site.news_by_theme Asia Pacific
US envoy Kennedy visits Nagasaki atomic bomb site
Washington's new ambassador to Tokyo, Caroline Kennedy, visited Nagasaki on Tuesday and paid tribute at a memorial to those killed when the United States dropped its second atomic bomb on Japan.
10 December 2013
Astana model to represent Kazakhstan at Miss Tourism International 2013
Anastasia Aimurazayeva from Astana will represent Kazakhstan at the Miss Tourism International 2013 to be held on December 31 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
10 December 2013
Nuclear war to 'end civilization' with famine: study
A nuclear war between India and Pakistan would set off a global famine that could kill two billion people and effectively end human civilization, a study said Tuesday.
10 December 2013
'Murdochisevil' appears in News Corp paper puzzle
Rupert Murdoch has made enemies in his rise to become the world's most powerful media baron, and that apparently includes someone at his Sunday Telegraph newspaper in Australia.
10 December 2013
Star wine dealer goes on trial for fraud in NYC
Star Indonesian-born wine dealer Rudy Kurniawan went on trial in New York Monday, accused of blending ordinary wines into fake vintages in his California kitchen to sell to wealthy collectors.
10 December 2013
Environmentalists hail China's banquet ban on shark fin
Environmentalists hailed Monday a Chinese government ban on serving shark's fin, bird's nest soup and other wild animal products at official functions, saying it will set a precedent that will help protect endangered species.
10 December 2013
Sydney Opera House tiles up for 'virtual' sale
The Sydney Opera House has come up with a novel new way to raise funds and boost the building's profile by selling "virtual" ownership of the tiles on its tallest sail.
09 December 2013
Coal rush ravages Indonesian Borneo
Barges loaded with mountains of coal glide down the polluted Mahakam River on Indonesian Borneo every few minutes. Viewed from above, they form a dotted black line as far as the eye can see, destined for power stations in China and India.
09 December 2013
Qantas steward with Parkinson's to sue over pesticide link
A former Qantas steward who believes he developed Parkinson's disease after repeated exposure to government-mandated pesticides sprayed in the cabin plans to sue Canberra, his lawyer said Monday.
09 December 2013
North Korea says leader's uncle sacked for 'criminal' acts
North Korea has said leader Kim Jong-Un's uncle was removed from office for committing "criminal" acts and for leading a "counter-revolutionary faction", state news agency KCNA reported Monday.
09 December 2013
Air pollution in Europe kills even at guideline levels
Europeans with long-term exposure to particulate pollution from road traffic or industry run a higher risk of premature death, even if air quality meets EU standards, a study said on Monday.
09 December 2013
WTO hails 'historic' trade agreement
Commerce ministers capped days of hard negotiations Saturday by approving a WTO agreement on international commerce they hailed as a "historic" boost for the trade body.
07 December 2013
US looks to manage, not end, China air rift
The United States has strenuously objected to China's new air zone over islands managed by Japan, but experts say its best hope is to contain rather than end tensions.
07 December 2013
Japanese parliament passes controversial secrets law
Japan's parliament on Friday adopted a law on protecting state secrets despite a public outcry, with strong opposition from the media and academics who fear it will infringe on the right to information and free expression.
07 December 2013
Hong Kong's endangered fishermen face depleted seas
He comes from a proud line of fishermen, but 23-year-old Ng Ka-Ho is unsure of his future nearly one year after a ban on trawling in Hong Kong hastened the local industry's decline.
07 December 2013
WTO pact in doubt after Latin America objections
Negotiations on a global trade deal teetered on the brink of collapse Saturday as Latin American countries objected to the removal of a reference to the US embargo on Cuba, the WTO said.
07 December 2013
N.Korea deports detained US citizen Merrill Newman
North Korea said Saturday it has deported an American veteran of the Korean War who had been detained there since October for what Pyongyang described as "hostile acts" against the communist country.
07 December 2013
Make-or-break WTO meeting goes down to the wire
Commerce ministers engaged in an eleventh-hour flurry of diplomacy on Friday, hoping to save a WTO package amid stark warnings that failure could permanently cripple the global trade body.
06 December 2013
Biden says US 'pivot' to Asia cannot be derailed
US Vice President Joe Biden said Friday there should be no doubt about US commitment to its strategic shift to Asia as he started the final leg of a regional tour dominated by security concerns.
06 December 2013
Chinese filmmaker faces billion-yuan lawsuit over children
Top Chinese film director Zhang Yimou is facing a billion-yuan lawsuit after violating the country's controversial one-child policy, state media reported Friday.
06 December 2013