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West Asia
A Kuwaiti woman sentenced 11-year term due to insulting emir on twitter
Kuwait opposition groups say a woman has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after convictions that include insulting the Gulf nation’s ruler and encouraging his overthrow. Monday’s court decision is among the harshest punishments given in the Gulf region as authorities increasingly crack down on perceived dissent on social…
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West Asia
Turkish PM Erdogan to meet protesters to get out of impasse
Turkey’s prime minister will meet with a group of protesters occupying Istanbul’s central Taksim Square this week, the deputy prime minister said Monday, as the government sought a way out of the impasse that has led to hundreds of protests in dozens of cities. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said,…
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West Asia
Trial on former Egyptian President Mubarak adjourned to July 6
A Cairo court adjourned to July 6 the retrial of former President Hosni Mubarak over charges of corruption and involvement in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ousted him. The court on Monday also ruled to release his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, who are on trial…
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West Asia
Turkish PM accuses protesters of creating environment of terror
In a series of increasingly belligerent speeches to cheering supporters Sunday, Turkey’s prime minister demanded an end to the 10-day anti-government protests that have spread across the country, saying those who do not respect the government will pay. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his patience was running out with the protesters,…
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West Asia
Turkish protesters practice yoga at Gezi park of Taksim Square
Turkey’s prime minister took a combative stance on his closely watched return to the country early Friday, telling supporters who thronged to greet him that the protests that have swept the country must come to an end. In the first extensive public show of support since anti-government protests erupted last…
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South Asia
Afghan boys collect recyclable items on World Environment Day
A Pakistani boy searches for recyclable items from a garbage dump on the eve of World Environment Day in northwest Pakistan’s Peshawar, June 4, 2013. The World Environment Day that falls on June 5 is celebrated by the United Nations to stimulate worldwide awareness of environmental issues and encourages political…
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West Asia
Afghan women read books at literacy class
An Afghan woman reads a book at a literacy class in Bamyan province, Afghanistan, June 4, 2013. Some Afghan women attend a literacy class in central Bamyan province, 130km west of capital Kabul. The adult literacy rate in the war-hit country is 39% while the adult female literacy rate remains…
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West Asia
Thousands of Shiite pilgrims commemorate death of reversed saint
Tens of thousands of Shiite pilgrims are converging on a golden-domed Shiite shrine in northern Baghdad to commemorate the death of a revered Shiite Muslim saint. Security is tight after a wave of deadly attacks. Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Col. Saad Maan Ibrahim said Tuesday that several thousand policemen and…
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West Asia
Protest continues in Turkey while gov’t apologize for violent crackdown
Turkey’s deputy prime minister offered an apology Tuesday for the government’s violent crackdown on an environmental protest, a calculated bid to ease days of anti-government rallies in the country’s major cities. The message was a bit mixed, however, as hundreds of riot police deployed with water cannons around the prime…
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West Asia
Afghan President Hamid Karzai favors security agreement with US
Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he favors a security agreement with America allowing some of its troops to remain after the end of 2014 but wants unspecified “guarantees.” Karzai provided no details when he spoke Thursday at a gathering on rural development. But he has said in the past that…
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