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South East Asia
Why constitutional reforms required for Philippines
All in the Family If PNoy (President Noynoy meaning current Philippine President Benigno Aquino III) is really sincere in his avowed promise to clean and improve government service, he should not oppose the move to change the constitution anymore. Indeed by this time, most Filipinos are already convinced and can…
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[Asia Round-up] Never-ending rape of Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands
Editor’s note: Followings are summaries of editorials from major Asian media on current issues. The never-ending rape of the Camerons [Malaysia, The Star, 22-05-2013] Once a destination to getaway crowds, the Cameron Highlands, one of the most prominent hill resorts in Malaysia, is now swamped by tourist crowds and being…
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Learning Korean can’t be done ‘pali pali’
Learning Korean is not pali pali (빨리 빨리) One of the first things I learned upon arrival to Korea was the culture of doing things quickly (빨리 빨리 문화). In fact, this country achieved a developed economy within about 50 years. If one looks at history, Germany and Japan took…
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East Asia
Looking into North with hope for ‘United Korea’
Prospects of a Unified Korea: Visit to Odu Mountain Unification Observatory In an effort to attract FDIs (Foreign Direct Investments) into Korea, over 30 foreign students participated in the Friends of Invest Korea’s Program as ambassadors to get a closer glimpse and understanding of the Korean culture and society. For…
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East Asia
350 climbers including handless Nepali reach atop Mt. Everest, 4 dead
Kathmandu – Nearly 350 climbers reached atop Mt. Everest by May 20 this year. A total of 94 climbers, including Sudarshan Gautam, a handless (not having both hands) Nepali, reached atop Mount Everest on Monday, thanks to the favourable climate. Out of 94 climbers who conquered the summit, 43 are from…
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South Asia
Eight injured when plane flies down to river in west Nepal
Kathmandu – Ten passengers including three crew members were injured when a twin otter aircraft belonging to Nepal Airlines Corportaion crashed into Kaligandaki riverbanks after skidding off from a runway in western Nepal on Thursday morning. The chartered flight plane was carrying 22 passengers including eight Japanese and an infant…
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West Asia
Tehran celebrates publishing of Ashraf Aboul-Yazid’s poems in Persian
Egyptian poet and novelist Ashraf Aboul-Yazid celebrated the publishing of his poems in Persian during Tehran International Book Fair. The ceremony started by reciting poems in Arabic, by the poet, and their equivalent in Persian, by the translator professor Nasrin Shakibi Mumtaz. The poet signed copies of his poems to…
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[Asia Round-up] Slap in the face for women
Editor’s note: Followings are summaries of editorials from major Asian media on current issues. Slap in the face for women [India, Hindustan Times, 15-05-2013] After the huge demonstrations following the December 16 Delhi gang rape incident, many hoped that the police’s attitude toward crimes against women and women’s rights might change.…
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East Asia
Kaesong: A ‘hot potato’ for N. Korea
So far, the Kaesong industrial zone, the largest intra-Korean economic project, has survived three nuclear tests, a number of long-range missile launches and a few armed clashes on the Korean peninsula. All these have killed other undertakings, but the Kaesong industrial zone remained afloat against all odds. The history of…
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South Asia
Pakistan elections: A positive step toward democracy
Editor’s note: Pakistan elections held on May 11 have paved the way for the first transition from an elected government to another. G. Shabbir Cheema, Senior Fellow at the East-West Center, explains their implications. This past weekend’s national election in Pakistan marked a landmark event in the country’s 66-year history.…
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