Xi's 'Chinese dream' aims to boost party: analysts
New leader Xi Jinping has urged China to pursue the "Chinese dream" but experts say behind the grandiose words, he is single-minded in his aim to bolster Communist Party rule.
China replaces UK in top five arms exporters: report
China has overtaken Britain to become the world's fifth largest arms exporter with five percent of the global trade, its highest position since the Cold War.
Panasonic to shrink TV business, exit plasma: report
Embattled Japanese electronics giant Panasonic plans to scale down its television business and withdraw from manufacturing plasma displays.
US to boost missile defenses against N. Korea
The US Friday said it would bolster defenses against a possible North Korean missile strike a week after Pyongyang threatened a "pre-emptive" nuclear attack against its arch-foe.
'Underground Galapagos' excites scientists
Diverse underground ecosystems buried deep beneath the Earth's crust may offer clues to the origins of life on Earth, several recent studies have revealed.
Leader of Malaysia incursion has fled: reports
The leader of a band of Filipino militants whose incursion in Malaysia has left scores dead has reportedly fled even as his own family insist he is still in the country.
China performed 330 mn abortions since 1971: data
Nearly 330 million abortions have been performed in China in the 40 years since it first implemented measures to limit population growth in the world's most populous nation.
Cherry blossom season officially begins in Tokyo
Japan's weather agency announced the official beginning of cherry blossom season in Tokyo on Saturday, equalling the record for the earliest ever start.
Philippines bets on joining gaming elite with mega casino
The Philippines was set to open a $1.2 billion giant casino on Saturday in a high-stakes bid to join the world's elite gaming destinations.
Obama reaches out to China's new president
US President Barack Obama wasted no time in courting China's new President Xi Jinping Thursday, calling him within hours of his elevation, and then pressing him on cybercrime and North Korea.
Dead pigs show dark side of China food industry
Thousands of dead pigs in a Shanghai river have cast a spotlight on China's poorly regulated farm production, with the country's favourite meat joining a long list of food scares.
Developing world's rise heralds global shift: UN
The developing world's rapid growth has sharply cut extreme poverty, created a new middle class and put the economies of Brazil, China and India on a path to overtake the globe's wealthiest nations.
Li Keqiang named China's new premier
China's parliament installed bureaucrat Li Keqiang as premier Friday, putting him in charge of running the world's second-largest economy in a final step of a landmark power transition.
Australian casino hit by 'Ocean's Eleven' scam
Australia's largest casino has alerted police to a betting scam in which a high-roller reportedly netted Aus$32 million (US$33 million) in an "Ocean's Eleven" style heist.
Aid flowing to Myanmar may hinder, not help: experts
Governments and agencies must be wary of drowning Myanmar with well-intentioned but ill-targeted aid, experts warned Thursday, admonishing the global community to "first do no harm."
Drought declared in New Zealand's North Island
New Zealand declared a drought across its entire North Island for the first time in at least 30 years on Friday, with low river levels in the capital Wellington also worrying officials.
Dreamliner 'absolutely' safe: Boeing executive
The grounded Dreamliner is "absolutely" safe and will be back in the air within weeks, planemaker Boeing said in Japan on Friday, as it sought to reassure airlines and passengers about its aircraft.
Samsung shares fall after Galaxy S4 release
Shares in Samsung Electronics fell 1.7 percent in early trade in Seoul on Friday, hours after the launch of the company's latest flagship smartphone in New York City.
Vietnam anti-China activists mark island battle
Activists in Hanoi chanted anti-China slogans and laid flowers Thursday at a protest marking the anniversary of a battle over the contested Spratly Islands in which 64 Vietnamese soldiers died.
India to hand plots of land to rural poor: reports
India's government is drawing up a major new welfare reform which would hand small plots of land to millions of homeless poor in the countryside.