World News Australia - Asia-Pacific

Gunman kills four in Saipan rampage

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:55:34 +1100

A gunman has gone on a rampage on the Pacific island of Saipan, first at a shooting range and then at a WWII historical site, killing four, officials say.

'US strike' kills eight in Pakistan

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:41:06 +1100

A suspected US missile attack targeting al-Qaeda-linked militants has killed eight people in Pakistan's mountains on the Afghan border.

Suicide bomber kills 16 in Afghanistan

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:25:47 +1100

A suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed 16 people, including two children and a policeman in western Afghanistan, officials said.

Top model found dead in Paris apartment

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:20:08 +1100

A top South Korean model who was a fixture at fashion week in Paris and London has been found dead in her apartment in Paris, an official says.

Maoists derail Indian train, kill two

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:43:47 +1100

Suspected Maoist rebels have derailed a passenger train in eastern India, killing two people and injuring more than 40, a report says.

Gunman kills four on Pacific island

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:36:04 +1100

A gunman has killed at least four people and wounded eight mostly Korean tourists in the Northern Mariana Islands in the western Pacific, officials say.

PM's bungles 'kill chance of UNSC seat'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:12:40 +1100

Australia has no chance of scoring a UN Security Council seat thanks to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's diplomatic bungling, a former Australian diplomat says.

Militant commander dies in Philippines

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:53:47 +1100

Philippine troops have killed a senior commander of al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants wanted for kidnappings and bombings, the military says.

Indonesia flouts asylum housing deal

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:44:05 +1100

The Indonesian government has apparently ignored Australian suggestions over housing asylum seekers from the Oceanic Viking, as images emerged of women and children locked behind bars.

Abdullah slaps down unity offer

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:10:55 +1100

Abdullah Abdullah has refused to form a unity government with newly sworn-in Afghan president Hamid Karzai, saying he cannot deliver on his promises.

India eyes move to plastic money

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:29:56 +1100

India's central bank is planning to introduce 'plastic' notes, as the current ones quickly become too shabby to be of value and are refused by vendors.

Bearing the brunt of climate change: Kiribati

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +1100

The tiny pacific island nation of Kiribati is one of three nations that are expected to disappear within 50 years thanks to rising sea levels, SBS Senior Correspondent Brian Thomson reports.

Second bomb rocks Pakistan city

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:10:21 +1100

A bomb ripped through a Pakistan police vehicle, killing two policemen and wounding five people on the outskirts of the city of Peshawar, officials said.

Bomb attack kills Pakistan police

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:33:09 +1100

A bomb ripped through a Pakistan police vehicle, killing two policemen and wounding five people on the outskirts of Peshawar, officials said.

UN slams Sri Lanka over internment camps

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:24:18 +1100

The United Nations has stepped up pressure on Sri Lanka to free thousands of war-displaced civilians held in state-run internment camps.

Clinton praises Karzai's speech

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:55:38 +1100

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Afghan President Hamid Karzai, saying his inauguration speech marked a "new starting point" for the country.

Sri Lanka floods leave 58,000 homeless

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:04:42 +1100

Nearly 60,000 people were left homeless in Sri Lanka on Thursday following flash floods in the capital Colombo and the suburbs, an official says.

Karzai sworn in for second term

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:11:54 +1100

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has promised to prosecute corrupt government officials and end a culture of impunity, speaking during his inauguration.

Pakistan bombing kills 19

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:04:26 +1100

A suicide bomber has struck a court in Peshawar killing 19 people.

US envoy to visit N Korea on December 8

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:12:27 +1100

US President Barack Obama announced he would send US envoy Stephen Bosworth to North Korea for direct talks on December 8.