Deadly Earthquake Topples 17-Story Building in Taiwan
An earthquake that struck the southern city of Tainan in Taiwan early Saturday morning toppled an enormous 100-family high-rise building, leaving 11 people dead and 475 injured, according to CNN.
Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi Expected To Win Myanmar's First Free Election in 25 Years
In an historic moment for the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar, the first free election is expected to be won by opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Asia Commemorates Ten-Year Anniversary of Indian Ocean Tsunami
On December 26, 2004, a tsunami struck dozens of countries around the Indian Ocean rim, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 228,000 people. Ten years on, countries around Asia commemorated the anniversary by holding prayer and memorial services for the near quarter million lives taken by the natural disaster.
Fox News reportedly used random b-roll video of sad Asians from other places as stand-ins for actual Koreans during a segment on the Korean ferry disaster. In fairness, lots of stations use b-roll that's unrelated to the story at hand. Few do it in such a racially and ethnically tone-deaf way.
Monster Typhoon Among History's Largest, Strongest Storms Ever
The monstrous storm seen in this new satellite image is the biggest of the year and one of the most powerful tropical cyclones of all time. "Super typhoon" Haiyan is currently thrashing the entirety of the Philippines with sustained winds of 190 mph and gusts up to 230 mph, and then it's headed for Vietnam. It's such…
According to a statement from White House press secretary Jay Carney, President Obama has now canceled his upcoming trip to Asia: "The president made this decision based on the difficulty in moving forward with foreign travel in the face of a shutdown, and his determination to continue pressing his case that…
Ninety Percent of South East Asian Schoolchildren Are Nearsighted
Researchers have concluded that up to 90 percent of students leaving school in major South East Asian cities are suffering from myopia — the fancy term for when things look fuzzy at a distance. According to Professor Ian Morgan, who conducted the study, the average used to be between 20 and 30 percent.
Barack Obama Hates Wearing This Goddamn Indonesian Silly Shirt
President Obama and fellow Pacific leaders didn't don any "silly shirts" — a.k.a. "festive local garb" — at last week's APEC conference in Hawaii, breaking from the conference's proud tradition of dressing powerful global leaders in clown costumes. "I got rid of the Hawaiian shirts because I looked at pictures of some…
The Erotic Sculpture Garden of Korea: A Virtual Tour
JeJu Love Land is a "whimsical erotic sculpture park" on an island in South Korea. It's been around for years, but we hadn't heard of it until Laughing Squid brought it to our attention.
See How China's Celebrating 90 Years of Communism
This week the Chinese are celebrating their Communist Party's 90th by buying it a sentimental birthday card, taking it out to Shoney's for the breakfast buffet, then swinging by J.C. Penney to get it a nice new cardigan sweater and some comfortable slippers.
Be Scared: Obama Will Visit Indonesian Mosque
Indonesia's Istiqlal Mosque must not have a vaguely Muslim-looking headwear requirement, because Barack Obama will actually visit it during his upcoming Asia trip. Politico suggests that this "could stoke the heated confrontation over the Park51 Project," for some reason.
North Korea's Revenge: Capturing a Fishing Boat
South Korea and the U.S. held military exercises in the Yellow Sea, and North Korea got pissed. Now they've retaliated by... capturing a fishing vessel? To be fair, the seven detained crew members are really good fishermen. [CNN]
Secretary of State Clinton Starts Asia Tour
Hillary Clinton, kicking off a big tour of Asia, has arrived in Japan.
Naked 'Oriental Yeti' Is Asia's Saddest-Looking Monster
Poor 'Oriental Yeti'. Not only did the media give you an antiquated name after you were trapped by some hunters in Sichuan, China: You have no hair! Scientists are baffled. We are, too: Aren't Yetis supposed to be scary? [Telegraph]
