Asia
The world’s most difficult exam
HALFWAY through the year, millions of students sit the world’s most gruelling exam. Here’s a look at what it involves.
Six ways Trump will clash with China
DONALD Trump’s controversial phone call to the Taiwan president is just one of six issues that could become flashpoints between the US and China.
Mysterious ‘dead zone’ a threat
A HUGE, mysterious dead zone — 60,000 sq km virtually devoid of oxygen and life — has been discovered in Australia’s northwest.
Shinzo Abe to visit Pearl Harbor
JAPANESE Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will become his first country’s leader to visit Pearl Harbor, 75 years after Japan’s attack on Hawaii in 1941.
North Korea’s secret ‘war tunnels’
FEARS are growing that North Korea plans to invade its neighbour to the south after a network of hidden tunnels was revealed.
‘Cult’ scandal bringing down a president
SOUTH Korea’s first female president’s neck is on the chopping block over her bizarre link to a shadowy figure from an obscure religious cult.
China’s Titanic tourist attraction
CONSTRUCTION of the world’s first full size replica of the Titanic is underway, with plans for a simulated iceberg crash to give tourists the full experience.
Australian tourist’s body found
THE body of Australian man Mark Allen has been found in a guesthouse in Cambodia after an apparent drug overdose.
Meet Thailand’s new king
CROWN Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has been proclaimed Thailand’s new king, 50 days after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
‘Human rights advocates will die’
THE leader known as The Punisher, Rodrigo Duterte, has now gravely warned human rights campaigners to shut up on his war on drugs.
Chilling discovery in satellite pics
PHOTOGRAPHS from high above North Korea show what observers say are concerning developments in the regime’s arsenal of repression.
Schoolie: ‘I thought he was dead’
LIMARA watched in horror as security delivered street justice to the teen who allegedly tried to rob her. WARNING: Graphic.
Earthquake hits near Mount Everest
A NEPALI guide has died and a British climber was injured when an earthquake triggered an avalanche on the Himalayan peak they were climbing.
Cash crisis forces Aussie tourists to busk
AUSTRALIAN and European travellers have resorted to performing for money on the streets after ‘demonetisation’ of banknotes left them penniless.
World’s most macabre business idea
IT was billed as not only a unique game-changing tourist attraction for Japan, but “undeniably a world-first” and it’s clear to see why.
The world’s most unpopular woman
IS South Korea’s president the world’s most hated leader? Police dispute claims that 1.5 million people are protesting on the streets — but the pictures tell their own story.
China struck by deadly quake
AN EARTHQUAKE with a magnitude of 6.7 has struck China’s northwestern border with Tajikistan, killing at least one person.
China struck by deadly quake
AN EARTHQUAKE with a magnitude of 6.7 has struck China’s northwestern border with Tajikistan, killing at least one person.
‘I’m not guilty, I didn’t kill’
AUSTRALIAN woman Sara Connor has lost her bid to have the murder case against her thrown out in Bali, sparking her to again proclaim she is innocent.
Power plant collapse kills dozens
SHOCKING images have emerged after a power station under construction in China collapsed, killing more than 60 workers.
‘I just got robbed by Bali cops’
“I THOUGHT I was going to jail.” A tourist in Bali has detailed the moment he was allegedly extorted by Balinese police.
Outrageous reason man was denied loan
A MAN has been knocked back for home loans from multiple banks for a truly outrageous reason, leaving social media users up in arms.
Aussie Crown staff arrested in China
THREE Australian employees of billionaire James Packer’s Crown Resorts have been arrested in China, as it cracks down on high-roller gambling promotions.
Strong earthquake hits Japan
BREAKING: A magnitude-6.1 earthquake has rattled north-eastern Japan but no tsunami warning has been issued.
‘Very lucky’ teen returns home
AUSTRALIAN teenager Jamie Murphy is back home in Perth after being whisked through a private exit at the airport last night.
President admits bulk-buying Viagra
THINGS just keep getting stranger in South Korea, where the President has admitted bulk-buying a sex drug amid a major political scandal over her confidant.
