US in North Korea nuclear talks
The US special envoy for North Korea says he has had "useful" talks with officials on a three-day trip to Pyongyang.

Tonga captain: ferry unseaworthy
The captain of a Tongan ferry which sank in August, drowning dozens, admits he knew the vessel was unseaworthy.

North Korea accepts swine flu aid
North Korea accepts an offer of medical aid from South Korea to combat an outbreak of swine flu, officials in Seoul say.

Australia's jobless rate declines
Australia's unemployment rate fell unexpectedly in November, as the country's economic recovery continued.

Philippines martial law criticised
The Philippine human rights head criticises the imposition of martial law in a province that witnessed a political massacre.

New arrests over Xinjiang riots
Ninety-four people are arrested on suspicion of involvement in ethnic violence in China's Xinjiang region in July, officials say.

Aborigines get back sacred land
A regional government in northern Australia returns a nature park to a local Aborigine tribe for which it is sacred.

Philippines peace deal 'in 2010'
The Philippine government and Muslim separatist rebels hope to reach a peace deal by April next year, a Malaysian facilitator says.

Statue of young Obama unveiled in Indonesia
A statue of a young Barack Obama is unveiled in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he once was a schoolboy.

Defector tells of escape tunnels for North Korea's Kim Jong-il
North Korea's capital Pyongyang has secret tunnels for use as escape routes for top officials, a defector says.

Mayweather vows to knock out the Philippines' Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather Jr believes he will knock Manny Pacquiao out when boxing's two biggest stars meet next year.

Terminal man
The Chinese activist in limbo at Tokyo's Narita airport

Cost of corruption
Indonesians feel bite of graft in little and big matters

Bridging divides
Religious leaders meet at Melbourne inter-faith festival

Going green
Electric cars are starting to take off in Japan

Friends in need
Neighbours and family help Samoa's disaster recovery

Suu Kyi talks with Burma official
Burma's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi meets a government minister even as state media criticise her.

Top China dissident faces charges
A lawyer for Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo says police are preparing subversion charges against him after a year in detention.

Japan's economic growth lowered
Japan's economy expanded by much less than first estimated in the July to September period, revised official figures show.

Australia blocks N Korean artists
Australia refuses visas for five artists from North Korea to attend an exhibition, bringing accusations of censorship.

Cambodia jails Thai in spying row
Cambodia jails a man for seven years for spying on the Thai ex-PM, amid tension between the two neighbours.

China tops Australia migrant list
China overtakes the UK and New Zealand as Australia's biggest source of immigrants, official figures reveal.

Panasonic buys majority of Sanyo
Panasonic completes its purchase of a 50.2% majority stake in Japanese electronics rival Sanyo.

Japanese machinery orders decline
Japanese machinery orders fell by more than expected in October, as companies tightened their purse strings.

Eyewitness: Sumatra earthquake
Two Brits give their accounts on the devastating earthquake that struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday.

Japan election: Voters' views
Five Japanese voters discuss the issues important to them and whether a change of power will be good for their country.

Xinjiang: Views from China
People from across China discuss the recent unrest

Arroyo legacy at risk in massacre
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's credibility is tested by the killing of 57 people in a suspected political rivalry, says the BBC's Asia-Pacific analyst Vaudine England.

On the hunt for China's child snatchers
The BBC's Damian Grammaticas meets some of the thousands of families in China whose children have been abducted to be sold by child snatchers.

Beijing concerns over mine blast
China's latest mine accident will remind China's leaders that the nation's collieries remain dangerous workplaces, says Michael Bristow.

China executes child traffickers
China executes two men convicted of abducting and selling children, state media reports.