AsiaCalling

Home Learn English

Learn English

Learn English by reading, listening  and answering the questions from our  Asia Calling features. You can  also  find new vocabulary each week.



Burma Drops Sports to Win More Medals at SEA Games

E-mail Print PDF

This year’s SEA Games will be the first major international event to be held in Burma since the end of military rule.

Many things are at stake and Burma can’t afford to lose face.

Earlier this month, Burma announced it had dropped several popular games and included domestic sports instead.

Cherry Htike and Banyol Kong Janoi have the story.

Last Updated ( Monday, 25 February 2013 12:27 )
 

Can Barisan Nasional Win Penang Over with Gangnam Style?

E-mail Print PDF

Download PSY became a global phenomenon with his hit song ‘Gangnam Style’.

And he was invited this week to Penang to perform at a public event organised by the state’s Barisan Nasional party.

The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition lost five states in the 2008 election... and one of them was Penang.

Clarence Chua is in Georgetown to find out whether Barisan Nasional can ride on the success of Gangam Style to win votes.

Last Updated ( Monday, 18 February 2013 11:57 )
 

Young Afghans Learning to Ski

E-mail Print PDF

Download Afghan’s Bamiyan Province was once renowned for the famous Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.

Now it’s becoming a new ski destination, attracting tourists to its snowy slopes.

As Ghayor Waziri reports, many young people are flocking to the area to learn how to ski.

Last Updated ( Monday, 04 February 2013 11:41 )
 

Salwa’s Birthday Wish: No More Floods in Jakarta

E-mail Print PDF

Download Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta was recently paralyzed with major floods.  

Over 100 thousand people were forced to flee their homes as water levels reached the roof of some houses.

The governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo has declared a state of emergency until the end of January.

For young Salwa from Kampung Melayu, one of the most affected areas in the eastern part of Jakarta, this year’s floods will be a memorable one.

Samantha Yap has her story.

Last Updated ( Monday, 28 January 2013 11:56 )
 

Korean Filmmaker’s Homeland Blues

E-mail Print PDF

Download Our Homeland is a feature film about Korean man’s visit to his family in Japan after a long exile in North Korea.

The director Yang Yong-Hi leans on her own personal history and similar stories from her pro-North Korean community in Japan for the film.

Yang portrays Koreans living in Japan who were treated like second-class citizens and discriminated against.

It’s been selected as Japan’s nominee for this year’s Oscar and recently screened at a film festival in Sweden.

Ric Wasserman speaks with the director about the film.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 23 January 2013 17:43 )
 

More International Tourists Visit Afghanistan’s Herat Province

E-mail Print PDF

Afghanistan might not be your first choice for a holiday, but the number of tourists coming to Herat Province is growing.

Last year there was a 60% increase in the number of tourists to the area.

Many travel websites describe travel in Afghanistan as ‘extremely dangeorus’ but Herat is considered the safest province in the country, despite a series of bombs and suicide attacks.

More and more international tourists are flocking to visit the historic sites, the mosques and mausoleums in the city of Herat. And the growing level of tourism brings jobs for local people.

But security is still a concern.

Ghayor Waziri has more from Kabul.

Last Updated ( Monday, 14 January 2013 12:09 )
 

Gay Photo Exhibit Marks Progress in Vietnam

E-mail Print PDF

Download

“The Pink Choice” is the first of its kind, a photo exhibition of homosexual couples in Hanoi. 

On display are 45 intimate pictures of gay Vietnamese couples, which provide an insight into their everyday lives.

It comes at a time when the Vietnamese government has said it’s considering legalising same-sex marriages

 If that happens, Vietnam would be the first country in Asia to do so.

Hanoi staged its first Gay Pride in August this year, but the issue of gay rights is still very new in Vietnam.

And as D.O. Lee reports from Hanoi, the exhibit is an eye-opener for many Vietnamese.  

Last Updated ( Saturday, 29 December 2012 11:22 )
 

Efforts to End ‘Chhaupadi’ – A Monthly Stigma in Rural Nepal

E-mail Print PDF

Download

Once a month, during their menstruation period, woman in rural parts of Nepal, aren’t allowed to participate in normal family activities.

They are considered impure and have to live in a small hut with no windows, far away from their homes.

The tradition, known as chhaupadi, often leads to depression and in some cases even death.

But recently a village in far western Nepal put an end to the practice.

Sunil Neupane joins the celebrations.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 29 December 2012 11:28 )
 

Demand for Match-Making on the Rise in China

E-mail Print PDF

Download I-Research, a Chinese market research company, estimates that the number of single Chinese net users over the age of 18 is to reach nearly 200 million in 2015.

The country’s rapid economic development is affecting the way people find a soul mate.

Values are changing but family pressure to get married remains intense, so many look for external help – both online and offline.

Parents continue to gather in parks to match their children, but online match-making services and TV dating shows are becoming more and more popular and lucrative.

As Lam Li reports from Beijing, marriage is no longer a personal business in China.

Last Updated ( Monday, 17 December 2012 12:16 )
 
  • «
  •  Start 
  •  Prev 
  •  1 
  •  2 
  •  3 
  •  4 
  •  5 
  •  6 
  •  7 
  •  8 
  •  9 
  •  10 
  •  Next 
  •  End 
  • »
Page 1 of 17

Search