Asia-Pacfic

By Agencies

The death toll from a capsized South Korean passenger ferry rose to 25 as parents of missing schoolchildren blamed the ship's captain for the tragedy after he and shipping company officials made emotional apologies for the loss of life.

Read more: South Korea ferry tragedy death toll rises

By Agencies

Thai authorities have charged two journalists with defaming the country's navy in an online news report about the trafficking of refugees from Myanmar, amid concerns about press freedom.

Read more: Journalists charged with defaming Thai navy

By Agencies

The captain of a sunken South Korean ferry has apologised to families of the victims and those missing a day after the country's biggest maritime disaster.

Read more: Captain apologises for S Korea ferry disaster

By Agencies

Relatives of hundreds of people missing in a ferry sinking in South Korea are demanding answers about their loved-ones, as rescuers continued to scour the wreckage for signs of life.

Read more: S Korean rescuers hunt for ferry survivors

By Agencies

A ferry carrying 459 people, mostly high school students on an overnight trip to a tourist island, has sunk off South Korea's southern coast, leaving nearly 300 people missing.

Read more: Hundreds missing after South Korea ship sinks

By Agencies

A Japanese parliamentary committee has unanimously passed a resolution urging the government to investigate all options to continue whaling, including "walking out of the (international whaling) convention".

Read more: #Japan politicians defiant despite #whaling ban

By Agencies

An autonomous underwater vehicle hunting for missing Malaysian jet MH370 on Tuesday was set for a second sweep of the remote Indian Ocean sea bed, after aborting its first search when it encountered water deeper than its operating limits.

Read more: MH370 search heads underwater again

By Agencies

An autonomous underwater vehicle is to be deployed in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane after nearly six weeks of fruitless searching, the head of the Australian agency supervising the search says.

Read more: Search for missing MH370 moves underwater

By Agencies

Japan has ordered the slaughter of some 112,000 chickens after officials confirmed bird flu infections at a poultry farm in the south.

Read more: Japan orders chicken cull to contain bird flu

By Agencies

Hopes raised by recent detection of signals from the the missing Malaysian Airlines jetliner's black box has started to wither once again amid overpowering fear that the battery of the recorder on board may have died.

Read more: Fading signals add to plane search urgency