Latest from Asia

Mongolia: A bully at the border
An encounter with a corrupt border guard almost sees the 51st Traverse team stranded in no man's land.

Call for peacekeepers as Kyrgyz conflict escalates
There are calls for UN peacekeeping forces to intervene as violence between the majority Kyrgyz population and Uzbeks intensifies.

Caste divide spurs brutal 'honour' killing
A so-called 'honour killing' has stunned India's capital.

Govt calls for return of riots' 'mastermind'
Kyrgyzstan's Government is demanding that Britain extradite the man they say is responsible for stoking vicious riots.

Kyrgyzstan gang riots leave 40 dead
The central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan is in chaos again after bloody riots.

Thailand: Magnificent ruins offer glimpse into past
The temples at Ayutthaya - one of UNESCO's world heritage sites - offer a treasured glimpse into Thailand's glorious past.

Bemusement in Japan at Bethune's ban
Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd banning NZ activist Pete Bethune has caused bemusement in Japan ahead of his last day of trial in Tokyo today.

Japan: Eat your heart out
Tokyo rivals Paris as a epicurean paradise so expect more than sushi, says Karyn Scherer.

Bangkok: Shopping up a storm
Up until now I have never managed to be in Bangkok when the Chatuchak Weekend Market is in full swing.

Sea Shepherd ban to help Bethune, wife says
Sea Shepherd banned Kiwi anti-whaling activist Pete Bethune from future protests in an effort to help him avoid jail time.

Ask Lonely Planet: All that's eco is not green in Vietnam
Eco-tourism in Vietnam is often promoted by companies who either by ignorance or outright unscrupulousness do not adhere to the ethics that would constitute viable eco-tourism projects.

South Korea: The sound of one brain snapping
Soo Bool Sunim smiles broadly and asks: "Can you see your own eyes?"

Global domination on the cards for BBC
The BBC is hoping to combat "sensationalist" and "biased" reporting by launching a TV news service in Pakistan.

German President quits over troop row
Germany's conservative President Horst Koehler tendered his immediate resignation yesterday.

Al Qaeda's top man in Afghanistan dead - report
Al Qaeda says its top leader in Afghanistan, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, has died, according to a group that monitors Islamist websites.

Bethune's defence argument prompts widespread discussion
Pete Bethune's defence in court that he thought firing acid bottles at a Japanese whaling ship was safe has sparked widespread reaction in Japan.