Topic: Asia

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Africa Monitor Sudan: Mine collapse highlights challenges in quest to become leading gold producer

Gold has taken on new importance in Sudan since its oil-rich southern region became an independent country in 2011.
Difference Maker Seiji Yoshimura rushes to natural disasters to help

Inspired by the work of an American missionary long ago, Seiji Yoshimura helps out at disaster sites across Asia, including in his native Japan.
Did detained American's Christianity scare North Korean regime?

North Korea's sentencing of a detained American to 15 years hard labor could be an attention-getting ploy. But Kenneth Bae is a devout Christian, and 'the regime is scared to death of Christianity.'
As world dials back death penalty, Japan heads in opposite direction

Two gangsters were hanged in Japan last week. More executions are likely under new Prime Minister Abe, who has expressed strong support for the death penalty – and says the public backs him.
Poll shows how US Muslims are like Protestants – and how they're not

A worldwide Pew poll of Muslims charts opinions on issues from women's rights to which religion is the one true faith, and details how US Muslims fit into the American matrix.
Japan and Russia want to finally end World War II, agree it is 'abnormal' not to

Today's summit between Shinzo Abe and Vladimir Putin comes at an opportune moment but may founder on the old problem of the Kuril Islands, which Japan still wants back.
What's in the Internet videos posted by Tamerlan Tsarnaev?

The videos do not show ties to any specific group, but do hint at a deeper yearning in the alleged Boston Marathon bomber for a heroic jihadi persona.
US considers end to tariffs in Myanmar: Too soon?

Though the country has gone through a series of reforms, Human Rights Watch has recently thrown allegations of 'ethnic cleansing' at the government.
Survivors found trapped in collapsed Bangladesh factory

Forty survivors were found trapped in room in the garment factory that collapsed yesterday in Bangladesh.
Is Japan's Shinzo Abe finally acting on his true nationalist colors?

Japan's prime minister appears to be stepping up his campaign to reinterpret Japan's wartime history, aggravating China and South Korea at a time when the region should be uniting to deal with North Korea.
US military chief in Beijing warns of North Korea 'miscalculation'

US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dempsey is in China looking for help on North Korea. Though Beijing indicated it was 'working on' it, there are a number of reasons why China might be reluctant to push the North too hard.
Ford's $1.6 billion earnings beat expectations

Ford says growth in US and China is making up for declines in Europe and South America. Ford quarterly revenue rises 10 percent and net income goes up 15 percent.
False tweet sinks stock market. Is anyone checking this stuff? (+video)

Stock markets tanked briefly (and then recovered) after the AP Twitter account was hacked and falsely announced a White House bombing. An array of new firms verify social media information to make sure clients aren't fooled.
FBI Most Wanted caught in Nicaragua: What draws US pedophiles to the region?

Stigmatized in the US, some registered sex offenders like Eric Toth decide to move abroad to start fresh in a foreign country – and Central America is becoming a popular spot.
Global News Blog Bill Gates sets South Korea abuzz with 'rude' one-handed shake

Bill Gates triggered a media uproar with a 'disrespectful' one-handed shake upon meeting the new South Korean president. What should Bill Gates have done?
Veteran dealmaker Max Baucus announces Senate retirement

A centrist Democrat in a conservative state, Max Baucus has taken many tough votes over his six terms in the Senate, but battles over guns and health care loomed large in his reelection bid.
US general aims to ease China's concerns over Obama 'pivot' to Asia

China is deeply suspicious of US intent in its 'pivot' to Asia, and US Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is in Beijing this week to try to reassure China's military – and its people.
Global News Blog China sends largest fleet yet to disputed islands

China sent a fleet of patrol ships today to the sea area it disputes with Japan, following a controversial visit by Japanese officials to a war shrine. The latest moves are seen as a setback for a diplomatic resolution.
Earth's cooling came to sudden halt in 1900, study shows

An international study used tree rings and pollen to build the first record of global climate change, continent by continent, over 2,000 years.
Pink full moon Thursday: Who gets to see it?

April's full moon is traditionally called the 'pink moon,' a reference to pink phlox, one of the earliest flowers of spring. This week's 'pink moon' might actually appear pinkish in Europe, Africa, or Asia, where spectators will see a partial lunar eclipse.
Did a foreign hand guide Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev?

US investigators are interested in a trip that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother suspected in the Boston bombing, took to the North Caucasus region of Russia in 2012. They want to know whether he had contact with foreign extremist groups.
Return of a King

William Dalrymple looks for contemporary lessons in the story of Britain's disastrous 19th-century invasion of Afghanistan.
Rhino head heist: Half a million euros' worth stolen from Irish museum

The thieves are expected to try to sell the horns in Asia. Europol claimed in 2011 that most of Europe's illegal rhino trade was committed by a single 'ethnically-Irish organized criminal group.'
Asian shares dip amidst slowing economic recovery

Worries about trends in global growth, drove down U.S. and European equities, commodities and Asian markets on Wednesday. Earnings forecasts continue to be revised downward, say analysts.
New Zealand legalizes gay marriage

On Wednesday, gay rights supporters celebrated the passage of a bill that will allow same-sex couples to marry for the first time in New Zealand. Though thousands of New Zealanders do not support the measure, polls show two-thirds do. Some say the bill may spur a boom in same-sex travelers from nearby Australia.