MANILA -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said it has approved a policy-based loan of 500 million U.S. dollars to provide the Philippines with quick access to financing in case of disasters triggered by natural hazards or health-related emergencies.

The ADB said the financing will support reforms to raise resilience and enable timely response and recovery efforts. (Philippines-ADB-Loan)

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KABUL -- The Afghan caretaker government wants the international community to differentiate between politics and humanitarian issues and not to politicize the humanitarian assistance.

"We want the countries including the United States not to politicize the humanitarian assistances," a local media outlet Tolonews quoted an official of the Ministry of Economy as saying on Tuesday. (Afghanistan-U.S.-Protest)

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KUALA LUMPUR -- The Chinese community in Malaysia welcomed the Chinese New Year with great enthusiasm, anticipating a year of greater prosperity and a chance to renew and strengthen family ties.

Fireworks lit up Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, with flashes and colorful explosions lasting for hours as people gathered across the city to enjoy the spectacular displays. (Malaysia-Chinese New Year-Celebration)

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NEW DELHI -- At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured during a stampede that took place early Wednesday at the ongoing mega Hindu festival, Maha Kumbh Mela, in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

The pre-dawn stampede was triggered after a barrier broke as tens of thousands of devotees thronged the Triveni Sangam on the occasion of taking a holy dip at Prayagraj, about 196 km south of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. (India-Stampede-Deaths) Enditem

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