A leaked report purportedly drafted by authorities in Myanmar’s military government describes a top-secret visit to North Korea late last year by Myanmar's top brass, during which the two sides pledged to significantly expand cooperation in military training and arms production, Radio Free Asia (RFA)...

The role of design in reinventing the world's factory was in the spotlight at a recent conference organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre....

Hong Kong fashion designer Jing Wong has encountered fashion piracy first-hand. ...

The governor of President Barack Obama's home state Illinois has expressed a desire to work together with India, saying the people of India are exceptionally important for...

Beijing, July 4 (Xinhua) Asia should have its own monetary fund to better ensure financial stability of the region, a senior UN official has...

South Korea Friday announced plans to spend billions on sophisticated technology to counter the perceived threat of a North Korean nuclear...

Tokyo/India and Japan, the only country to have been attacked by atomic bombs, Friday decided to work together for an early conclusion of the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) and to fast-track negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership...

Japan's Cabinet Friday approved a bill to extend its troops' refuelling operations in the Indian Ocean to help the US-led forces in Afghanistan by another six months till Jan 15 next year, a media report...

The US military said Friday that it was pushing further into a Taliban bastion in southern Afghanistan after it had reported its first casualties in the offensive, the first under the US government's new strategy in the Central Asian...

Hangzhou (China), July 3 (Xinhua) A patient suffering from influenza A (H1N1), better known as swine flu, died of electrocution when she was taking a shower in a hospital here, the police said...

Abdur Rahim alias Shahadat who played a key role in strengthening the banned Islamist militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in bordering districts of India's West Bengal state has been arrested, the police...

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met Myanmar's military leader Friday on an official visit that aimed at pressing for the release of all political prisoners, including opposition leader Aung San Suu...

SEOUL: North Korea Saturday test-fired three missiles on the eve of American Independence Day celebrations, South Korea's defence ministry said, further stoking tensions amid an international nuclear...

ANCHORAGE: In a surprise move, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said Friday she was stepping down and would not seek re-election, fueling swift speculation of a possible 2012 White House bid. Palin,...

HONG KONG -- Asia's markets were mixed Friday as investor confidence took a blow from worse-than-expected jobs figures out of the United States that suggest a global recovery may not be as close as...

British forces on a major operation in Afghanistan say they have encountered little resistance from the Taliban.Troops are moving into a large swathe of territory in Helmand province that had been a...

North Korea has tested four short-range missiles, South Korean media say, amid speculation it may be planning to launch another long-range missile.The North test-fired other missiles earlier this...

WASHINGTON: A robotic version of US President Barack Obama debuted at an event on Friday at the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The animated, speaking figure of Obama and some 1,000...

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon could leave Myanmar empty-handed after apparently failing to win any concessions from the country's top military ruler or gain permission to...

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras: Honduras rebuffed a personal appeal from the Americas' top international diplomat Friday, refusing to reinstate President Manuel Zelaya and setting the stage for a dramatic...

SEOUL: North Korea on Saturday test-fired three missiles on the eve of American Independence Day celebrations, South Korea's defence ministry said, further stoking tensions amid an international...

Published Date: July 04, 2009 SINGAPORE: Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia will cut or keep steady the official selling prices (OSPs) of most of its crudes to Asia for August as refining margins come...

SEOUL: North Korea fired two missiles off it eastern coast Saturday, a South Korean official said. The missiles were fired at about 8 a.m. (2300 GMT) and the defence ministry was trying to...

SANTO DOMINGO: Air France says a flight has been forced to return to a Dominican airport because of technical problems. Paris-bound Air France Flight 493 had been airborne for about 20 minutes...

CHICAGO: Guess how much US President Barack Obama earns? A cool salary of $400,000 a year in cash, a new list has revealed. His staffers are also doing well with almost half the presidential ...

VIENNA, July 4 (AP) - (Kyodo)—(EDS: RECASTING WITH INTERVIEW) Yukiya Amano, just appointed the next International Atomic Energy Agency director general at an IAEA board meeting, said Friday...

