Nepal’s new PM Sushila Karki’s husband was involved in 1973 plane hijacking

Sushila Karki, Nepal’s first female Prime Minister and a former Chief Justice, is married to politician Durga Prasad Subedi, who was involved in a 1973 plane hijacking. At the time a youth leader in the Nepali Congress, Subedi, along with Nagendra Dhungel and Basanta Bhattarai, hijacked a 19-seater plane from Biratnagar to Kathmandu, carrying Rs30 […]

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Nepal appoints first female Prime Minister as President dissolves Parliament, sets March elections

Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Poudel on Friday named former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the country’s interim prime minister, marking the first time a woman has led the nation’s government. The appointment followed widespread unrest that led to the downfall of the previous administration. Acting on Karki’s recommendation, the president also dissolved the […]

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China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, sails through Taiwan Strait

BEIING: China said on Friday that its third and newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, recently sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait to carry out “scientific research trials and training missions” in the South China Sea. Beijing has ploughed billions of dollars into modernizing its military in recent years, a trend that has unnerved some governments […]

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Nepal’s former chief justice Karki likely to be appointed interim PM

Nepal’s former chief justice Sushila Karki is likely to be appointed as interim prime minister, a source aware of the talks told Reuters today (12 September), after intense anti-graft protests led to the resignation of KP Sharma Oli. The Himalayan nation’s worst upheaval in years, which killed 34 people last week and injured more than […]

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Japan ends long-running Russia outreach as war, Western pressure and suspicions take toll

By Julian Ryall Tokyo will close all six of its government-funded Japan Centre offices in Russia – long tasked with promoting trade, language education and business ties – citing major changes in bilateral relations and the view that their mission has run its course. While Japanese officials framed the move as a functional decision, analysts […]

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Will Indonesia’s US$80 billion sea wall hold firm against environmental critics?

By Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is seeking China’s help to build a US$80 billion giant sea wall along the northern coast of Java in a project that officials see as essential to protecting millions of residents and key industries from rising seas and sinking land, despite criticisms over its financial and environmental costs. President Prabowo […]

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Malaysia’s top mall rolls dice with flag ban over Gaza protests: ‘do you want a boycott?’

By Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s most famous shopping centre edged closer to a damaging boycott after threatening to throw out a second group of pro-Palestinian protesters carrying flags, prompting calls for a mass gathering inside the plaza after Friday prayers. The management of Suria KLCC shopping arcade – at the bottom of the Petronas Twin Towers […]

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