Regional News

Death toll in China blast 'rises to 33'
The death toll from a blast at an explosives plant in eastern China earlier this week rose to 33 Thursday as 20 missing people were declared dead, state media reported.

NZ's Vettori out of second Test against England
Daniel Vettori was on Thursday ruled out of playing in the second and final Test against England starting in Leeds on Friday after doubts over his ability to last a five-day match.

Vettori out of second Test against England
Daniel Vettori was on Thursday ruled out of playing in the second and final Test against England starting in Leeds on Friday after doubts over his ability to last a five-day match.

China survive Indonesia scare in Sudirman Cup
Defending champions China had to dig deep to avoid a surprise defeat to Indonesia, winning 3-2 on Thursday in the quarter-finals of the Sudirman Cup.

Three Chinese ships in disputed waters: Japan
Three Chinese government ships sailed in waters around disputed islands controlled by Tokyo for about nine hours on Thursday, Japan's coastguard said.

Crane error blacks out one third of Vietnam
Over a third of Vietnam as well as the capital of neighbouring Cambodia suffered a blackout this week after a crane operator knocked a tree onto a key power line, electricity officials said Thursday.

Philippine capital angered by 'Da Vinci Code' author
Philippine authorities Thursday reacted angrily over "Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown's portrayal of Manila as "the gates of hell" in his latest novel.

Psy impersonator fools Cannes
A man from rural France impersonated South Korean "Gangnam Style" entertainer Psy at the Cannes Film Festival, eating, drinking and partying with the stars in Cannes for two days, press reports said on Thursday.

India PM pledges to clean up defence sector
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged on Thursday to crack down on corruption in the defence sector after a string of recent graft scandals left his government facing renewed calls to step down.

N. Korea wants peace, envoy tells China official
A special envoy from North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un told one of China's top officials Thursday that Pyongyang wants peace and is willing to pursue dialogue with key countries, state media reported.

Speculation over N. Korea envoy's China trip
Speculation mounted over a top North Korean military official's visit to China Thursday, as few details of his meetings were made available.

Nissan says to recall 841,000 cars over steering glitch
Japan's number two carmaker Nissan said Thursday it would recall some 841,000 compact cars worldwide due to a steering wheel problem.

Scientist's family seeks US Congress, Thai expert's help
The parents of a US scientist found hanged in Singapore last year said Thursday they will seek a US congressional inquiry and tap a celebrity Thai pathologist to prove their son was murdered.

Japan man, 80, scales Everest, sets record
An 80-year-old Japanese man who underwent heart surgery in January reached the summit of Mount Everest on Thursday, becoming the oldest person to scale the world's highest mountain.

China offers 500 troops to UN Mali force: envoys
China has offered to send more than 500 soldiers to the UN force seeking to contain Islamist militants in Mali in what would be its biggest contribution to UN peacekeeping, diplomats said Wednesday.

Bomb kills 13 in southwest Pakistan: police
A bomb planted in a rickshaw tore through a truck used by security forces in southwest Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 13 people, police said.

Bomb kills 12 in southwest Pakistan
A bomb planted in a rickshaw tore through a vehicle used by security forces in southwest Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 12 people, police said.

Legal fees scam rocks PNG government
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has threatened to sack everyone in his finance department over a $32 million scam involving top officials and lawyers, reports said Thursday.

Samsung sells more than 10 mn Galaxy S4 smartphones
South Korea's Samsung Electronics said Thursday its latest flagship Galaxy S4 had become its fastest selling smartphone to date, topping 10 million units globally less than a month after its debut.

Grounded ship is Philippines' last line of defence
  A handful of marines living on a World War II-era ship that is grounded on a remote, tiny reef is the Philippines' last line of defence against China's efforts to control most of the South China Sea.

Philippines vows to defend territory against China
The Philippines vowed Thursday to fight China "to the last man standing", as a Chinese warship patrolled around a remote reef occupied by a handful of Filipino marines in disputed waters.

Myanmar's 'goldrush' luring foreigners in droves
From seasoned investors to recent graduates armed with little more than hastily-made business cards and dreams of striking it rich, foreigners are pouring into Myanmar to stake a claim as it opens up.

Indonesian 'Hijabers' buy into an Islamic economy
Indonesian event organiser Risti Rahmadi wears an Islamic headscarf, uses halal lipstick and knows that it's time to pray when an app on her BlackBerry emits Koranic verses five times a day.

First China manufacturing shrinkage in 7 months: HSBC
Manufacturing activity in China contracted in May for the first time in seven months, HSBC said Thursday, in another sign of the weakness of recovery in the world's second-largest economy.

Outrage grows over scandal-tainted Malaysia state boss
Despite earning a civil servant's salary for three decades, Taib Mahmud, the powerful chief minister of Malaysia's Sarawak state, is reputed by critics to be one of Asia's richest men.

Kim Dotcom mulls suing tech giants for 'copyright breach'
Internet mogul Kim Dotcom said Thursday he was considering taking legal action against tech giants such as Twitter, Google and Facebook for infringing copyright on a security measure he invented.

Ford to halt car production in Australia in 2016
Ford announced Thursday it would stop making vehicles at its unprofitable Australian plants in 2016 and axe 1,200 jobs, ending an era that began in 1925 with the legendary Model T.