 | 2008 OCTOBER
October 10, 2008
Wall Street Fluctuates After World Markets Drop
Stock prices in Asia and Europe continued to sink Friday, following a day of massive selloffs on Wall Street while Washington considered several new financial rescue maneuvers.
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| October 9, 2008
Gates Urges More Troop Action on Afghanistan's Drug Trade
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Thursday that NATO troops should do more to combat Afghanistan's drug trade. His comments came as new reports emerged raising doubts about American strategy and the Afghan government's ability to cope.
   
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| October 7, 2008
Anti-Government Protests Rattle Thailand
Thousands of anti-government protesters barricaded Thailand's parliament Tuesday, leading to clashes with riot police and to the deployment of troops to curb political unrest on the streets of Bangkok.
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| October 6, 2008
General, Dozens More Killed in Sri Lankan Blast
A suspected rebel suicide bomber killed at least 26 people, including a prominent retired army general, during an attack inside an opposition party office in northern Sri Lanka Monday.
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| October 6, 2008
Stocks Drop Over Continuing Credit Fears
U.S. stocks fell more than 6 percent Monday morning and the Dow Jones industrial average fell below 10,000 for the first time since October 2004.
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| October 1, 2008
Dexter Filkins Reads an Excerpt from 'The Forever War'
New York Times reporter Dexter Filkins reads from his book, "The Forever War," which chronicles his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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| SEPTEMBER
September 30, 2008
China Detains 22 People Over Contaminated Milk
The Chinese government has said it detained 22 people suspected of operating an underground network that added the industrial chemical melamine to milk. The contamination has sickened more than 50,000 children in China.
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| September 26, 2008
Political Upheaval in Thailand Reflects Tension Between Rich, Poor
The politics of modern Thailand appear to be proof of Winston Churchill's adage that democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others.
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| September 26, 2008
Nations Agree to Draft Resolution on Iran Nuclear Program
Six nations have agreed on a draft U.N. resolution on Iran's nuclear program, but it does not include new sanctions, per Russia's preference, European officials said Friday.
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| September 25, 2008
Fragile Peacemaking Underway as Nepal Ushers in Democracy, Seeks Talks with U.S.
After a decade-long civil war that left about 13,000 people dead ended in 2006, Nepal has reached a milestone in its peace process even though it is being guided by the same man who led the insurgency.
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| September 24, 2008
N. Korea Bars U.N. Inspectors From Nuclear Plant
North Korea barred U.N. nuclear inspectors from accessing its main reactor and appears to be moving forward with plans to restart the plant despite a 2007 pact to end its atomic bomb program, officials said Wednesday.
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| September 22, 2008
Pakistan Hunts for Bombers of Landmark Hotel
Pakistani officials are still trying to determine who is behind the weekend truck bombing at a landmark Islamabad hotel that killed at least 53 people.
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| September 22, 2008
China's Food Quality Chief Quits Over Tainted Milk Supply Scandal
The head of China's food quality watchdog agency quit Monday, as anger grew in China and in neighboring countries over a tainted milk supply scandal that has sickened more than 50,000 children.
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| September 19, 2008
North Korea Says Reactor Could Be Restarted
North Korea said Friday it has stopped disabling its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon and that it no longer wants to be taken off a U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism.
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| September 16, 2008
With Iraq Surge Behind Him, Petraeus Takes Larger Command
Twenty months after taking charge of a new troop surge in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus passed on some hard-earned and still fragile security gains to his replacement, Gen. Ray Odierno, Tuesday. Specialists assess the challenges both generals now face in the region.
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| September 16, 2008
Mullen Visits Pakistan to Ease Tensions Over Raids
Top U.S. military officer Adm. Mike Mullen went to Pakistan Tuesday to discuss concerns over Islamabad's efforts to combat militant fighters and to address rising tensions over reports that U.S. forces have engaged in unauthorized raids there.
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| September 11, 2008
Reports: President Bush Secretly OK'd Raids in Pakistan's Border Region
The New York Times reported Thursday that President Bush authorized U.S. forces to conduct raids against Taliban and al-Qaida strongholds inside Pakistan's border region without the approval of Islamabad. Regional and security experts assess the reports.
