N. Korea threatens South over 'monstrous' act North Korea's military on Tuesday threatened the South with imminent "sledge-hammer" retaliation unless Seoul apologised for anti-Pyongyang protestors burning effigies of its revered leaders.
Organised crime worth $90 bn a year in East Asia Organised crime groups dealing in fake goods, drugs, human trafficking and illicit wildlife trade earn nearly $90 billion annually in East Asia and the Pacific.
S. Korea proposes $17.3 bn extra budget for 2013 South Korea proposed Tuesday a 17.3 trillion won ($15.4 billion) supplementary budget to help boost the economy, including further spending on defence at a time of heightened tensions with the North.
16 April 2013
UN agencies in appeal to save Syrians from catastrophe Leaders of five UN agencies on Monday appealed to the international community to stop the "cruelty and carnage" in Syria, warning they may soon be forced to suspend humanitarian aid to the war-torn country.
New Zealand set to legalise gay marriage New Zealand is poised to become the first Asia-Pacific nation to legalise same-sex marriage in a parliamentary vote that gay rights advocates on Tuesday hailed as a milestone for equality.
Breast cancer gene patents reach US high court The US Supreme Court heard the most high-profile genetics case in history on Monday, as justices considered whether private firms should be allowed to patent human genes linked to breast cancer.