president said. President Jacob Zuma told parliament that he is happy with the progress that the 94-year-old is making following his hospitalization on Saturday. Mandela spent…
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East Asia
Obama-Xi reach ‘firm understanding’ on N. Korea’s nuclear issues
President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 50-minute stroll through an estate in the California desert could mark a notable moment in the relationship between the heads of the world’s two largest economies. At the very least, it was a rare opportunity Saturday for the presidents to dispense with…
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East Asia
Global Summit of Women 2013 held in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak addresses the opening ceremony of the Global Summit of Women 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, on June 6, 2013. The three-day summit opened here on Thursday, attracting women leaders and representatives from more than 20 countries and regions including China, the United States,…
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East Asia
Xi visits Mexico to discuss ways increase Mexican exports to China
China’s President Xi Jinping waves upon his arrival to the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 4, 2013. Xi is in Mexico for a three day visit, where he has said he plans to discuss ways to increase Mexican exports to China. <AP Photo/NEWSis/Marco Ugarte>
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South East Asia
Sino-Myanmar gas pipeline concludes construction in Myanmar section
After three years of intensive work, the construction work for the Sino-Myanmar natural gas pipeline in the Myanmar section has been completed, CNPC, the parent company of PetroChina (PTR.NYSE; 601857.SH; 0857.HK), said in a statement on Tuesday. The statement added that operation of the gas pipeline could start at any time upon successful test of…
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East Asia
Japanese PM Abe speaks at International conference on African development
The Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) kicked off Saturday in Japan’s Yokohama, with leaders from Japan and African countries participating to discuss topics on African development. Under the overarching theme of “Hand in Hand with a More Dynamic Africa”, the discussions will be focused on three…
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Business
Bangkok ranked world’s top tourist destination
Bangkok has emerged as the world’s top tourist destination, with 15.98 million visitors projected to visit the Thailand’s capital city this year, according to the 2013 Global Destination Cities Index released by MasterCard on May 27. Bangkok surpassed London for the first time for the most popular destination city in…
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Asia’s currency war escalates
Editor’s note: The recent weakening of the Japanese yen is sparking responses across the region. Following article published in the online version of The Diplomat explains the possible implications of Asia’s currency war. Global finance chiefs may have denounced it, but that has not stopped Japan joining other central banks…
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South East Asia
Vietnam rises as top smartphone producer
Vietnam is becoming a leading smartphone producer in the world as world electronics giants increase investments in Vietnam, Japan’s economic daily Nihon Keizai reports. According to its recent article, with the Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV)’s plan to produce 240 million smartphones in 2013, accounting for 20 per cent of the…
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