Asia
'Beefgate': Sex, bribes and beef imports
CLANDESTINE hotel room sex, money laundering and huge bribes to import beef. Who knew Indonesia's most conservative politicians were so seedy?
China's lunar rover 'lands on moon'
CHINA'S first lunar rover landed on the moon on Saturday, state television showed, in the first soft landing on the moon in nearly four decades.
Musharraf to face treason trial
A PAKISTANI special court has summoned former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to appear in a high treason case, an offence that could see him face death.
Apple kills China anti-censorship app
Apple has removed an anti-censorship application from its Chinese app store on orders from Beijing.
'Stunning' tsunami record found in cave
SCIENTISTS have discovered a cave in Sumatra that provides a "stunning" record of Indian Ocean tsunamis over thousands of years.
Bangladesh executes war criminal
AN Islamic opposition leader convicted of war crimes has been executed in Bangladesh, hours after the Supreme Court rejected his last-minute appeal.
Japan accepts transsexual man as a dad
A TRANSSEXUAL man, who was born a woman, has been recognised by Japan's top court as the legal father of his wife's child, in a national first.
India to review anti-gay law
GAYS in India still have hope that a Supreme Court decision banning homosexuality will be overturned.
Protesters take power in Bangkok
THAI protesters say thy have cut off electricity to the prime minister's office compound in Bangkok, demanding that police abandon the premises.
China pilots to master flying in smog
PILOTS of domestic flights into Beijing will be forced to master low-visibility landings in heavy smog, to combat chronic flight delays.
Indonesia warns of Christmas attacks
INDONESIAN police warn that Islamic extremists may be planning to target worshippers at Christmas and New Year celebrations in the capital Jakarta.
Man stole $200,000 to feed 121 cats
A JAPANESE man went on a year-long burglary spree, making off cash and jewels worth $205,000 to feed 121 cats a gourmet diet.
Online games 'a dangerous addiction'
A NEW law says online gaming is an addiction like gambling, drugs and alcohol, and wants the gaming industry to help pay for treatment.
An unlikely face for protest movement
A STUFFED toy wolf has sold out at Hong Kong's IKEA stores after it became an unlikely symbol of opposition to the city's unpopular government.
'Frustrated' shopper's deadly leap
A CHINESE man reportedly become so frustrated with his girlfriend's shopping spree that he jumped to his death in the mall.
Back pain? Try these 400kg shoes
A CHINESE man says walking in iron shoes weighing more than 200 kilograms each can cure back pain, and markets his footwear online.
Kim's uncle 'drug-taking womaniser'
THE uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been purged, with state TV airing images of Jang Song-Thaek being dragged away by officers.
Dad fined for having kids kills self
A CHINESE farmer with five kids drank a fatal dose of poison after officials seized his family's annual food supply for violating the one-child policy.
Seven killed in Jakarta train crash
AT least seven people died when a commuter train hit a fuel truck in Indonesia's capital, sending a fireball of flames and smoke skyward.
Three Lamborghinis crash and burn
VIDEO: Three Lamborghinis - worth the equivalent of more than $1.5 million - have crashed and burned on an expressway in Malaysia.
Riot rocks calm in Singapore
A RARE riot broke out in Singapore's Little India neighbourhood, apparently after a Bangladeshi worker was hit and killed by a bus.
N Korea erases Kim's uncle from history
IMAGES of Kim Jong Un's uncle have been removed from an official documentary, following reports the powerful official had been purged by his nephew.
Police banned from Haiyan selfies
PHILIPPINE police taking part in relief operations after Super Typhoon Haiyan have been banned from posting selfies taken in the disaster zone.
Thai opposition quits parliament
THAILAND'S main opposition party says it will resigning from Parliament to protest what it called "the illegitimacy" of the government.
Paraglider plunges to his death
AN EXPERIENCED paraglider has plunged to his death at a Nepalese tourist resort after his emergency parachute failed to open.
S Korea expands air defence zone
SOUTH Korea has announced an expansion of its air defence zone after China's move to establish a similar zone was criticised by Beijing's neighbours.
HK quarantines 19 amid bird flu fears
HONG Kong has quarantined 19 people after the second death from the deadly H7N9 bird flu in five days.
Thai PM ready to talk to opposition
THAILAND'S prime minister has said that while she sees no quick end to a political impasse, her government is willing to negotiate to end the crisis.
