Audit slams S. Korea's $20 bn river project
South Korea's state auditor on Friday panned President Lee Myung-Bak's $20 billion effort to dredge, dam and beautify four major rivers, saying it was riddled with costly flaws.
Reprieve for bear rescue centre in Vietnam
A sanctuary for bears rescued from the Asian bile trade which has been at the centre of a high-profile land dispute has been spared eviction by Vietnam's government.
One dead, 900 hurt in heavy Japan snowfall
Heavy snow that blanketed eastern Japan over the holiday weekend left one man dead and injured 900 others, as Tokyo commuters Tuesday took to the slippery streets.
15 January 2013
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As Australia bushfires rage, warning of more heatwaves
Firefighters were battling scores of wildfires raging in Australia Saturday, as a government commission warned that climate change had raised the risk of scorching heatwaves becoming more frequent.
13 January 2013
Mexico City steps up dog neutering drive after killings
- Hundreds of Mexico City residents brought poodles, labradors and chihuahuas to mobile sterilization units Thursday as the city stepped up a campaign to reduce the number of street dogs after a string of deadly attacks.
12 January 2013
Pollution turns Hong Kong harbour from 'fragrant' to foul
Hong Kong's name may mean "fragrant harbour", but cargo ships burning dirty fuel in what is one of the world's busiest ports add to a foul layer of pollution that kills more than 3,000 people a year.
12 January 2013
Red-dust sunset as west Australia braces for cyclone
Western Australians were bracing Friday for a cyclone with residents warned to batten down for storms and destructive winds gusting up to 140 kilometres per hour (90 mph).
11 January 2013
Passengers amazed as Australian snake clings to plane
It was not quite a "Snakes on a Plane" scenario, but passengers on a Qantas jet watched in amazement as a three-metre (nine feet) python clung to the outside of their aircraft during a flight.
11 January 2013
Japan to survey Pacific seabed for rare earth
Japan will launch a survey of its Pacific seabed, an official said Thursday, hoping to find rare earth deposits large enough to supply its high-tech industries and reduce its dependence on China.
11 January 2013
Breeding season underway for famed Galapagos tortoises
Breeding season is underway for the endangered tortoises of Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, whose mating and nesting habits are carefully watched by wildlife specialists hoping to save them from extinction.
2012 warmest on record for US, had historic extremes
2012 marked the warmest year on record for the United States and was also the second most extreme ever, the US government agency charged with monitoring weather events said.
