News Archives

Countdown to a total solar eclipse
More than 50,000 tourists are expected to converge on Australia for the year's only total solar eclipse on Nov. 13-14 — and I'm one of them. If you're not, don't despair: There'll be ample webcasts of the event, thanks to the magic of the Internet. India: Fresh bird flu outbreak in Bangalore
Authorities in India's Bangalore city have culled about 30,000 birds after an outbreak of bird flu was confirmed. UN report: Opium cultivation rising in Burma
Opium growing has increased in Burma for a sixth year running despite eradication efforts, a UN report says. Thousands of US, Japan troops set to hold drill amid China tensions
Japan and the United States will hold a biennial joint military exercise in Japan in November in a move likely to further anger China amid heightened tensions between the two Asian giants over disputed islets in the East China Sea. Japan tsunami reconstruction money 'misspent'
Japan has spent funds intended for reconstruction after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami on unrelated projects, a government audit has found. Pakistani radical wanted by U.S. offers aid to victims of Sandy
As residents of the U.S. Northeast grapple with the destruction wrought by Superstorm Sandy, an offer of assistance has come from an unlikely quarter: the leader of a radical Muslim group in Pakistan who has a $10 million bounty on him from U.S. authorities. India Maoist rebels to stop brutal execution methods
Maoist rebels in India will put an end to their most brutal methods of execution, a senior rebel leader has told the BBC. Singapore Airline buy 10% stake in Virgin Australia
Singapore Airlines has bought a 10% stake in Virgin Australia as it looks to counter the growing strength of competitors in the region. WWII bomb find closes Japan's Sendai airport
A major airport in northern Japan was closed after an unexploded bomb believed to be from WWII was found near a runway during construction work. South Korea activists send leaflets to North
Activists in South Korea have sent propaganda leaflets to the North, a week after Pyongyang threatened military action over a similar launch. Facebook used to kidnap, traffic Indonesian girls
When a 14-year-old girl received a Facebook friend request from an older man she didn't know, she accepted it out of curiosity. It's a click she will forever regret, leading to a brutal story that has repeated itself as sexual predators find new ways to exploit Indonesia's growing obsession with social media. Hurricane Sandy grounds thousands of flights worldwide
Airlines around the world have cancelled flights to and from the northeast United States because of the growing threat from deadly Hurricane Sandy. Indonesia police arrest 11 over suspected terror plots
Police in Indonesia say they have arrested 11 people they suspect of planning to attack Western targets. Taiwan arrests suspected military spies for China
Taiwan has arrested three retired military officers suspected of spying for China, officials say. Al Qaeda leader urges kidnapping of Westerners
The leader of al Qaeda has called on Muslims to kidnap Westerners to exchange for imprisoned jihadists. Myanmar fighting kills 84, displaces at least 22,500
The death toll from fighting between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmar last week has risen to 84 and at least 22,500 people have been displaced by the sectarian violence, state media and the United Nations say. China blocks New York Times website after story on leader's family wealth
Chinese authorities on Friday blocked access inside the country to the English and Chinese websites of The New York Times after they published an article reporting that family members of Premier Wen Jiabao had amassed a fortune worth billions of dollars. Myanmar gov't pleads for end to ethnic strife
Myanmar's government has appealed for peace in the western state of Rakhine, warning that ethnic violence there that has taken at least 56 lives in recent days risks harming the country's reputation as it seeks to install democratic rule. Fukushima fish still contaminated from nuclear accident
Levels of radioactive contamination in fish caught off the east coast of Japan remain raised, official data shows. Does Indian anti-graft crusader have solutions?
Since launching his own political party this month, a fiery former tax officer has become the bane some of India's most powerful politicians, publicly accusing them — by name — of corruption.