Asia

Why has Bangladesh become a killing ground for bloggers?

The slaying of a third secular blogger in as many months has set a chilling pattern in Bangladesh, a country long associated with a culture of moderation and free expression.

Business stirs, tents begin to come down in quake-devastated Nepal

Taiwan aims to rein in water use amid unusual drought

Nepal sanitation efforts suffer after quake

Wave of Myanmar and Bangladesh 'boat people' left adrift at sea

Palestinians escalate campaign for sovereign statehood

Islamic State leads the scourge of militant Islam

In 2014, racial tension over policing reached a breaking point

How Obama's immigration plan is expected to roll out

What lies ahead for U.S. military in Afghanistan, Iraq

British princess' debut causes postpartum shock and awe in China

For many mothers around the world, the oh-so put-together appearance of the Duchess of Cambridge and her newborn princess in public last weekend just 10 hours after giving birth was a source of wonder — millions asked: Just how did she manage to look so good?

Nepal's overseas migrant workers face tough decisions after quake

The destruction on television and his family's despondent voices on the other end of the phone overpowered Shivaram Pariyar.

Nepal quake victims fear government won't help much, if history is guide

In August, after heavy monsoon rains triggered a landslide that obliterated this village and killed 156 people, Nepalese authorities promised to resettle the survivors and provide them financial aid from a new relief fund.

72 die as Philippines factory fire traps workers; criminal inquiry looms

Police will open a criminal investigation into a Philippine factory fire that killed at least 72 people, as a relative of several of the victims said Thursday the blaze had trapped workers in the building's second floor where iron grills on windows prevented their escape.

Villagers near Nepal quake's epicenter ponder realities of rebuilding

The wiry young soldier, wearing an "I Love Nepal" cap and army shorts, said he enlisted to support his family. When the April 25 earthquake ripped through Nepal, he was at a military training facility a day's drive from home.

6 years after war, Tamil families want to know where their loved ones are

Kuhendran Manoranjithamalar and her husband trudged into the army checkpoint on the last day of the Sri Lankan civil war, clutching their three children and some jewelry. They had lost everything else.

Map may hold key to lost World War II bones at Pacific battle site

Opening her laptop, Tomomi Takemoto studies a 70-year-old map of this claw-shaped island, searching for the burial site of her great-uncle, a Japanese infantryman who was killed in one of the Pacific War's bloodiest battles.

In Nepal, a perilous road to assess quake damage and relief needs

The two aid workers had no idea how much earthquake-related death and destruction they would find when they set out on a perilous overnight trip, driving and hiking mudslide-prone roads and trails into the hills near Gorkha.

Vietnam lesson endures, 40 years later

Another Vietnam.

Nepal mountain village is spared death but not destruction in quake

In many ways, Sanjay Silwal is a fortunate man.

Ancient temples, key to Nepal tourism, suffer severe quake damage

The gates of Dharahara, an ancient nine-story tower overlooking the city skyline, were locked Monday, its ticket booth shuttered.

Japan's Shinzo Abe visits U.S. to discuss new threat: China

When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe rises to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, it will represent a diplomatic sea change so great that it may seem incomprehensible to the lingering members of the "Greatest Generation."

Searchers looking for MH370 find shipwreck, expand zone of activity

Searchers looking for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 said Wednesday they had discovered a shipwreck while looking for the jet but had yet to find any sign of the plane. With 75% of the 23,000-square-mile high probability search area explored, authorities have started moving search vessels...

Nepal earthquake leaves climbers stranded on Mt. Everest

The earthquake-triggered avalanches that killed and critically injured dozens of climbers on Mt. Everest also destroyed the path between two camps on the side of the world's tallest mountain, leaving some mountaineers stranded and awaiting rescue.

Nepal earthquake: Helping survivors

Aid groups are rushing to get crucial supplies to survivors of Nepal's devastating earthquake, which has killed more than 4,000 people. Here is a look at some of the many humanitarian efforts underway and how to donate:

10 arrested in panda-poaching case in southern China; meat, gun recovered

Ten people accused of poaching a wild panda have been arrested in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, state-run media said Wednesday.