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| September 10, 2008
South Korean Intelligence Reports Kim Jong Il Recovering from Surgery
Hours after North Korea dismissed rumors questioning leader Kim Jong Il's health as a conspiracy Wednesday, South Korea's intelligence agency released new information claiming Kim is recovering from surgery.
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| September 9, 2008
Questions Arise on Health of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il
Speculation that North Korea's Kim Jong Il may be seriously ill intensified Tuesday when the leader failed to appear at a parade marking the 60th anniversary of North Korea's founding.
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| September 8, 2008
Pakistan's New President Looks to Mend Reputation, Stabilize Country
Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, was elected Sept. 6 as president of Pakistan, the next chapter in the political career of a man once labeled "Mr. 10 Percent" because of corruption charges levied against him.
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| September 5, 2008
Judges Reinstated in Pakistan Ahead of Election
Three Supreme Court judges ousted by outgoing Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf were sworn back into the court a day ahead of Saturday's presidential election.
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| September 3, 2008
Pakistani Prime Minister's Motorcade Target of Attack
Shots were fired at Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's motorcade near Islamabad's airport Wednesday, though officials said he was not in it at the time, raising concerns of continuing political instability.
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| September 2, 2008
State of Emergency Declared in Thailand as Premier Faces Fraud Charges
Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej declared a state of emergency in the capital Bangkok Tuesday, the same day the Election Commission ruled his party committed electoral fraud in December elections.
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| September 1, 2008
Second Japanese Prime Minister in a Year Resigns
Japan's unpopular Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda abruptly resigned Monday after a year of struggle with a deadlocked parliament as the Asian nation grapples with a troubled economy.
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| AUGUST
August 27, 2008
U.N. Says 90 Civilians Killed in Afghan Airstrike
The United Nations has found "convincing evidence" that 90 civilians were killed in a U.S. airstrike in western Afghanistan last week that prompted the Afghan government to demand more accountability from U.S. and NATO forces.
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| August 25, 2008
Sharif Withdraws from Pakistan Governing Coalition
Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif said Monday that he will withdraw his party from Pakistan's five-month-old governing coalition.
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| August 22, 2008
China Balances Host Role with Delicate Diplomacy During Olympics
Atlantic Monthly veteran writer James Fallows, who has spent a year reporting from China about everything from Beijing's pollution to the tightly controlled media, discusses the country's future following its turn in the Olympic spotlight.
 
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| August 22, 2008
Jamaican Runner Gives a 'Bolt' to Summer Olympics
Ray Suarez speaks with sportswriter Christine Brennan about the athletic triumphs and disappointments of the Beijing Games, including Jamaican Usain Bolt's world record breaking track and field performances.
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| August 21, 2008
Suicide Bombing in Pakistan Kills at Least 59
Two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside an arms factory near Pakistan's capital of Islamabad on Thursday, killing at least 59 people, as workers were leaving at the end of their shift.
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| August 19, 2008
Rice Production Makes a Comeback in War-ravaged Cambodia
Amid rising food prices and supply shortages, Cambodia has managed to increase its food production by turning the war-ravaged country's former "killing fields" into rice fields. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on the transformation.
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| August 19, 2008
Coordinated Insurgent Attack Near Kabul Kills 10 French Soldiers
A group of French paratroopers was ambushed by a group of 100 Taliban-linked insurgents outside Kabul late Monday, killing 10 soldiers and wounding 21 others as a wave of attacks against foreign forces continues to rock Afghanistan.
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| August 18, 2008
Pakistan Faces Political Challenges After Musharraf's Exit
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf resigned Monday in the face of an impeachment bid. Analysts examine the end of the Musharraf era and the future for U.S. ties to the country.
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| August 18, 2008
Suicide Attack in Afghanistan Kills at Least 10
The Taliban took responsibility for an attack Monday in which a suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into the gate of the main U.S. military base in southeastern Afghanistan, killing 10 people and wounding 13.
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| August 18, 2008
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Resigns
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation Monday, just days before impeachment proceedings against him were set to begin in Parliament over his attempts to impose authoritarian rule on his nation.
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| August 15, 2008
Musharraf Spokesman Denies Resignation Rumors as Impeachment Bid Looms
A spokesman for embattled Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has denied reports that the leader has already agreed to step down to avoid impending impeachment proceedings.
