News Archives

Australia 'breached rights' of Indonesian minors
Australia has breached the rights of Indonesian children who arrived as crew on people-smuggling boats and were jailed as adults, a report finds. US: China human rights 'deteriorating'
The US has called on China to address its ''deteriorating'' human rights situation following an annual dialogue. South Korea growth slowest since 2009
South Korea's economic growth rate fell in the second quarter to its lowest level in nearly three years as export markets struggled and consumer sentiment flagged. In Japan, a nuclear ghost town stirs to life
The main street is deserted and quiet except for the eerie echoes of music being played somewhere in the distance. Pieces of shattered glass lie scattered along sidewalks outside collapsed buildings, some with their second-story roofs smashed flat on the pavement. Yards and driveways are overgrown with weeds, and schools and playgrounds are silent and forlorn. UN denounces Nepal school attacks claimed by Maoists
The UN in Nepal has condemned an increasing number of attacks on schools by youth activists which it says has put the lives of children in danger. Myanmar sentences 92 Thai nationals to jail terms
A court in southern Myanmar has sentenced 92 Thai nationals to three and a half years in prison for entering the country illegally to grow crops. Indian troops try to quell NE violence; 38 dead
Thousands of Indian troops marched through a northeast region Wednesday to quell ethnic violence that has killed at least 38 people, but roving bands of rioters continued sporadic attacks, ripping apart homes and setting them on fire. Burma sentences Thai farmers for farming over border
A group of Thai farmers has been sentenced to jail for illegally farming in Burma, according to Thailand's foreign ministry. Philippine massacre witnesses placed under guard
Several witnesses to a 2009 election-related massacre of 57 people have been placed under government protection following a spate of killings of other witnesses to the country's worst political bloodletting in recent years, officials said Wednesday. State media: North Korea's Kim Jong Un has married
North Korea's youthful leader, Kim Jong Un, has married a woman identified as Ri Sol Ju, North Korean state TV reported Wednesday, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry. PNG leaders O'Neill and Somare form joint government
Papua New Guinea PM Peter O'Neill has announced that he will be heading the next government with the support of former bitter rival Sir Michael Somare. China President Hu Jintao in unity call
Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for unity in the Communist Party in the face of "unprecedented challenges", in a speech ahead of a leadership change this year. Hong Kong cleans up in aftermath of Typhoon Vicente
Hong Kong is cleaning up Tuesday after a severe typhoon struck the city with gale-force winds and rain, shuttering much of the city and injuring at least 129 people. Vietnam ranks worst in wildlife crime report
A conservation group ranked Vietnam the worst country for wildlife crime Monday in its first-ever report on how well 23 Asian and African countries protect rhinos, tigers and elephants. Indian court bans tourism in tiger reserve 'core zones'
The Supreme Court in India has ordered a ban on tourism in "core zones" of more than 40 of the country's central government-run tiger reserves. Manila OKs pact allowing drills with Aussie troops
The Philippine Senate has approved an accord allowing Australian troops to enter the country for combat exercises with Filipino forces. China releases South Korean human rights activists
South Korea says China has released four South Korean human rights activists detained since March for allegedly undermining China's state security. Bangladesh war graves: India 'to help locate fighters' remains'
India has said it is "committed" to finding the graves and handing over the remains of fighters who perished in Bangladesh's 1971 independence struggle against Pakistan. Muslims in Burma's Rakhine state 'abused' - Amnesty
Muslims in Burma's western Rakhine state have been subjected to attacks and arbitrary arrests in the weeks since communal violence erupted, Amnesty International says. Indonesia cuts off millions of porn sites for Ramadan
Indonesia's minister of information said more than 1 million pornographic websites have been shut down in that country ahead of Ramadan, Islam's holiest month, which begins at sunset Thursday.