In South Korea and Japan, culture bridges historical divides: ‘quite a contrast’

By David D. Lee In Seoul’s hip Hongdae neighbourhood, 19-year-old Choi Jae-eun is already deep in conversation with her friend about the latest anime drop on Netflix. The pair are making their way to Animate, a shop inside AK Plaza whose shelves overflow with Japanese manga, anime figurines and limited-edition merchandise. Pop-up stalls themed around […]

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Putin agreed to let US, Europe offer NATO-style security protections for Ukraine: Trump envoy

NEW YORK: Special US envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed at his summit with President Donald Trump to allow the US and European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the 3 1/2-year war. “We were able […]

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Can India Survive the Trade War?

By Eleanor Hume and Kyle Rutter New Delhi has been blindsided by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent tariff temper tantrums. While Indian policymakers anticipated some trade tensions with the United States during Trump’s second term, they hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong rapport with Trump, along with the geostrategic importance of the India-U.S. partnership, […]

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Over the Past Eight Years, New Uzbekistan Has Absorbed Over $113 Billion in Foreign Investments

By Professor Durbek Akhmedov On the eve of the 34th anniversary of our country’s independence, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund finalized the 2025 consultations under Article IV of the IMF Agreement. The Fund’s main conclusion is that Uzbekistan’s economic outlook remains positive amid continued progress in the transition to a market economy. […]

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Filipinos push for sex education as teen births, HIV cases rise but is Philippines ready?

By Sam Beltran Almost three in four Filipinos believe that schools should teach children about sex and reproductive health, a new survey has shown – a marked shift in public sentiment that advocates say underscores the urgency of combating disinformation and religious resistance as teen pregnancies and HIV cases surge in the Philippines. In the […]

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South Korea, Japan aim to show solidarity amid conflicting US signals at Tokyo summit

By Park Chan-kyong South Korea and Japan could use their coming bilateral summit to project stability to Washington, which was simultaneously imposing high tariffs on its allies while seeking their cooperation to counter China, analysts said. The summit, scheduled for August 23 in Tokyo, will be the first full bilateral meeting between South Korean President […]

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Japan’s naval move to New Zealand challenges China’s ‘geopolitical opportunism’

By Maria Siow Japan’s recent dispatch of warships to New Zealand – its first in nearly 90 years – signals Tokyo’s intention to take on a greater security role in the region and counter what analysts call increasing Chinese “geopolitical opportunism”. Carrying more than 500 crew, the two Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyers docked in Wellington […]

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Northeast India: Journalism, ethics, focus area of coverage, etc

By Nava Thakuria Is it ethically (logically) correct for an editor of a daily newspaper to regularly write a column for another daily (where both dailies are published in the same language and from the same region) ? Does the practice indirectly prove that the columnist-editor simply failed to increase the visibility of his/her newspaper […]

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Can Indonesia’s new task force in Bali keep unruly tourists in check?

By Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has set up a new immigration task force to keep lawbreaking foreigners in Bali in check, but critics warn the presence of uniformed officers on the popular resort island risks putting tourists on edge. Agus Andrianto, minister of immigration and corrections, on August 5 inaugurated the Immigration Patrol Task Force […]

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Revived Silk Route allows US to steam ahead of China, Russia in South Caucasus

By Tom Hussain The shortest Silk Route between China and Europe is set to reopen for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, following last Friday’s agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan to end the conflict that had been blocking the way. Ironically, the obstacle was cleared by China’s nemesis, United States President […]

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