WTO agrees to 'historic' trade deal
COMMERCE ministers have ended days of tough negotiations by approving a WTO agreement on international trade they hailed as "historic".
Lift horror toddler 'wakes in hospital'
NEW reports suggest a toddler who was beaten by a 10-year-old girl has actually survived and is in hospital with fractures and a ruptured lung.
HK confirms second bird flu case
HONG Kong health authorities on Friday confirmed a new human case of the deadly H7N9 bird flu, the second case in less than five days.
Top N Korea aide flees purge
AN AIDE of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's uncle is seeking asylum in South Korea after fleeing his country ahead of a leadership purge.
US 'pivot' to Asia to stay - Biden
US VICE President Joe Biden said there should be no doubt about America's commitment to its strategic shift to Asia.
Schools shut over Shanghai smog
SHANGHAI authorities have ordered schoolchildren indoors and halted all construction as the city suffered one its worst bouts of air pollution.
We'll still spy on Indonesia: Abbott
AS Julie Bishop tries to repair Australia's relationship with Indonesia, Tony Abbott says we will continue to collect intelligence on our northern neighbour.
Rocks thrown at Aussie embassy
A GROUP of around 100 protesters hurled rocks at Australia's embassy in East Timor following spying allegations.
Bollywood star faces new homicide trial
BOLLYWOOD star Salman Khan will face a new homicide trial for allegedly mowing his SUV into sleeping homeless people.
Woman arrested, rang cops 15,000 times
JAPANESE police said they have arrested a woman for calling them more than 15,000 times over a six-month period.
South Korea free trade deal secured
THE Abbott government has secured a free trade deal with South Korea, the first of three it pledged to seal in its first 12 months in power.
Fawcett auction items sell for $200,000
Sun Dec 15 22:06:12 EST 2013 PERSONAL items belonging to late actress Farrah Fawcett, including her iconic red swimsuit and passport, have fetched $US200,000 at auction.
Aussie held over alleged arson in Thailand
Sun Dec 15 19:16:15 EST 2013 AN Australian man has allegedly attacked a Thai man and set fire to three motorbikes in a dispute over the bike he rented.
Red-suited revellers hit NY bars
Sun Dec 15 18:33:43 EST 2013 THE costumed New York pub crawl known as SantaCon has seen thousands of red suited revellers partying in bars and the snowy streets.
Eight more dead in Bangladesh riots
Sun Dec 15 18:30:50 EST 2013 BANGLADESH police say Islamist supporters torched houses and fought running street battles with officers in towns and cities during a third day of unrest.
Son search ends in Lockerbie grief
Sun Dec 15 14:54:40 EST 2013 A US mother discovers the son she gave up for adoption died in the Lockerbie bombing just after his 21st birthday.
Mexico first for kidnappings
Sun Dec 15 13:30:45 EST 2013 THE security company Control Risk said 20 per cent of all kidnappings worldwide in the first half of 2013 occurred in Mexico.
Snowstorms in US
Sun Dec 15 12:18:15 EST 2013 A PRE-CHRISTMAS winter storm has blanketed a wide swath of the US northeast with a picturesque white layer of snow but caused travel chaos.
Ferry runs aground in Baltic Sea
Sun Dec 15 11:53:39 EST 2013 THE operator of a Finnish ferry that became stuck on rocks in the Baltic Sea says none of the almost 2000 passengers and crew on board have been injured.
Workout 'cuts festive food damage'
Sun Dec 15 11:19:14 EST 2013 RESEARCH shows just a few days of eating too much at Christmas and exercising too little can cause long-term effects on the body.
Protein may aid cancer treatment
Sun Dec 15 10:47:52 EST 2013 RESEARCH in the UK has raised hopes there may soon be available a vaccine to combat prostate cancer.
Macedonia mayor warns about air pollution
Sun Dec 15 10:03:15 EST 2013 SKOPJE'S mayor has warned pregnant women, children, the chronically ill and elderly people to stay at home because of air pollution.
90 UN peacekeepers died this year
Sun Dec 15 09:39:15 EST 2013 THE UN says 90 UN peacekeepers have died on the job this year while working at one of 15 missions.
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'Despicable scum': Kim kills uncle
NORTH Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has had his uncle executed after declaring former second-most powerful man in his regime to be "worse than a dog".