Pakistani on track to Formula 1 glory

Saad Ali is in good position to become Pakistan's first Formula 1 driver, a seemingly impossible target in a country with no race tracks and where all sport sponsorship money is poured into the national obsession - cricket.

Two men charged in 'red-hot' chili assault

Two men who allegedly forced a teenager to eat red-hot bongo chilies have been charged with assault in New Zealand.

President feted at 'teary' inauguration

Members of Aung San Suu Kyi's victorious National League for Democracy were in tears on Wednesday as Myanmar swore in its first president with no military ties in more than half a century.

Fukushima gets OK to freeze radioactive soil

Japan's nuclear regulator on Wednesday approved a plan for the embattled operator of the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant to start freezing soil around its battered reactor buildings, in a move to reduce the massive amounts of radioactive water accumulating in the buildings.

Govt eyes luxury tourists amid concerns over safety

Thailand needs to do more to keep its tourists safe if it wants to achieve its objective of attracting more high-end travelers, operators say, or it risks losing out to its up-and-coming neighbors.

Stigma shackles Indonesia's mentally ill

Indonesian rice farmer Usman has kept his 19-year-old son chained in the family's tiny wooden hut for more than a month, reluctant to release the mentally disturbed boy for fear he might wander off and steal neighbors' livestock.

Biggest party quits coalition

Brazil's largest party abandoned President Dilma Rousseff's governing coalition on Tuesday, making it tougher for her to survive mounting pressure in Congress for her impeachment.

Brussels airport delays reopening despite drills

Brussels airport said it would not reopen on Wednesday despite drills to test resuming partial services.

Hijack increases concerns about tourism

The hijack of EgyptAir's plane on Tuesday is likely to negatively affect Egypt's efforts to revive its ailing tourism industry despite the fact that the incident seems to be unrelated to terrorism and all the passengers and crew were released unharmed.

Government returns seized property to Jews

In 1945, Aleksandar Lebl returned to Serbia after escaping the extermination of Jews in World War II and reclaimed his family's confiscated house.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Chinese TV dramas and movies thrill Vietnamese

Chinese TV dramas and movies are becoming evermore popular in Vietnam as evidenced by their growing market share, with movies in particular posting record ticket sales with the features themselves receiving rave reviews from local audiences.