-
East Asia
Japan kicks off campaign for July 21 House of Councillors election
Japan on Thursday officially kicked off the election campaign for the House of Councillors, the upper house in the Diet, with ruling coalition’s vow to retake the chamber. Half of the 242 seats in the upper house are up for grabs every three year under the combination of constituencies and…
Read More » -
West Asia
Palestinian President Abbas urges Israel to prove sincerity in peace
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a joint press conference with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, unseen, at the Presidential Palace, in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, July 3, 2013. Abbas said he has done everything possible to facilitate the mission of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry who has…
Read More » -
West Asia
Egyptian President Morsi ousted by military after barely a year in office
Egypt’s first democratically elected president was ousted Wednesday by the military after barely a year in office, felled by the same kind of popular revolt that first brought him to power in the Arab Spring. The armed forces announced it would install a temporary civilian government to replace Islamist President…
Read More » -
East Asia
How social exchanges can help solve North Korea problem
North Korea is not an ordinary country. It is a major problem for the international community that has been remarkably resistant to solutions over the last two decades. Since the early 1990s, when the North Korean nuclear problem first emerged, the US and, more broadly, the international community has oscillated…
Read More » -
West Asia
Egyption President Morsi rejects demands of protersters and military
His fate hanging in the balance, embattled President Mohammed Morsi vowed not to resign Tuesday, hours before a deadline to yield to the demands of millions of protesters or see the military suspend the constitution, disband parliament and install a new leadership. The Islamist leader demanded that the powerful armed…
Read More » -
East Asia
N. Korea urges US to accept its offer for dialogue to ease tensions
North Korea’s top diplomat said Tuesday that the U.S. must accept its offer for dialogue without preconditions if it wants to ease tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula. He drew a quick rebuttal from his South Korean counterpart, who said the international community has made clear that Pyongyang must give…
Read More » -
East Asia
China-Russia agree to hold joint military drills in coming two months
China and Russia will hold two joint military drills in the coming two months, military officials from both countries said here Monday. Fang Fenghui, chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’ s Liberation Army (PLA), together with his Russian counterpart Valery Gerasimov, ratified relevant documents and announced the…
Read More » -
East Asia
Thousands of Hong Kong residents call for promised democratic reforms
Tens of thousands of Hong Kongers took to the streets in protest Monday, demanding their widely disliked Beijing-backed leader resign and pressing for promised democratic reforms so they can choose their own top representative. The annual protest march has become increasingly popular in recent years, underscoring the growing gulf between…
Read More » -
West Asia
Egyptian military issues ultimatum for Morsi to meet people’s demand
Egypt’s military issued a “last-chance” ultimatum Monday to President Mohammed Morsi, giving him 48 hours to meet the demands of millions of protesters in the streets seeking the ouster of the Islamist leader or the generals will intervene and impose their own plan for the country. The military’s statement, read…
Read More » -
East Asia
US Secretary of State Kerry presses N. Korea to give up nuclear program
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stepped up pressure Monday on North Korea to give up its atomic weapons program, saying key regional powers, including North Korean ally China, are all “absolutely united” in demanding nuclear disarmament. Kerry made the comments on the eve of Asia’s largest annual security conference,…
Read More »