-
East Asia
N. Korea repeats demand for dissolution of UN Command on Korean Peninsula
A senior diplomat of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday reiterated his country’s demand for the dissolution of the UN Command on the Korean Peninsula. The so-called “United Nations Command”, that “has nothing to do with the UN”, should be dissolved and the name of UN and…
Read More » -
East Asia
New Zealand signs Free Trade Agreement with Taiwan in low-key ceremony
New Zealand on Wednesday signed a free trade agreement with Taiwan in a deliberately low-key ceremony designed to demonstrate the South Pacific nation’s fealty to its formal relations with mainland China. The location of the signing ceremony at a university and the absence of senior officials from either side underscored…
Read More » -
East Asia
S. Korean vehicles return after inspecting Kaesong Industrial Complex
Talks between the rival Koreas aimed at restarting a stalled inter-Korean factory park ended Wednesday with no breakthrough, but both sides agreed to meet again next week to discuss restoring what was once a rare symbol of cooperation between the archrivals. They also agreed to a separate set of talks…
Read More » -
East Asia
Vietnamese, Lao PM attend ceremony for completion of border mark planting
Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Laos on Tuesday hailed the completion of the border marker project, saying it is of great significance in traditional friendship between the two countries. The appreciation was made at the grand ceremony to celebrate the completion of border mark planting held at border gate separating…
Read More » -
West Asia
Egyptian interim President Mansour appoints ex-finance minister as new PM
Egypt’s interim President Adli Mansour appointed Tuesday ex-finance minister Hazem al-Beblawi as prime minister and leading figure of the National Salvation Front (NSF) Mohamed ElBaradei as vice president for foreign affairs in the transitional government. Al-Beblawi served as the finance minister in the cabinet of former prime minister Essam Sharaf,…
Read More » -
West Asia
Turkish authorities stop protesters from entering reopened Gezi park
An Istanbul park that was at the center of weeks of anti-government demonstrations opened for a few hours Monday, but Turkish authorities quickly closed it and fired a water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters heading to the area for a planned rally. The attack – the second…
Read More » -
East Asia
China and Russia start joint drill off coast of Russia’s Far East
Chinese and Russian warships for the “Joint Sea-2013” drill practiced troop deployment and anchorage defense here on Monday. Naval vessels participating in the drill started departing the dock at 3 p.m. local time (0400 GMT) and sailed to designated sea areas. By 9 p.m. (1000 GMT), troop deployment was completed.…
Read More » -
West Asia
Feuding erupts within Egypt’s new leadership amid new protests
Feuding erupted within Egypt’s new leadership on Sunday as secular and liberal factions wrangled with ultraconservative Islamists who rejected their choice for prime minister, stalling the formation of a new government after the military’s ouster of President Mohammed Morsi. At the same time, the shows of strength over the removal…
Read More » -
East Asia
China and Pakistan vow to promote their partnership to higher level
China and Pakistan on Thursday hailed their traditional friendship and pledged to promote their all-weather partnership to a higher level. China and Pakistan are “good neighbors, friends, partners as well as brothers,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said when conferring with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday in Beijing. He…
Read More » -
West Asia
Egyptian military arrests Muslim Brotherhood’s senior leaders
Egypt’s military moved swiftly Thursday against senior figures of the Muslim Brotherhood, targeting the backbone of support for ousted President Mohammed Morsi. In the most dramatic step, authorities arrested the group’s revered leader from a seaside villa and flew him by helicopter to detention in the capital. With a top…
Read More »