Real story behind ‘set-up’ CCTV footage
CCTV footage of Perth teen Jamie Murphy’s arrest has been released after a “re-enactment video” drew criticism from viewers who said it showed he was “set-up”.
Bali teen could soon walk free
BALI lab says Jamie Murphy was clean of drugs and the powder found on him had caffeine and painkillers — but nothing illegal.
Teen’s mates lash out over arrest
THE Aussie teen arrested in Bali isn’t a schoolie — and his furious friends claim he isn’t the villain police have painted him as either.
Aussie spared death in Vietnam
A 73-year-old Australian woman, convicted of heroin trafficking, has had her death sentence in Vietnam reduced to life in prison.
Absolute carnage: Four dead in pileup
SHOCKING images from China show the scene of a deadly 37-vehicle pileup — the majority of cars crushed by semi-trailers.
Man steals wallet during job interview
THIS should probably go without saying, but here’s a tip for your next job interview: try not to steal the boss’ wallet.
Massive earthquake rocks Japan
TSUNAMI waves hit areas along the Japanese coast after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima.
Japan rattled by massive earthquake
THOUSANDS have fled to higher ground after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake, which triggered a 1.4m tsunami near the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Kim ‘sends cryptic message to spies’
NORTH Korea has reportedly broadcast a “coded” message, sparking fears Kim Jong-un is sending out an attack signal.
Aussie ‘cheated women into surrogacy’
AN Australian nurse faces two years’ jail for running a surrogacy clinic in Cambodia and allegedly exploiting poor locals.
Things are getting crazy in India
FROM deploying ‘cash coolies’ to buying Rolex watches, Indians have found unique ways to dodge the government’s surprise cash crackdown.
Aussie arrested in surrogacy crackdown
A MELBOURNE nurse running a surrogacy clinic in Cambodia has been arrested under new laws banning the practice.
‘I can see bodies lying near tracks’
MORE than 100 passengers have been killed and even more injured after 14 carriages of an overnight train derailed in India.
Train derailment kills more than 90
FOURTEEN carriages of a passenger train have rolled off the track, killing more than 90 people and injuring more than 150 in a horror derailment in India.
Thailand’s queen in hospital
EIGHTY-FOUR year old Queen Sirikit has been taken to hospital with a lung infection a month after the death of her husband.
Shipwrecks vanish without a trace
FIVE World War II warships have mysteriously disappeared from their watery graves, leaving nothing behind but a boat shaped indentation on the seabed.
The seconds that could save Sara
LOVERS Sara Connor and David Taylor may be holding hands in jail — but do they agree on what really happened when a Bali cop was killed?
Who killed Angelina’s dad?
SIX years after her father Andrew Oake was murdered, Angelina has continued to help her family find his killers.
The $100m wedding with 50,000 guests
AN Indian politician has infuriated many people in his poverty-stricken country by throwing a shockingly extravagant wedding for his daughter.
Trump’s plan to thwart China
DONALD Trump is planning an ambitious military expansion to thwart China’s influence, and it could easily destabilise Australia’s part of the world.
New ‘plausible’ MH370 theory
THERE has been much speculations and many conspiracy theories as to what happened to MH370. This one has weight.
Children burned in church terror blast
SEVERAL children were injured after a man wearing a T-shirt saying ‘Jihad, Way of Life’ threw a molotov cocktail at churchgoers in Indonesia.
Missing in Bali after Tinder date
RELATIVES of a Perth-based man who failed to return after a Bali holiday with a woman he met on Tinder fear he has met with foul play.
Bikie murder witness ‘disappears’
THE key witness to the murder of Australian motorbike gang leader Wayne Schneider last year has disappeared ahead of the court verdict amid fears for his safety.
Dozens of worshippers killed at shrine
AT least 45 people died and 30 others were injured when a bomb exploded at a Sufi shrine, as Islamic State claims responsibility for the blast.
South Koreans want their President ‘out’
INCREDIBLE photos have emerged of tens of thousands of South Koreans at one of the largest anti-government protests seen in Seoul, demanding their President resign.
Retailers urged to recognise Singles’ Day
AUSSIE retailers have been urged to recognise Singles’ Day, Chinese retail boss Jack Ma’s business brainwave that has become a jawdropping online phenomenon.
