Rescuers Keep Digging to Reach Indonesian Miners
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Rescuers are working for a fourth day to dig through a caved-in tunnel at a giant U.S.-owned gold and copper mine in Indonesia to try to reach 23 trapped workers. The operator of the Grasberg mine in Indonesia’s province of Papua, PT Freeport Indonesia, said Friday that rescuers had successfully cleared two passages to provide access for heavy equipment to help expedite the rescue…
Bombs at mosques in northwest Pakistan kill 15
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Bombs that exploded outside two mosques in a village in northwestern Pakistan killed at least 15 people Friday, underlining the challenge of militant violence facing a new government set to take power under the leadership of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Chinese tourists warned over behaviour abroad
A senior Chinese Communist Party official has called for Chinese tourists to behave more politely when travelling abroad. Wang Yang, one of China's four vice-prime ministers, said the "uncivilised behaviour" of some Chinese tourists was harming the country's image. Among problems he singled out were talking loudly in public and spitting. However, the BBC's Celia Hatton in Beijing says some Chinese complain they are treated badly abroad. Foreign travel is becoming ever more…
World stocks strong into the weekend
AMSTERDAM (AP) — World stock markets rose steadily on Friday after two key indicators suggested the U.S. economic expansion will continue.
Cyclonic storm ‘Mahasen’: Death toll in Bangladesh climbs to 48
Dhaka: The death toll in the cyclonic storm ‘Mahasen’ that battered Bangladesh’s southwestern coastlines climbed to 48 on Friday as bodies of nine children were pulled out from the Bay of Bengal. The cyclonic storm ‘Mahasen’ battered the country’s southwestern coastlines, damaging thousands of thatched houses and forcing evacuation of over one million people from low-lying areas. A total of 48 people, including 15 children, were…
Bomb kills 9 inside elite Afghan housing complex
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan officials say a car bomb has exploded inside an elite gated community linked to the family of President Hamid Karzai near the southern city of Kandahar. At least nine people are dead and more than 70 wounded.
Burma’s Thein Sein heads to US for first state visit
Burma's President Thein Sein is heading to the US and will meet President Obama on Monday – in the first state visit by a Burmese leader since 1966. More than 20 political prisoners have been pardoned in advance of his trip. Mr Sein hopes to discuss US assistance in developing "security…
Bombs at mosques in northwest Pakistan kill 15
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Bombs that exploded outside two mosques in a village in northwestern Pakistan killed at least 15 people Friday, underlining the challenge of militant violence facing a new government set to take power under the leadership of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The blasts at the two Sunni Muslim mosques also wounded 70 people, said tribal police officer Mohammad Jamil Khan. Both of the mosques were badly damaged, and the roof of one of them collapsed. The mosques were located in Baz Darrah village in the Malakand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said another tribal police officer, Badshah Rehman. Shahid Ali, who was in the first mosque that was attacked, said…
Chinese web activists see new pressure from censors
For years it has been difficult to work out who is winning China's internet battle: the forces of censorship or the forces of freedom of expression. But the country's new government, in power for only a few months, appears to have launched a new offensive, closing the social media accounts of some influential opponents. Zhang Xuezhong, a lawyer and university lecturer, shows me some of the technological tricks he uses to try to evade the censors. But each new blog he sets up is discovered and blocked within just a few days. Before the censors moved in, his blog had flourished, unfettered and free, for 18 months, and gathered more than 200,000…
Censorship: Who is winning China’s battle for the internet?
For several years in China it has been difficult to establish which is…
Indonesia
Indonesia Travel Guide
With 17,508 islands Indonesia has it all: bustling cities, green rice paddies & glorious beaches. Read all about it in our Indonesia travel guide.
Malaysia
Malaysia Travel Guide
Malaysia, truly Asia! Read about multicultural Malaysia, the people, the culture & the food in our Malaysia travel guide.
Singapore
Singapore Travel Guide
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