All Asia Pacific
North Korea agrees to suspend nuclear activitiesNorth Korea agreed to suspend nuclear weapons tests and uranium enrichment, and allow in international inspectors, according to the US State Department. The US will provide food aid.
How serious is the bombast from North Korea?North Korea issued more heated rhetoric denouncing the annual US-South Korea military drills that started today.
Australia's first female prime minister keeps her job, for nowSome analysts believe that sexism is at least partly to blame for the difficulties Australia's first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, has had to battle while in office.
- Weibos: China clamps down on popular microblogs
Weibos are the freest place in China to speak. Now Chinese authorities are moving to curb that freedom.
From Our Files: Iwo Jima, Feb. 23, 1945Iwo Jima, a tiny volcanic island in the Pacific between the Marianas Islands and mainland Japan was the site of one of the most historic battles of World War II in which the United States captured the island from Japan. By the end of the campaign 6800 Americans and 20000 Japanese died between February 19 and March 26, 1945. The battle is recognized by the iconic photograph of U.S. Marines raising the American flag at the summit of Mt. Suribachi on February 23, 1945.
John Beaufort was a reporter for The Christian Science Monitor who covered the Pacific theater during World War II. He landed at Kwajalein atoll with the Marines, accompanied the landings at Okinawa, and covered the invasion of Iwo Jima. Here is Beaufort's account, originally published in the Feb. 23, 1945 issue of The Christian Science Monitor. – Leigh Montgomery, Librarian
North Korea and US talk for first time since Kim Jong-il's deathTalks today between North Korea and the US could provide insight to whether North Korea's new government is ready for change.
- Business in Burma: Show me the money, but only if it's crisp
It may take more than a lifting of sanctions to revive Myanmar's isolated economy.
North Korea marks Kim Jong-il's birthday: Why's his son so quiet?North Korea commemorated Kim Jong-il with parade, dancing, and pledges of loyalty to his son. But as usual, Kim Jong-un remained silent.
Rare visit to remote region highlights China's clampdown on TibetConversations with ethnic Tibetans suggest that China's authoritarian policies designed to tamp down disorder are causing unrest and self immolations.
China's Vice President Xi is in town: what 6 international newspapers say Chinese Vice President and presumed leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping is visiting the United States this week. From the increased US militarization of the Asia-Pacific region to China’s human rights record, newspapers across the globe are chiming in with their opinions and expectations for this high-profile visit. Here are a sample of six:
Valentine's Day with a Chinese twistOther than red roses and a candlelit dinner for two on Valentine's Day, nothing in Beijing says 'I love you' (vaguely, in Chinese) like an investment offering an annual return of 5.2 percent.
Getting to know Xi: White House prepares to meet China's new manPresident Obama and Xi Jinping, China's likely next president, meet today at the White House. Many are hoping for a good rapport that will bolster a strained US-China relationship.
US, China face 'trust deficit' as China's heir apparent visitsChinese Vice President Xi Jinping, China's likely leader for the next decade, will meet President Obama this week, as well as make trips to Iowa and California.
- Myanmar's former political prisoners weigh next steps ahead of polls
As Myanmar prepares for April 1 parliamentary elections, many former political prisoners are deciding how to continue their activism.
Despite Fukushima disaster, anti-nuclear activists fight uphill battle in JapanEven though most Japanese now oppose nuclear power, activists say building a strong movement has proven difficult.
How Japan, US may break 18-year deadlock over Okinawa baseJapan and the US agreed this week to relocate thousands of Marines from Okinawa. But the issue of what to do with Futenma airbase remains.
Myanmar's about-face: 5 recent reforms Since 1962, Myanmar's dictatorship has jailed the opposition, beat up monks, denied aid to disaster victims, and run scorched-earth campaigns against ethnic minorities. That may be changing, however. Here are five key changes the regime has made in just a matter of months.
A top cop in China disappears. Medical leave or US asylum?China's rumor mill is ablaze over the whereabouts of Wang Lijun, a top police chief in Chongqing who 'went on vacation-style treatment.' What happens next could be a blow to a top Communist Party contender.
Aung San Suu Kyi hits the campaign trail in MyanmarCrowds of supporters enthusiastically greeted Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, some up since dawn to catch a glimpse of her on her first official campaign trip.
Censors lighten their touch on Myanmar's mediaMyanmar's press has long been heavily restricted. But as the government promotes reforms, articles about just-released political prisoners and upcoming elections are getting into print.
