All Asia Pacific
How one man swam to freedom and into fight against modern-day slaveryIn 2009, Prom Vannak jumped from a Thai fishing boat on which he was a slave and swam for freedom. His story puts a spotlight on聽the estimated 27 million people who live as slaves around the world.
In China, one giant leap for womankind?Not really. Even as China launched a woman into space, it was condemned for forcing another woman to have a late-term abortion.
China and Philippines pull back from sea disputeChina and the Philippines both pulled their聽fishing boats from a disputed shoal in the South聽China聽Sea, giving time for both governments to reevaluate the standoff.
Jitters as Japan decides to restart nuclear reactorsCritics of Prime Minister Noda's decision to restart nuclear reactors in the town of Oi worry that nearby communities are unprepared to deal with a Fukushima-scale聽nuclear聽crisis.聽
Why deadly race riots could rattle Myanmar's fledgling reformsMyanmar's president warned of a threat to stability and democratization as Buddhist and Muslim minorities clash over longstanding grievances.
Difference MakerChina's Great Leap Forward: One man's quiet crusade to remember the disasterMao Zedong's Great Leap Forward campaign aimed to launch China into a Communist utopia. It ended in famine that killed tens of millions 鈥� a disaster that Beijing is still reluctant to acknowledge.- Crackdown on punks in IndonesiaSome who see punks as a welcome challenge to the conservative form of Islamic law in Aceh worry that the crackdown is working too well.
Why China is likely to get more involved in AfghanistanFor the past decade, China has not played a significant role in Afghanistan. But with NATO starting to pull out, Afghanistan's security will affect neighboring China.
Another sign of Myanmar reform? Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to Thailand.Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi was welcomed in Thailand on Wednesday by crowds of migrant workers from Myanmar waiting to catch even a glimpse of her.
Lady Gaga's cancelled concert a blow to tolerance in Indonesia?Lady Gaga cancelled her biggest show in Asia because of Islamist vigilante threats, which has some worrying about a return of Islamist militancy to the Muslim world's largest country.
China's evolving relationship with 'barbarians'China, which used to聽officially refer to foreigners as 'barbarians,' has a long history of xenophobia. The issue is at the forefront again after two high-profile incidents with foreigners.聽
From unlikely undercover agent to East Timor's first ladyAustralian Kirsty聽Sword Gusmao played a key role in the resistance movement in the 1990s. Today, as first lady of East Timor, she advocates for women's rights.聽
A decade after independence, East Timor's surprising best friend? Indonesia.Ten years ago, East Timor was reeling from Indonesia's scorched-earth withdrawal after two-plus decades of occupation. Today it sees its huge neighbor as a crucial partner.
Filipinos back government on China dispute, but want more diplomacyWhile most Filipinos say that their government should not yield to to Chinese pressure in the South China Sea, others say that Manila could improve its diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue.
In China, public outcry softens sentence for Wu YingChina's Twitter users went wild Tuesday after a court overturned the most controversial death sentence here in recent memory.
Taiwan president says peace deal with China not a top priorityAs he started his second term Sunday, Taiwan President Ma said trade liberalization would take priority over any peace accord with China, for which there is little public support.
The difficulty of supporting activists such as Chen Guangchen in ChinaBeing a qualified lawyer gives lawyers who support activists such as Chen Guangchen a measure of protection, but they are still vulnerable to all kinds of official pressure.聽
FocusThe Chen affair: How it highlighted blind spots in BeijingChen Guangcheng arrived in the US Saturday, after fleeing mistreatment by local Chinese officials. The case highlights the central government's imperfect oversight of the provinces.聽- Who is Chen Guangcheng?Chen Guangcheng is a self-taught lawyer whose work聽exposing forced abortions and sterilizations in Shangdong Province put him at the center of a US-China diplomatic crisis.
Why China's economy may be heading for a hard landingBusiness confidence has sunk for the third quarter in a row as a growing number of indicators suggest China's economy is slowing.