Lacking Money and Leadership, Push for Taliban Defectors Stalls

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:30:44 GMT

Lack of funds and organizational issues have plagued a program meant to lure fighters away from insurgency.

Afghanistan Pledges Support for Troubled Bank

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:20:40 GMT

The chairman of the Central Bank of Afghanistan promised Monday to lend the embattled Kabul Bank “as much as it wants” to stave off a collapse.

Young Japanese Seek Second, and Third, Jobs

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:40:27 GMT

Declining salaries and an unstable labor market have led young Japanese to work additional jobs.

Australian Labor Party to Form New Government

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:34:38 GMT

Two independent lawmakers said they will support Prime Minister Julia Gillard, ending weeks of political impasse.

China Begins Aviation Inquiry After Finding Fake Pilot Résumés

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:20:35 GMT

The government found that as many as 200 commercial pilots may have falsified their résumés in 2008 and 2009, according to news reports.

In North Korea, Signs Point to Key Political Conference

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:10:17 GMT

Workers’ Party delegates from across North Korea were converging in Pyongyang on Monday, as children and soldiers rehearsed a celebration for their country’s biggest political gathering in 30 years.

Insurgents Kill Afghan District Leader

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:01:16 GMT

A district governor from Baghlan Province was assassinated by Taliban insurgents Monday night along the Kunduz-Baghlan highway in the north of Afghanistan, officials said.

Suicide Bomber Hits Pakistani Police Station

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:30:50 GMT

A bomber rammed a vehicle into a police station on Monday, killing 19 people and injuring at least 46, according to officials.

World Briefing | South Pacific: New Zealand: Quake Damage Estimated at $1.4 Billion

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:20:35 GMT

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck South Island last week caused $1.4 billion in damage and will hinder the country’s economic recovery, Prime Minister John Key said Monday.

Music: In Japan, a Frail Osawa Conducts Only One Tchaikovsky Movement

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:26:54 GMT

The Japanese conductor Seiji Osawa has been in ill health, which limited his participation at the Saito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto.

Afghan Government Moves Toward Seizing Assets of Troubled Bank’s Shareholders

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:23:54 GMT

It was unclear how much money nervous depositors withdrew Sunday as fears of bankruptcy spread for the fourth consecutive day.

Floods in Pakistan Carry the Seeds of Upheaval

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:49:34 GMT

As devastating floods appear to widen divisions, Pakistani officials, some accused of ineptitude and favoritism, are trying to repair the political damage.

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Offers Resignation

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:30:47 GMT

Yu Myung-hwan faced allegations that his ministry bent its regulations to hire his daughter.

2 Bombings Kill 10 People in Afghanistan

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:10:10 GMT

A remote-controlled bomb detonated atop a parked motorcycle on Saturday, killing seven Afghans, according to local government and hospital officials.

Resentment Simmers in Western Chinese Region

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:26:43 GMT

Since riots between the Han and Uighur groups in 2009, the Chinese authorities have arrested hundreds and tried to soothe frayed nerves. But the push has done little to repair distrust.

Afghanistan Tries to Help Nation’s Biggest Bank

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 05:50:29 GMT

The Afghan government scrambled to bolster the nation’s largest bank after depositors mobbed it for a third day.

General Says Foresight on Marja Was Flawed

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:01:38 GMT

The departing deputy commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan admitted that forecasts of quick success in Marja were off base.

Attack in Tajikistan Highlights Fears of Militancy

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:02:14 GMT

A car rigged with explosives rammed into a police station in northern Tajikistan, killing two people and wounding at least 25 others in an apparent suicide attack, Tajik police officials said.

Another Lengthy Gridlock in China

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:03:19 GMT

A 75-mile jam between metropolitan Beijing and Inner Mongolia has caught national attention.

Suicide Bomber Kills 53 at Shiite Protest

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:10:24 GMT

The explosion, two days after another attack, killed at least 40 people, as militants intensify their campaign to destabilize the Pakistani government.

World Briefing | Asia: China: Another Traffic Jam on the Jingzang Highway

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:10:24 GMT

Yet another gargantuan traffic jam has gripped the freeway that links Inner Mongolia’s coal fields to metropolitan Beijing, possibly exceeding a blockage that drew global attention last month.

World Briefing | Asia: Afghanistan: Close Monitoring of Troubled Bank to Resume

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:20:41 GMT

Observers will closely monitor the number of creditors who try to withdraw their assets from Kabul Bank in anticipation of an increasing financial crisis.

From Hiding, Indonesian Defends Free Expression

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:02:48 GMT

With a jail sentence looming and vigilantes after him, the editor of Indonesia’s now-defunct Playboy magazine says he was never in the pornography business.

In Lahore, Mourning for Victims of Attacks

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:50:33 GMT

Street markets remained closed early on Thursday and police mounted patrols after a suicide attack claimed 31 lives among a procession of Shiite Muslim worshippers.

Independent Lawmaker Supports Australian Leader

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:10:25 GMT

In her bid to break a parliamentary deadlock, Prime Minister Julia Gillard won the tentative support of a key independent legislator from Tasmania.

Gates, in Afghanistan, Speaks on Local Issues

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:20:37 GMT

The United States defense secretary made remarks about corruption and banking along with civilian casualties and troop withdrawal.