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| August 14, 2008
Chinese Athletes Embody Beijing's Broader Aspirations
After a century of national aspirations, China's ascent into an international power has influenced its athletes' training to win gold medals during the Olympics. A professor and former athlete offers insight into how Chinese athletes have prepared for the Summer Games.
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| August 13, 2008
Sports Journalist Discusses Swimming, Gymnastics Feats at Beijing Games
The competition at the Olympic Games is heating up as Michael Phelps broke a series of world records on his way to claiming the record for most gold medals. A sports correspondent in Beijing discusses the highlights of the games so far.
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| August 13, 2008
Experts Answered Questions on China's Olympic Moment
The Olympics has proved a mixed blessing for China as protesters have sought to use the event to highlight disputes over China's rule of Tibet and other issues. So how do the Olympics fit into China's past and its future on the international stage? Two China watchers answer your questions.
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| August 13, 2008
Pressure Builds on Pakistan's Musharraf to Leave Office
A growing number of provincial legislatures in Pakistan are calling on embattled President Pervez Musharraf to face a confidence vote or be impeached -- and speculation abounds on whether he will leave office first.
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| August 12, 2008
Media, Fans Going Online for 2008 Olympic Games
While athletes at the Beijing Olympics are breaking records every day, coverage of the Games is itself breaking barriers in the way people are seeking coverage of the events. A media analyst discusses the role of Internet media during the 2008 Games.
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| August 12, 2008
Bomb Targets Pakistani Military as Top al-Qaida Figure Reported Killed
A bomb struck a Pakistani military truck Tuesday in the country's restive northwest, killing as many as 14 people, as reports emerged that a senior al-Qaida commander had been killed in clashes with Pakistani forces near the Afghan border.
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| August 11, 2008
Disaster Feared as 130,000 Flee Fighting in Southern Philippines
Continued fighting between Muslim rebels and troops in the southern Philippines has raised fears of a humanitarian disaster as nearly 130,000 refugees have fled their homes.
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| August 11, 2008
Coalition Air Strikes in Afghanistan Stoke Tensions Over Civilian Death Toll
A U.S.-led air strike in Afghanistan killed 25 Taliban fighters on Sunday but also took the lives of eight bystanders held hostage by the militants, media reports said Monday, highlighting tensions over the civilian toll in the Afghan war.
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| August 8, 2008
China Aims to Boost Global Standing Through Olympics
Years of preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games culminated Friday as world leaders converged in China to watch the Games' opening ceremonies. Analysts examine what the event means for China's place on the global political and economic stage.
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| August 7, 2008
China Tells Bush Not to Meddle in Its Affairs
China responded to President Bush's criticism of Beijing's repression Thursday, saying no one should interfere in other countries' internal affairs.
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| August 7, 2008
Deadly Climb on K2 Brings New Attention to the 'Savage Mountain'
Eleven people died this week on K2, the world's second-tallest mountain. An ice fall swept some of the victims away, equipment problems left others stranded. Phil Powers, executive director of the American Alpine Club, describes what makes K2 such difficult terrain, and talks about his own experience climbing the mountain.
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| August 7, 2008
Pakistan Ruling Party to Seek Impeachment of Musharraf
Pakistan's ruling coalition said Thursday it plans to begin impeachment proceedings against President Pervez Musharraf, saying the U.S.-backed former general has "eroded the trust of the nation."
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| August 6, 2008
Tibet Protests Linger Around China's Olympics Prep
China is determined to prevent the Olympics from becoming a platform for Tibetan rights protests. Independent Television News Channel 4 correspondent Lindsay Hilsum reports from the remote Tibetan province of Qinghai on lingering anti-Chinese sentiments in the region.
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| August 6, 2008
Air Pollution in China
Atmospheric chemist Kenneth Rahn regularly travels to China to consult with scientists there about the country's air pollution problem. Rahn took your questions about pollution in Beijing during the run-up to the Olympic Games.
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| August 6, 2008
President Bush to Urge More Freedoms in China
President Bush plans to speak in opposition to China's detention of political dissidents and urge expansion of personal freedoms during a speech Thursday in Thailand before heading to Beijing for the Olympics.
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ASIA-PACIFIC
