-
West Asia
US Secretary of State Kerry meets with Palestinian President Abbas
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, May 23, 2013. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in Jerusalem Thursday, May 23, 2013. The United…
Read More » -
West Asia
Arab FMs attend emergency meeting on Syria at AL headquaters in Cairo
Foreign ministers attend the emergency meeting of Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria at the headquarters of Cairo-based Arab League (AL) in Cairo, Egypt, May. 23, 2013. The Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria held an emergency meeting Thursday here in the headquarters of Cairo-based Arab League (AL) to discuss efforts exerted to…
Read More » -
East Asia
Chinese Premier Li meets Pakistani President to strengthen alliance
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) meets with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad, Pakistan, May 22, 2013. <Xinhua/Pang Xinglei> Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, center, and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, fourth right, watch as Pakistani and Chinese officials, foreground, sign an agreement during a ceremony in Islamabad, Pakistan…
Read More » -
East Asia
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sends special envoy to China
After months of ignoring Chinese warnings to give up nuclear weapons, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a high-level confidant to Beijing on Wednesday, in a possible effort to mend strained ties with his country’s most important ally and a sign that he may be giving diplomacy a chance.…
Read More » -
West Asia
‘Friends of Syria’ meeting: US, allies to increase support to Syrian rebels
The United States and its European and Arab allies on Wednesday said they would increase support to rebels until the formation of a transitional government in Syria. In a communique issued by “Friends of Syria” meeting, the foreign ministers of the United States, several Arab and European states said that…
Read More » -
North Korea sanctions threaten humanitarian aid group
Aid agencies helping millions of people in North Korea could be forced to pull out after a Chinese bank cut ties with main foreign exchange bank, a humanitarian group said on May 22. The freeze – imposed amid growing concern over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions – has made it impossible…
Read More » -
South Asia
Afghan President meets Indian counterpart to seek military aid
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, right, listens to Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a meeting at the Indian Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Karzai is meeting with Indian leaders and is expected to seek increased military aid from India. India has invested more than $2 billion…
Read More » -
West Asia
US Secretary of State Kerry meets Omani Sultan to discuss Syria plan
Secretary of State John Kerry headed back to the Middle East on Monday to press his case for peace talks between Syrian rebels and President Bashar Assad’s regime amid increasing signs the new U.S. strategy to halt the war is being undermined by Russia. Kerry will first have discussions with…
Read More » -
West Asia
8 candidates determined for June 14 Iranian presidential election
Iran’s election overseers removed potential wild-card candidates from the presidential race Tuesday, blocking a top aide of outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a former president who revived hopes of reformers. Their exclusion from the June 14 presidential ballot gives establishment-friendly candidates a clear path to succeed Ahmadinejad, who has lost…
Read More » -
Politics
Asia-Pacific leaders warn of water conflict threat
Fierce competition for water could trigger conflict unless nations cooperate to share the diminishing resource, leaders from Asia-Pacific nations warned on May 20 at a regional water security forum. From Central to Southeast Asia, regional efforts to secure water have sparked tensions between neighbors reliant on rivers to sustain booming…
Read More »