‘Tears flow from empty eye sockets’
NOT every morning, but far too often in her time with Cambodian refugees, Australian nun Joan Healy heard the sound of shelling.
Bali suspect’s birthday behind bars
AUSSIE mum Sara Connor was said to be ‘sad’ and ‘reflective’ as she celebrated her 46th birthday in a Bali jail while facing murder charges.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong ...
AS IMAGES of election parties pour out of the US, on the other side of the world crowds are forming for a very different reason.
Giant sinkhole swallows five-lane road
A GIANT sinkhole has appeared in the middle of a busy Japanese city, swallowing part of a five-lane street and causing a major blackout.
Ad agency raided in death case
JAPAN’S top advertising agency was raided on Monday in a criminial investigation into the suicide of a 24-year-old employee due to overwork.
‘Indo has thousands of IS supporters’
INDONESIAN IS supporters are predicted to be in the thousands with police identifying about 50 who have returned home from fighting in Syria.
How landlord nets $120k a month
A LANDLORD in the world’s most expensive city is raking in thousands of dollars a month with a simple but popular investment.
Protests turn ugly in Hong Kong
PROTESTERS have clashed with police in Hong Kong after thousands demonstrated against Chinese moves to crackdown on pro-independence advocates.
Jokowi cancels visit after violent protest
THE Indonesian President has cancelled a visit to Australia after a massive rally in Jakarta by Muslim hardliners descended into violence, leaving one dead and 12 injured.
Playboy prince could do serious damage
THAILAND’S Prince, who once made his pet poodle ‘Foo Foo’ the official Air Chief Marshall, could cause some serious headaches for Australia.
Why The Punisher hates America
HE’S known for calling President Obama a “son of a wh*re” and swearing at Catholics. What’s driving his hatred for America?
More doubt over MH370 theory
A NEW report promised answers about how the doomed flight went down but a veteran pilot says he’s far from convinced.
Wild orang-utans shot with air rifles
AN orang-utan has been found barely alive, riddled with pellets from an air rifle, some of which have caused him to go blind. But this is not a rare case.
Hero pilot avoids huge runway collision
A CHINESE pilot is an internet sensation after making a quick decision which saved the lives of 439 people.
Alibaba sales growth soars into the cloud
ALIBABA’S sales soared 55 per cent in the last quarter, thanks in part to a more than doubling of revenue from cloud computing.
Overcrowded, illegal boat capsizes
AT least 20 people are dead, including a baby, after a boat carrying nearly 100 undocumented migrant workers from Malaysia capsized and sank in Indonesian waters.
Karaoke lounge blaze kills 13
AUTHORITIES are investigating a massive blaze that gutted an eight-storey karaoke lounge in Vietnam, killing 13 people.
Man crashes digger in government protest
A PROTESTER used a bizarre choice of weapon in an apparent attempt to kill a woman at the centre of the corruption scandal engulfing South Korea’s president.
Tapes go inside mind of paranoid dictator
SECRET recordings of Kim Jong Il made by a couple kidnapped by the late North Korean despot reveal his disgust for his own countrymen.
Minister presses China on detained Aussies
JUSTICE Minister Michael Keenan has raised concerns with Chinese counterparts over the four Australians held in detention in Shanghai.
Autopsy could be key to murder case
ASPECTS of key prosecution evidence could provide hope for a convicted killer appealing the murder of her best friend.
‘Star Wars’ weapon targets N Korea
IT looks like a giant floating golf ball. But this is the Pentagon’s weird, secret weapon being used to intercept North Korean nuclear missiles.
Fart causes fire during surgery
A PATIENT who passed gas during a medical procedure in Japan was badly burned when a fart started a fire in the operating theatre.
China is not going to be happy about this
A NEW proposal accepted by the Australian government could spark tensions with China amid the ongoing South China Sea dispute.
Where has Kim Jong-un’s wife gone?
FEARS are growing for the safety of North Korea’s first lady who has vanished from public view — unseen for seven months.
