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West Asia
The Iron Lady of Kuwait: Axe on expats
Last Thursday I called Kitty, the house maid whom I get her help in cleaning my residence in Kuwait, asking her to come on Friday. To my surprise, she told me that although she needs money to survive but she will not able to go out of her place, as…
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East Asia
Chinese Premier Li asks about bird flu virus while visiting health authorities
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang shakes hands with staff members of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Beijing, capital of China, April 28, 2013. Li urged authorities to be vigilant against the H7N9 avian flu virus and prepare themselves for any new developments. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang…
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East Asia
Japanese PM Abe visits Russia as first step of “economic diplomacy”
Japan’s relations with Russia are taking a decidedly business-like turn, as the countries put economic imperatives ahead of a longstanding territorial dispute. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Moscow on the first leg of an “economic diplomacy” tour to Russia, Turkey and the Middle East aimed at building business ties and…
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South Asia
Family members visit jailed Indian spy attacked by inmates
Dalbir Kaur(C), sister of jailed Indian spy Sarabjit Singh arrives with her family members at Wagah border in eastern Pakistan’s Lahore on April 28, 2013. Singh, who is on death row, was attacked by inmates armed by bricks in Lahore’s jail on Friday. Singh was arrested in 1990 for his…
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East Asia
Chinese President Xi and French President hold press conference
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L, front) holds a welcoming ceremony for French President Francois Hollande in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2013. Xi held talks with Hollande here on Thursday. <Xinhua/Ju Peng> Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and French President Francois Hollande meet with journalists in Beijing, capital of…
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South East Asia
ASEAN makes progress on trade as summit closes
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei — Southeast Asian leaders were upbeat on April 25 about progress made on an ambitious plan to weld the region into a European Union-style economic community as a counterweight to Asian powerhouse China, while efforts were stalling on South China Sea disputes. Leaders attending…
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South East Asia
Cambodian opposition calls for electoral reforms before July election
Kem Sokha (1st R), vice-president of Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), and Mu Sochua, opposition lawmaker, give their regards to supporters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 24, 2013. Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the kingdom’s main opposition party, staged a non-violent protest on Wednesday to call for reforms within the…
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West Asia
IPAF Surprise: Younger and less popular novelists stand out
The shortlist for the International Prize for Arabic fiction (IPAF) has been announced in Tunisia. It came as a surprise as many famous novelists who were included in the long list didn’t make it to the shortlist. The unexpected shortlist included these six novels: “Ave Maria” by the Iraqi novelist…
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South East Asia
Myanmarese President holds talks with Indonesian President Yuhoyono
Myanmar President Thein Sein, right, holds talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yuhoyono, left, during their meeting at Presidential House Tuesday, April 23, 2013, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. <AP Photo>
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South Asia
Nepal’s former minister is now rearing pigs
Kathmandu – Former Minister Shiva Raj Joshi who spent almost 15 years at the Singh Durbar, the central secretariat of the Nepal government, as a parliamentarian and a minister, is now spending his day at a piggery in a village of south-west Nepal. Accustomed to putting signatures on the piles of…
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