Hong Kong legislative polls open Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:08:27 -0000 Voters in Hong Kong choose between pro-government and more pro-democracy candidates in a hotly contested poll. Thai PM rules out military coup Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:51:07 -0000 Thailand's PM Samak Sundaravej says the army will not stage a coup against his government, despite weeks of street protests. Mudslides bury Philippines homes Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:56:24 -0000 At least 11 people are killed as two landslides triggered by heavy rains bury several houses on Mindanao island in the Philippines. Envoys hold talks on North Korea Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:28:26 -0000 Senior officials from the US and China discuss initial moves by North Korea to reverse promised nuclear disarmament. Protests in two Chinese cities Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:10:22 -0000 The Chinese government reportedly sends thousands of soldiers and police to quell unrest in Hunan province. New governor general in Australia Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:10:34 -0000 Quentin Bryce is sworn in as Australia's governor general, the first woman to serve as Queen Elizabeth's representative there.
NYT > Asia Pacific
Bhutto’s Widower Wins Pakistani Presidency Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:44:15 -0000 Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and a controversial politician with little experience, was elected president of Pakistan.
Atomic Club Votes to End Restrictions on India Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:38:43 -0000 The worldwide body that regulates the sale of nuclear fuel and technology approved a landmark deal on Saturday to allow India to engage in nuclear trade for the first time in three decades.
China Calls for Peaceful Resolution of Nuclear Standoff Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:53:01 -0000 President Hu Jintao of China urged a negotiated resolution to Iran’s nuclear issue during a meeting with the country’s president.
L.A. Times - Asia
New light on Korean spy mystery Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Kim Soo-im was executed in 1950 as a Northern agent, but declassified papers show the case was flimsy and trumped up.
Back in the days of Red scares, blacklists, suspicion and smear, Kim Soo-im was singled out as a one-woman axis of evil, a villainess without peer.
Zardari is Pakistan's new president Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Lawmakers overwhelmingly vote to replace Pervez Musharraf with Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir Bhutto's widower. Many Pakistanis wonder whether the political novice can deal with the country's problems.
The ascension of Benazir Bhutto's widower to the presidency marked an emotional moment Saturday for the slain leader's supporters, but many Pakistanis wondered whether a political novice such as Asif Ali Zardari could successfully tackle the country's daunting problems.
Bolivia's Morales faces a challenge from fellow Indian Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Indigenous activist Savina Cuellar, governor in the key province of Chuquisaca, has fallen out with the president and become a figurehead for those opposed to his socialist policies.
Renowned as the cradle of Bolivian independence, this colonial town in the south-central highlands has become a front line in a new battle that is threatening to rip this South American nation asunder.
UN News Centre - Asia Pacific
UN health agency scales up assistance to flood victims in India, Nepal
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) is working to curb the risk of disease outbreaks and help millions affected by deadly floods in India and Nepal.
Top UN envoy travels to Beijing for Paralympics Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Wilfried Lemke, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, attended the opening ceremony of the Paralympics today in Beijing, China, acting as the Secretary-General's Special Envoy at the event. UN agency wraps up Asia telecom conference looking to the future Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 The United Nations telecommunications agency closed the door today on their annual conference, attended by government ministers from the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on new business opportunities to sustain growth in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry.
Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune
Bhutto's widower elected in Pakistan By JANE PERLEZ AND SALMAN MASOOD Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:03:37 -0000 Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of the slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, was elected president by a wide margin. Atomic club removes ban on trade with India By HEATHER TIMMONS Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:03:37 -0000 The Nuclear Suppliers Group removed a major obstacle to a landmark nuclear deal between the United States and India. China to launch manned spaceflight this month Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:03:37 -0000 The launching, including a planned spacewalk, would be between Sept. 25 and 30 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province. Hong Kong votes in legislative elections Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:03:37 -0000 Ordinary citizens were expected to cast fewer votes for pro-democracy candidates than in the last legislative race, in 2004. U.S. missile strike said to have killed at least 6 on Afghan-Pakistani border By PIR ZUBAIR SHAH AND JANE PERLEZ Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:03:37 -0000 The strike from a pilotless reconnaissance aircraft was the first of what U.S. military officials said could be more raids to attack Taliban insurgents in the tribal regions of Pakistan. Air of corruption dogs Pakistani leader By Jane Perlez Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:31:52 -0000 Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of Benazir Bhutto, is set to become president Saturday, an accidental ascent for a man known more as a wheeler-dealer than a leader.