Katmandu's poorly constructed buildings worsen quake outcome

An exploding urban population that led to taller and often poorly constructed buildings, along with an unusually hazardous combination of geological conditions, had for years prompted warnings from scientists that the Katmandu Valley of Nepal was a seismic time bomb waiting to go off.

U.S. may revamp overseas hostage-rescue program

The White House is considering revamping its overseas hostage-rescue program after CIA drone strikes that mistakenly killed an American and an Italian held captive by terrorists in Pakistan, the latest incident to reveal gaps in U.S. counter-terrorism efforts.

Death toll from Nepal aftershock at 91; troops hunt for U.S. aircraft

Authorities in Nepal on Wednesday raised the death toll from a magnitude 7.3 aftershock to 91 people as troops combed a remote district northeast of Katmandu for a U.S. military helicopter that was missing with eight people aboard.

China's oldest drum tower is Zengchong village's beating heart

More than a century before the Declaration of Independence was drafted and about 175 years before California became a state, inhabitants of this southern Chinese village erected an elaborate drum tower.

India village courts wield excess authority over personal matters

Mangal Singh Kamble, 31, was married in June but lost his bride the same day, after their union was rejected by an informal and powerful village court.

Goldman Environmental Prize honors anti-dam campaign in Myanmar

Myint Zaw knew his underground campaign against a huge government-backed hydroelectric project was succeeding when he climbed into a taxi late one night and the driver recognized his voice through the shadows.

Visa complexity vexes parents of dual nationality Chinese children

Russian academic Maria Gromakova's recent visit home to Moscow was bittersweet. The professor at Xiamen University in southern China took her 5-year-old son, Kay, along. But when she returned to Xiamen in early March, she was forced to leave the boy in Russia with her mother because China would...

Philippine peace deal and president face scrutiny after deadly raid

The vast Philippine island of Mindanao was synonymous with Muslim separatist violence for decades. That was before the government and a large rebel group signed a peace deal last year.

China cracks down on women's-rights protesters

The feisty young women had spoken out before — dressing up in wedding gowns smeared with fake blood to protest domestic violence and "occupying" men's restrooms to advocate for more toilet facilities for women.

Top North Korea defense official executed, South Korea spy agency says

North Korea has executed its top defense official for treason -- killing him with an antiaircraft gun because he fell asleep during a meeting -- South Korea’s main intelligence agency has told lawmakers.

Families of South Korea ferry victims still fighting for investigation one year later

When Kim Dong-hyun arrived at work on April 16 last year, he turned on his computer and noticed a news alert: A ferry was sinking off South Korea's south coast. In an instant, Kim, 53, was overcome with dread, realizing the ship was carrying his only daughter, Da-young.

In Indonesia, missteps mar president's first months in office

Upon winning Indonesia's presidency last year, Joko Widodo received congratulatory messages that were not just from the usual array of world leaders. His landmark win also prompted shout-outs from members of Guns N' Roses, Megadeth and Anthrax.

Afghanistan failing to protect women's rights activists, report says

In May 2010, when Humira Saqib launched a magazine called Negah-e Zan, or Vision of Women, she knew she would face opposition. She never imagined she'd be forced to flee Afghanistan.

In Myanmar, sidecars still a popular mode of transport

Tanned to a deep espresso, shaded by a bamboo hat strapped under his chin, Linn Naing mounts his black Hero bicycle like a cowboy saddling up on his steed. He props up the red cushions in his sidecar, and his flip-flopped feet churn the pedals, heaving man and machine forward in search of an honest...

Marine helicopter based at Camp Pendleton reported missing in Nepal

A U.S. Marine helicopter went missing in Nepal on Tuesday while on a humanitarian relief mission after two major earthquakes, a Navy spokesman said.

Philippines making waves over China's moves in disputed waters

China's moves to explore for oil and undertake land reclamation projects on contested islets in the South China Sea have upset a number of its neighbors, including Vietnam. But none has taken a tougher stance against Beijing's moves than the Philippines.