Depositors Panic Over Bank Crisis in Afghanistan

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:11:34 GMT

A bank official tried to calm fears of a meltdown at Kabul Bank, while depositors were unable to withdraw money.

Accounts Differ on Fatal NATO Strike on Afghans

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:01:12 GMT

Did the attack in northern Afghanistan hit a team of election campaign workers, including a parliamentary candidate, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network?

Srinagar Journal: A Kashmir Hospital Is Witness to Conflict

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:20:07 GMT

Just getting to work is an ordeal for staff members, who have also had to face chanting protesters in their emergency room.

North Korea Takes Steps to Extend Dynastic Rule

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:20:35 GMT

North Korea’s leader is to convene a ruling party meeting where it is expected that his son will be given an official post, a step on the road to leadership.

Australian Leader Wins Support From Greens

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:20:53 GMT

Prime Minister Julia Gillard won a formal assurance from the Greens Party that it will support her bid for a further three-year term.

China Will Require ID for Cellphone Numbers; Noncompliance Means No Service

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:21:00 GMT

The government is looking to curb cellphone spam, pornography and fraud schemes.

Suicide Bombers in Pakistan Kill Dozens of Shiites

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:50:29 GMT

A blast touched off clashes between local police forces and mourners and protesters infuriated by the attack.

Near Kandahar, the Prize Is an Empty Town

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:30:58 GMT

While many security operations in Afghanistan are joint ones between NATO and Afghan forces, in most of them, the phrase “Afghan-led” is little more than a polite fiction. This was an exception.

Afghanistan Official Tries to Ease Depositors’ Worries About Troubled Bank

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:10:26 GMT

Afghanistan’s top bank official tried to calm fears of a meltdown of the Kabul Bank a day after the bank changed its leadership following the discovery of losses approaching $300 million.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:30:59 GMT

The Pakistani Taliban, an Al Qaeda-linked group, is accused of playing a role in the failed Times Square bombing and an attack on a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan.

2 Afghan Aid Workers Killed by Roadside Bomb

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:31:00 GMT

The two employees, who were both Afghan, were killed in the same region where 10 Western aid workers, including 6 Americans, were shot and killed last month.

South Korean Red Cross Offers Flood Aid to North

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:31:26 GMT

South Korea’s Red Cross offered the North an estimated $8.3 million in aid to help cope with flooding, Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday.

Attacks on U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan Intensify

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:20:37 GMT

Four American service members were killed by a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, according to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

In Rare Move, China Court to Hear H.I.V. Case

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:20:27 GMT

A prospective schoolteacher says he was illegally denied a job because he is H.I.V. positive.

Watching a Girl Die by Mortar

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:48:57 GMT

In war, emotions run high. Adam Ferguson has found that can help as well as hinder, Eirini Vourloumis reports.

Jakarta Journal: Indonesians Go Home, by the Millions

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:43:10 GMT

An annual exodus called “mudik” at the end of Ramadan is a chance for city dwellers with rural roots to reconnect with their families — and to show off their success.

Punk’d, Iraqi-Style, at a Checkpoint

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:03:43 GMT

The show "Put Him in [Camp] Bucca" has drawn protests but has stayed on air throughout Ramadan, broadcasting pranks on Iraqi celebrities.

Analysis: Iraq's Military Needs After 2011

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:28:08 GMT

The third phase, from the end of 2016 to the end of 2020, is the "completion phase" by which time the Iraqi army will be a "real power," able to deal not only with internal, but also external threats.

Martyrs in the Valley of Peace

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:45:32 GMT

In the Cemetery of the Martyrs of the Army of the Imam Mahdi, death is not mourned. The men here have died as martyrs, and sacrifice is exalted.

A Taste of Home in Foil Packets and Powder

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:19:09 GMT

Troops from nearly 50 lands dine on combat meals in Afghanistan each reminding them of where they’d rather be.

Video of Quetta Attack From Pakistani Television

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:18:19 GMT

Pakistani coverage of a deadly attack on a Shiite protest in the city of Quetta and clashes in the aftermath between angry mourners and local police.

Pakistan’s Cricket Conspiracy Theory

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:47:30 GMT

Pakistan's top diplomat in Britain suggested on Thursday that three of his nation's cricket stars, accused of agreeing to take part in a betting scam, were "innocent" victims of a plot against them.

The World Watches America's Heated Mosque Debates

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:14:26 GMT

From Taiwan to Abu Dhabi to Afghanistan, there is anecdotal evidence that attention is being paid to the furious debate over mosque-building projects in American cities.

Tsung-yi Lin, 89, Psychiatrist With Global Approach, Dies

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:20:23 GMT

Dr. Lin also all but built the mental health system from the ground up in his native Taiwan, later helping governments in other developing nations to do the same.

Dark Mysteries, Written From a Bright Beach

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:23:20 GMT

The British novelist Colin Cotterill, who lives on a Thai beach, stands apart from his books’ setting, the Communist Laos of the 1970s.

Letter from China: Visibility of Gay People Reflects Changes in China

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:20:53 GMT

As this society grows richer, its social fabric and mores have been changing drastically, and sexual choice and expression are arguably in the leading edge of this upheaval.