Pakistan stays hanging of mentally ill man
PAKISTAN’S Supreme Court has issued a last minute reprieve to a mentally ill man set to face the gallows this week.
Final insult to broken sex victim
A BACKPACKER who was molested by her deranged guide as she lay paralysed after falling off a cliff has copped another blow.
What China stands to lose
WHILE it may look like we’re on the verge of a war over the South China Sea, China has billions of reasons not to.
South Koreans: ‘She must step down’
THOUSANDS have rallied in Seoul demanding that President Park Geun-hye resign as a crisis deepened over corruption allegations.
Gardner: ‘I never want to do that again’
MOTORCYCLE ace Wayne Gardner has expressed his relief to be on Australian soil after what he describes as two “horrendous” weeks in a Tokyo jail.
Lovers unite in Bali prison hell
AS SARA Connor and her boyfriend are united in a Bali jail, friends have written character references for the Byron Bay mum as she awaits trial for murder.
Unmarried couples caned for sex
ONE of Australia’s closest neighbours has seen a surge in public canings for sex outside of marriage, despite human rights groups branding it ‘inhumane’.
Coffee killer says verdict was ‘unfair’
JUDGES dubbed her “sadistic”. But Australian resident Jessica Wongso is appealing her 20-year jail term for putting cyanide in her friend’s coffee.
‘You can’t imagine it, we’re so far behind’
ONCE considered a technological backwater, China has undergone a massive change. Here are the Chinese businesses changing our world.
Bali cop murder suspects to face trial
AUSTRALIAN woman Sara Connor and her British boyfriend David Taylor could face up to 15 years in jail if found guilty under a murder trial in Denpasar next month.
Ex-Corby advisor held over gold bullets
A ONE-TIME advisor to Schapelle Corby has been detained at a Bali airport after authorities allegedly discovered 11 gold-coloured bullets in his luggage.
Aussie making waves in China
AT JUST 24, Jessica Wilson is founder of a million-dollar company, now she’s announced a potentially game-changing partnership with a Chinese company.
Tragic fate of girl in this iconic image
SHE was immortalised on the cover of National Geographic magazine as a green-eyed 12-year-old girl. Her life has taken yet another a tragic turn.
Bali bombing mastermind loses appeal
THE suspected terrorist mastermind behind the 2002 Bali bombings will remain in detention at Guantanamo Bay after his bid for freedom was rejected.
Paedophile jailed in ‘toughest’ sentence
AN Australian man has been found guilty of multiple paedophile crimes against young girls in one of the heaviest sentences ever handed down in Bali for this type of offence.
Alibaba’s bid for world domination
HUNDREDS of millions of people are shopping, reviewing, and selling through online giant Alibaba every day. But it’s only the start.
Cadets slaughtered in terror attack
PAKISTAN is reeling from its latest terror atrocity, after 58 people were gunned down and over 100 injured in a raid on a police training centre. WARNING: Graphic
Deadly blast rocks Chinese city
RESCUERS are hunting for survivors who may be trapped in the rubble after a powerful explosion tore through a building in Yulin, China, killing 10 and injuring 150.
Star’s ‘shame’ over flight weigh-in
BRITISH actress Lisa Riley has described feeling “mortified” after she was weighed before being allowed to board a flight.
Bomb blast rocks Thai night market
A BOMB has ripped through a noodle shop at a night market in southern Thailand, killing one person and injuring 18.
Elite banker’s victim ‘tortured for days’
A UK banker tortured sex workers using pliers and a knife, before killing them and filming his sick exploits, a Hong Kong court has heard. Warning: Graphic.
China’s creepy ‘Big Brother’ system
IT’S the kind of thing you’re only supposed to read about in dystopian novels, but the Chinese government is turning it into a chilling reality.
Husband-and-wife assassins tell all
WARNING: Graphic images. With four children to support, this couple have turned to the only way they can make money — killing.
Pensioner blows himself up at festival
A RETIRED soldier, aged 72, has blown himself up in a Japanese park, killing himself and injuring three other people in an apparent suicide.
Australian businesses increase vigilance
AUSTRALIAN businesses in China are expected to increase their vigilance after a raid on Crown Resorts saw three Australians detained.
