Asia Pacific News

Rescue teams in north-east China are working to retrieve 3,000 barrels of chemicals washed into a major river, state media say.

Officials investigate damage to a Japanese oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, amid reports of a collision or an attack.

Thai authorities lift a state of emergency in six more provinces, more than two months after ending anti-government protests in Bangkok.

Mining giant Rio Tinto completes a deal with Chinese firm Chalco to enter a joint venture in West Africa.

North Korea's foreign minister arrives in Burma, days after the US voiced concern about possible nuclear co-operation between the two states.

Greenpeace accuses Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas of ongoing destruction of peatlands and wildlife habitats by logging.

The UN declares that access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right, in a non-binding resolution.

The new Japanese government carries out its first executions - but the justice minister calls for debate on the death penalty.

The World Wildlife Fund warns that dams on the Mekong River could wipe out the giant catfish and other endangered fish species.

At least six people are killed and about 300 injured in an explosion at an abandoned plastics factory in the Chinese city of Nanjing, media reports say.