site.news_by_theme Asia Pacific
Australia's top court overrules gay marriage in capital
Australia's High Court on Thursday struck down gay marriage in the nation's capital where dozens have wed under a landmark law, ruling that parliament must decide whether to approve same-sex unions.
13 December 2013
PSY and Ylvis top YouTube 2013 video hit list
A Norwegian comedy duo and South Korean rap music sensation PSY topped a list of hit videos shared at Google-owned YouTube this year.
12 December 2013
Hit like ton of BRICS: 2013 tough year for emerging markets
Only recently hailed as the saviours of the world economy, emerging markets had a tough year in 2013, hit by slow growth, market instability and social unrest that have worried investors -- though some analysts say the fear is overblown.
12 December 2013
North Korea may be set for 'Cultural Revolution': Japan
The recent purge of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's once-powerful uncle could herald a period of radical upheaval comparable to China's Cultural Revolution, Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera said Thursday.
12 December 2013
Japan Buddhists launch Monks Without Borders
First it was the doctors, then came the reporters, now a group of religious men in Japan have formed Monks Without Borders.
12 December 2013
Apple wins court battle against Samsung
South Korea's Samsung on Thursday lost its latest claim in a long-running global copyright battle against bitter rival Apple, a surprise blow to the electronics giant in its home market.
12 December 2013
Vietnam shipping executives on trial for embezzlement
Former top executives at Vietnam's scandal-hit national shipping company Vinalines went on trial Thursday for embezzlement and defying state regulations.
12 December 2013
US House votes to get tough on child abduction
The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday to punish countries that do not promptly return abducted children, upping pressure in an issue that has soured relations with Japan and other allies.
12 December 2013
Kerry marks 70th birthday with return to Israel
US Secretary of State John Kerry was marking his 70th birthday Wednesday leaving again for Israel, in his dogged quest for an elusive Middle East peace deal.
12 December 2013
India's top court upholds law criminalising gay sex
India's Supreme Court Wednesday upheld a colonial-era law criminalising homosexuality in a landmark judgment that crushes activists' hopes for guarantees on sexual freedom in the world's biggest democracy.
11 December 2013
Kazakh PM visits South Korea
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Akhmetov has signed a number of cooperation agreements with South Korea in Seoul.
11 December 2013
Airline's pay-by-weight fares take off with passengers
The head of a tiny Pacific airline that pioneered a fare system based on passengers' weight said Wednesday the move had been so successful the carrier is upgrading its fleet.
11 December 2013
Coal port plan will kill Great Barrier Reef: activists
Conservationists on Wednesday slammed Australia's approval for an Indian firm to expand a major coal port on the Great Barrier Reef coast, warning it would hasten the natural wonder's demise.
11 December 2013
Car maker Holden to close Australian plants in 2017
Struggling automaker GM Holden on Wednesday said it will shut down its manufacturing operations in Australia by 2017, shedding 2,900 jobs, in a major blow to the nation's car industry.
11 December 2013
Chinese investors look to mine Bitcoin volatility
Chinese speculators have seen Bitcoin values plunge, soar and plunge again within days, but say the virtual currency's extreme volatility is a profit opportunity despite the white-knuckle ride.
11 December 2013
Thousands take to Cambodia's streets on Human Rights Day
Thousands of Cambodian opposition supporters and activists, including Buddhist monks, took to the streets Tuesday to mark Human Rights Day and call for improvements in the kingdom's rights record.
10 December 2013
Nokia faces $3.4 bln tax claim in India: report
Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia faces a tax bill of more than 210 billion rupees ($3.4 billion) in India from liabilities arising out of unpaid charges and penalties since 2006, a report said Tuesday.
10 December 2013
China seen as 'confident', 'belligerent': state media
People around the world see China as "confident", "belligerent" and "arrogant", state-run media reported Tuesday in an unusually direct survey of attitudes towards the country.
10 December 2013
Agonising wait for the missing in Philippine wastelands
In the grieving, grey wastelands that were once bustling towns on tropical Philippine islands, thousands of typhoon survivors are enduring an agonising wait of hope and denial for news of loved ones.
10 December 2013
Walk this way, says China's heavy metal shoe maker
A Chinese factory worker says walking in huge iron shoes weighing more than 200 kilograms each can cure back pain, but faces hefty competition in his bid to build the country's heaviest footwear.
10 December 2013