Malaysia 'unhealthy' as haze obscures skies

Air quality around Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur and on Borneo island was "unhealthy" on Tuesday, with one town reaching "very unhealthy" levels as haze, mostly from forest fires in Indonesia, obscured skies.

Driver for boss of S. Korea ferry turns himself in

The driver of a South Korean businessman wanted over the sinking of a ferry that killed 304 in April turned himself in on Tuesday, potentially unlocking the mystery of the man's final days after the country's worst maritime disaster in 44 years.

Prosecutors to indict ex-leader of Georgia

Georgia's chief prosecutor's office has stated that it will officially indict former president Mikhail Saakashvili and several former officials.

IN BRIEF (Page 11)

'Family feud' that led to bloodbath

After a week of failed diplomacy, dithering and doubt, Tsar Nicholas II ordered Russia's armies to mobilize on July 30, 1914. There would be no turning back from a decision that set Europe on a course to war.

Vietnamese taste for cat leaves family pets in peril

The enduring popularity of "little tiger" as a snack to accompany a beer in Vietnam means that cat owners live in constant fear of animal snatchers, despite an official ban.

LA lightning kills 1, injures 13

A 20-year-old man died after lightning struck 14 people at a popular Los Angeles beach and a golf course, a coroner's official said on Sunday.

Smashing glass ceiling at a Parisian 'palace'

As new chief concierge at a top "palace" hotel in Paris, Sonia Papet is part of a tiny elite of women who have entered the traditionally male realm.

Teens describe being left to escape sinking ferry

Six teenagers who survived South Korea's worst maritime disaster in 44 years told on Monday how classmates helped them float free as water flooded their cabins despite crew instructions to stay put even as their ferry sank, killing more than 300 people.

Splintering Iraq reaches breaking point

Salman Khaled has lived through Baghdad's sectarian disintegration; with Iraq now splintering into Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish regions, he says this time the survival of the country is at stake.

Asylum seekers in limbo could sue Australia govt

The fate of 157 Sri Lankan asylum seekers held at sea for almost a month before being brought to a detention center in Australia was stuck in limbo on Monday, as lawyers for the detainees said they might sue the government for illegal imprisonment.

Abu Sayyaf gunmen kill 21 Filipinos in road attack

Abu Sayyaf gunmen attacked Filipino civilians traveling to celebrate the end of Ramadan with their families on Monday, killing 21, including six children, in a brazen road attack that was the bloodiest in recent years by the violent militant group, police and military officials said.