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East Asia
US Defence Secretary Hagel in S. Korea for talks on transfer of military control
Amid escalating threats from North Korea, U.S. and South Korean defense officials will meet over the next few days and discuss whether to extend America’s wartime control over the South’s armed forces, 60 years after a truce ended the Korean War. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel flew to Seoul on Sunday,…
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South East Asia
Security tightened in Bali ahead of APEC Summit on Oct.1~10
Security measures are being ramped up in Bali, including in Buleleng regency, ahead of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit, local media reported. A total of 13 vulnerable spots have been identified in Buleleng, including a handful of ports, resulting in a series of cargo ships being searched, The…
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East Asia
Aung San Suu Kyi delivers speech at her party NLD’s 25th anniversary
Elders Group voices support of Myanmar’s reform The Elders Group delegation, comprising three former foreign leaders, voiced support of Myanmar ‘s reform, encouraging all parties in the country to advance the reform process during the transition period. The Elders Group delegation is made up of former President of the United…
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East Asia
Understanding S. Korea’s ‘386 generation’ and pro-north activists
As all our readers are surely aware, South Korea is now in the middle of yet another political scandal. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) recently produced evidence that seemingly indicates that Lee Seok Ki, a member of parliament from the far-left United Progressive Party, was engaged in conspiracy and was…
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East Asia
China willing to make efforts on advancing Iran’s nuclear talks, Xi says
China is willing to make constructive efforts on advancing the Iranian nuclear talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Thursday while meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani. Xi said China believes that Iran’s legitimate rights should be respected, and China upholds the principle of resolving the issue through dialogue and negotiation.…
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West Asia
Syrian President Assad agrees to secure and destroy chemical weapons
Syrian President Bashar Assad publicly agreed Thursday to a Russian plan to secure and destroy his chemical weapons, but said the proposal would work only if the U.S. halts threats of military action. Assad also said his government will start submitting data on its chemical weapons stockpile a month after…
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Central Asia
Strong showing for Navalny in Moscow mayoral race
Moscow’s incumbent mayor has been re-elected with 51 percent of the vote, just enough to avoid a run-off against opposition leader Alexei Navalny, election officials said Monday. The Moscow Election Commission said Monday morning that Sergei Sobyanin got just over half the vote while Navalny, who energized the race into…
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East Asia
Chinese, Uzbek presidents hold talks on boosting ties
Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov held talks here Monday on further development of bilateral relations and cooperation. Xi is in Tashkent for a state visit as a guest of Karimov, who went to the airport to receive the Chinese president on Sunday evening. “I…
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East Asia
G20 leaders adopt St. Petersburg development strategy
The Group of Twenty (G20) leaders on Thursday approved here a strategy outlining development priorities for the group members over the medium term. The St. Petersburg Development Strategy, prepared by the development working panel of G20, detailed such priorities as reinforcing G20’s commitment to shared growth and improving the group’s…
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West Asia
UN chief stresses need for cooperation on global issues
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday highlighted the importance of cooperation in addressing the challenges facing the world, as leaders from major economies are to attend a G20 summit in Russia. After arrived in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on Wednesday for the summit, Ban said the international…
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