SEOUL, July 4 – North Korea test-fired two Scud-type missiles on Saturday, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said citing a government official, further stoking regional tensions after the...

China joins carbon tax protest By Alan Beattie in London and Kathrin Hille in Beijing Published: July 4 2009 03:00 | Last updated: July 4 2009...

At least 11 suspected islamic militants were killed in a missile attack by US drone aircraft in Pakistan's Waziristan region yesterday, as Pakistan stepped up its offensive against militants in the...

India’s state-owned railways, one of the largest and most profitable networks in the world, plan to leap from the steam to the cyber age with a budget aimed at advancing electronic ticketing and...

How trading from home at 2am led to oil price spike By Javier Blas and Miles Johnson in London Published: July 4 2009 03:00 | Last updated: July 4 2009...

Burma starts to acquire veneer of wealth as elite enjoy times of plenty By Amy Kazmin Published: July 4 2009 03:00 | Last updated: July 4 2009...

CANCUN, Mexico: China's Health Minister Chen Zhu Friday apologised to his Mexican counterpart for failing to warn him about the tough measures Beijing imposed on Mexicans to combat H1N1 flu. "I...

MANAGUA : Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou arrived in Nicaragua Friday for a two-day official visit, aiming to boost ties with one of the poorest nations in Central America. "We want to express our...

A senior Obama administration official has told the BBC that Russia has agreed to let US troops bound for the war in Afghanistan fly through its airspace.The deal, which opens up an important new...

The Communist government has neglected tribals in Lalgarh, say analysts Maoist rebels controlled a tribal area in India's West Bengal state for nearly eight months before a government offensive...

BBC World Service As the Australian cricket team prepares for the forthcoming Ashes series against England, another Australian cricket team is already in the country - retracing the steps of...

A descendant of India's last Moghul emperor has been saved from a life of utter destitution after she was discovered working at her mother's tea stand in the slums of West...

LONDON: Two children died after a fire in a London tower block, police said Friday. "We understand there have been two fatalities of children, one three weeks old and one seven years," a...

The European Union risks driving industry out of the region if it continues to push for deeper cuts in carbon dioxide emissions than other economies, according to the chief executive...

SINGAPORE — The Olympic Council of Asia has endorsed the bid of Tokyo to host the Summer Games in 2016. “Asia will always support any city from Asia,” Kuwait’s Ahmad Fahad...

LOS ANGELES: A video released on Thursday showed Michael Jackson vigorously practicing a song-and-dance routine days before his death, supporting accounts he had been in good health. In the...

Posted on: Friday, 3 July 2009, 15:00 CDT Asia’s music industry has fallen under steep pressure in recent years amid rampant piracy and shrinking demand for CDs.  However, the industry is...

VIENNA (Kyodo) Yukiya Amano, Japan's ambassador to the Permanent Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna, was elected the next director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency...

Punita Kumar-Sinha, senior managing director at Blackstone Asia Advisors, is a person of many parts. An IIT graduate and a holder of a doctorate in finance from Wharton School, University of...

NEW DELHI: The evidence is tumbling out of the closet: Pakistan's creation Lashkar-e-Taiba is not merely allied to al-Qaida but can now be described as the new al-Qaida. With the UN Security ...

LONDON: Two children died after a fire in a London tower block, police said Friday. "We understand there have been two fatalities of children, one three weeks old and one seven years," a...

BEIRUT: Syria's leader sent a July 4 message full of praise to President Barack Obama on Friday and invited him to visit Syria — the latest signs Damascus is hedging its bets in Mideast ...

MELBOURNE: Ben Southhall had a rather wayward first day of his ‘Best job in the World’, when he misspelt the name of the island he was on while writing on his blog. The 34-year-old Briton...

Abroad there is "some hope, some opportunity. But in our country, there's no hope left," said Win, who is applying to go to Australia for further...