News Archives

N. Korea Is Said to Execute Finance Chief
The fate of the official, Pak Nam-gi, the ruling Workers’ Party’s finance and planning department chief, who is said to have spearheaded the currency reform, became a focal point of speculation when he failed to appear at any official functions reported in the North Korean news media for the past two months. Change Comes to Myanmar, but Only on the Junta’s Terms
Myanmar may be slowly moving away from years of authoritarianism and Soviet-style economic policies that have left most of its people in dire poverty. Business Sours on China
China's relationship with foreign companies is starting to sour, as tougher government policies and intensifying domestic competition combine to make one of the world's most important markets less friendly to multinationals. South Korea: Into position
Koreans have a ghost to exorcise. It is that of Yi Jun, the bow-tied envoy with upward-twirled moustache who in 1907 was denied a hearing at the second international peace conference in The Hague. Knowing this meant Japanese colonial designs on his nation had become unstoppable, Korean tradition says, Yi killed himself in his hotel room. Culture clash over Japanese whaling
Clashes between Japanese whaling vessels and activists from the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling group have received global attention, but do not go down well in Japan, where whale meat is still considered a delicacy, as the BBC's Roland Buerk reports. Conundrum of Kerala's struggling economy
Why is India's most socially developed state - and one of the developing world's most advanced regions - an economic laggard? Burma and N Korea slam UN reports
Burma and North Korea have rejected UN condemnation of human rights abuses at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Pink Everest: Nepal appeals for gay tourists
The conservative Hindu nation wants a chunk of the multibillion dollar gay tourist market to help pull it out of poverty. North Korea’s Currency Revaluation Led to Food Crisis, UN Says
The North Korean government’s revaluation of its currency last year caused severe inflation and, combined with a poor harvest, produced “widespread suffering,” a United Nations human rights analyst said. Rich Chinese Communists Channel U.S. Tea Party in Tax Debate
Blame former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. He altered party doctrine in 2002, encouraging private entrepreneurs to join. Now some of the most financially successful members are voicing opposition to government initiatives from within the system. Mystery of missing Chinese lawyer Gao Zhisheng deepens
The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Chinese rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng continues following comments from China's foreign minister. Thai Protesters Arm Themselves With Blood, Feces
Thailand's street protesters are taking extreme measures to cut through the noisy debate about who should run their country. The newest tactics: Splattering their own blood in an elaborate curse and hurling exploding bags of feces. China's democratic 'window dressing'
University professor Xu Hui is a rare breed of politician in China - he is not a member of the Chinese Communist Party. On/Off: Can South Koreans survive without the web?
South Korea is often called the world's most wired society, boasting the fastest average broadband speeds on the planet. What happens when you ask two families to live without the web for one week? 'Arms drive' in South East Asia
South East Asian nations are ramping up their military capacity in a move that could destabilise the region, a new report says. Indian Cabinet Approves Foreign University Proposal
India's cabinet approved a proposal to allow foreign universities to set up branches here, potentially opening a huge market to international educational institutions. China Uses Rules on Global Trade to Its Advantage
Beijing uses inconsistencies in international trade rules to spur its own economy at the expense of others. Thai Protesters Shut Down Parts of Bangkok
Antigovernment protesters shut down parts of the Thai capital on Monday but appeared a long way from achieving their goal of forcing the government to step down. Hanbok: a renaissance or extinction?
"You know how they say the sky is its darkest right before dawn breaks," Kim expressed hope for the future of hanbok. "I think that this might be (hanbok's) darkest hour." Taiwan Charity Has Global Reach
The reach of this 44-year-old charity now extends across much of the developing world, from Ethiopia to El Salvador to Myanmar, and it offers a view of how Asian philanthropy may evolve in an era of rising affluence.