China on Thursday ordered 101 more helicopters into areas of Sichuan province cut off by this week's powerful earthquake, underscoring worries that a death toll of almost 15,000 will skyrocket unless help for the needy arrives soon.
Malaysia's deputy prime minister defended himself against accusations of corruption and involvement in a murder case that the opposition says make him unfit to become the country's leader.
Children in Myanmar may have to attend classes in relief camps and tents because 85 percent of school buildings were destroyed or severely damaged in the country's cyclone-ravaged region, the U.N. said.
Jacques Goudstikker was the Netherlands' biggest art dealer in the 1930s, influencing the tastes of collectors and museums while entertaining lavishly in his country home and castle. In 1940, he hastily left it all behind _ including about 1,400 works of prized art.
Prime-Time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for May 5-11. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.
New Zealand retail sales fell at their fastest quarterly pace in 11 years in the three months ended March 31, official figures showed Thursday as the economic slowdown gathered pace.
Australia'a largest construction company, Leighton Holdings Ltd., said Thursday its unaudited operating profit for the nine months ended March 31 rose 37 percent to 375 million Australian dollars (US$349 million; €226 million).
Japanese core machinery orders, a key indicator of capital spending, fell 8.3 percent in March from the previous month, the Cabinet Office said Thursday.
South Korean soccer officials are confident the South's World Cup qualifier against North Korea will be held in its capital Seoul, despite the North's request for FIFA to move the match to a neutral country.
Sven-Goran Eriksson declined to comment on his future or next meeting with Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra after arriving in Thailand on Wednesday.
