Top Asia Pacific News

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Vietnam releases dissident priest
One of Vietnam's high-profile human rights activists has been released from prison, five years before the end of his sentence. Nguyen Van Ly, 63, suffered two strokes in 2009 that left him partly paralysed, and Western governments had demanded repeatedly

Foreign investment in China climbs for a seventh month
Foreign direct investment in China, the world's fastest-growing major economy, rose for a seventh month in February. Investment climbed 1.1 per cent from a year earlier to $US5.9 billion, the Ministry of Commerce press office said by phone in Beijing

Heroin smuggler challenges Singapore death sentence
Lawyers for Yong Vui Kong argue country's policy of mandatory execution in drug cases is a breach of human rights Automatic execution for drug smugglers is inhumane and disproportionate, a court in Singapore has heard, as a 21-year-old challenged his

Singapore death sentences challenged
Lawyers for Yong Vui Kong argue country's policy of mandatory execution in drug cases is a breach of human rights Automatic execution for drug smugglers is inhumane and disproportionate, a court in Singapore has heard, as a 21-year-old challenged his

Bluefin tuna: Japan 'lobbying' blasted at CITES talks
Japan was accused of scare tactics at world talks on wildlife protection on Monday as it campaigned against a proposal to curb trade in bluefin tuna, the succulent sushi delicacy. The 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Thai protesters vow to spill their blood
Protest leaders have vowed to collect blood from tens of thousands of anti-government activists and splash it onto the Thai government headquarters in a symbolic sacrifice to press their demands for new elections. As many as 100,000 Red Shirt protesters

Fiji storm 'fiercer than Katrina'
Have you had contact with anyone in Fiji? Expand Cyclone Tomas was lashing northern islands in Fiji last night with winds of up to 230 km/h, causing major damage in many areas. Photo / Supplied Shrink Cyclone Tomas was lashing northern islands in Fiji

Poisoning closes factory in China
Chinese authorities have ordered the closure of a lead ingot factory in the country's southwest after 94 people, including 88 children, in nearby villages were found to have lead poisoning. A further 745 others were waiting for their...

The invasion of English words is polluting Chinese, says translator
SHANGHAI: The ''invasion'' of English words into the Chinese language must be stopped, the country's senior translator says. Huang Youyi, of the International Federation of Translators, one of the country's largest publishers, says words such as OK,

Marriage shock for Malaysian girl, 11
An 11-year-old Malaysian girl was hospitalised in a state of shock after allegedly being abducted by a man who persuaded her parents to let him marry her. In Malaysia, girls under the age of 16 need special permission from Islamic courts to marry, but

Woman, 92, accused of Sydney murder
Police in Australia have charged a 92-year-old woman with killing her 98-year-old husband. Clare Tang is due to appear in court today on a murder charge after her husband was found dead in their apartment in downtown Sydney on...

Panic as cyclones ravage Fiji
THOUSANDS fled their homes as two massive cyclones tore through the South Pacific, flattening houses and villages. Hundreds of tourists were among the thousands hunkering down last night in hotels or evacuation shelters as the worst storm to hit Fiji in

Grenades wound soldiers in Thai fracas
BANGKOK: Grenade attacks on a Bangkok military base wounded two soldiers yesterday as tens of thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in the capital, a military spokesman said. Four M-79 grenades exploded, injuring one soldier in the arm and the

Miliband's China trip will showcase 'new UK'
The Foreign Secretary David Miliband has an opportunity today to show off a new Britain to China's 1.3 billion people. He will slide into place the last of 60,000 steel and transparent acrylic poles – each containing a seed from the Millennium Seed

China Has Traffic, Too
Here, with your daily dose of traffic schadenfreude, is Charles Komanoff, and founder of the pro-pedestrian group , with a postcard from Guangzhou, China. Here, even a month-old bus rapid transit system that already attracts half as many bus passengers

China still top buyer of US Treasuries
CHINA continued selling US Treasuries in January, though it remained the largest foreign holder following revisions showing it never actually lost the top spot to Japan. Overall, foreigners were modest net buyers of long-term US financial assets in

The average Chinese family
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Thai protesters to spill own blood on streets
Supporters of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra say they will continue their protest today by pouring 1,000 litres of their own blood on the steps of parliament. Thailand's prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva refused to meet a demand from red

Ford expects buyers to shun Japanese cars
Ford Motor Co. president and CEO Alan Mulally. 'We’re getting a lot of customers that before had selected Japanese products,' CEO Alan Mulally says Email Please enter a valid e-mail address Please enter a comma delimited list of valid e-mail addresses

Concerns about Chinese copper demand
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Fiji battered by strong winds
Source: ONE NewsCyclone Tomas hits Fiji. Photo supplied by Nilesh Kumar. (4:20) Tropical Cyclone Tomas is moving slowly over the Fiji islands, bringing winds of up to 200 kilometres an hour and heavy rain. It has torn through the islands of Vanua Levu

Thailands 'red shirt' democracy movement promises bloody protest
Thanyarat Doksone Bangkok T They later set another deadline, threatening to pour 1 million cubic centimeters of blood drawn from their ranks at Government House, the seat of government, if their renewed demand was rejected by 6 p.m. Monday. The amount

Thai PM not budging as 'red' protests clog streets
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English not OK: Chinese translator
THE ''invasion'' of English words into the Chinese language must be stopped, the country's most senior translator claims. Huang Youyi, of the International Federation of Translators, one of the country's largest publishers, says that words such as OK,

Foreign minister to arrive in China
South Korea Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan is scheduled to arrive in China tomorrow for a three-day visit. He will meet his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. It is the latest in the series of diplomatic moves among six-party dialogue partners to try to

HP extends laptop warranty after China starts probe
US computer giant Hewlett-Packard on Monday issued an apology and extended the warranty for certain laptops after China launched an investigation into consumer complaints of faulty products. HP said it was "working closely" with the country's product

Taiwan's AU Optronics to build three bln dlr China plant
AU Optronics, a leading Taiwanese flat screen manufacturer, said Monday it plans to spend three billion US US dollars building a new plant in China as it looks to tap into the huge mainland market. The announcement follows Taiwan's relaxation of

Thai PM rejects demonstrators' election ultimatum
Thailand's prime minister rejected on Monday an ultimatum by tens of thousands of protesters who demanded immediate elections as they besieged a military base where his government was holed up. The 'Red Shirts', loyal to deposed premier Thaksin

Google may leave China
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Google appears to be getting closer to shutting down its strictly monitored search engine in China, according to news reports. The reports, which cited people close to the situation, indicate that Google advertisers in China