December 4, 2015 Japan's ageing 'ama' divers defy tide of time Mieko Kitai takes a huge gulp of air as she surfaces from the clear, blue waters of Japan's Pacific coast with a large abalone in her hand.
December 4, 2015 Fukushima operator discloses extent of nuclear leak The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has given its first public estimate of the size of the leakage of radioactive tritium into the Pacific Ocean since the disaster.
December 4, 2015 Indonesia prison warden denies Briton's abuse claims The warden of a notorious Indonesian prison strongly denied on Tuesday claims by a British former inmate that she had been abused and that the jail was rife with drug use.
December 4, 2015 All Blacks call up four as injury cover New Zealand rugby's forgotten man, Colin Slade, was among four players called up Monday to shore up the All Blacks' injury-hit squad ahead of Saturday's Rugby Championship Test against Australia.
December 4, 2015 Japan nuclear operators ask for OK on reactor restarts Japanese utilities asked regulators for permission to turn on 10 nuclear reactors, a move that could presage a widespread restart of atomic power more than two years after the Fukushima disaster.
December 4, 2015 Slash-and-burn a way of life on Indonesia's Sumatra The ground was still hot and smoke hung in the air when Saparina set out to plant her spinach in the ashen remains of rainforest on Indonesia's Sumatra island, where raging fires triggered Southeast Asia's worst smog crisis in years.
December 4, 2015 Japan fireworks festival blast claims first death A 44-year-old woman who suffered severe burns in an explosion at a fireworks festival in western Japan two days ago became the first person to die from the accident on Saturday, police said.
December 4, 2015 Indonesia anti-graft body arrests energy watchdog chief Indonesia's anti-corruption agency has arrested the head of the country's upstream oil and gas regulator over allegations of bribery, an official said Wednesday.
December 4, 2015 No pet hates as dog donates blood to save cat Traditional animal rivalries were set aside in New Zealand when a dog's blood was used to save the life of a poisoned cat in a rare inter-species transfusion, reports said Wednesday.
December 4, 2015 Vietnam upholds jail term for hero fish farmer A Vietnamese fish farmer who became a folk hero after he used homemade weapons to resist forced eviction has lost his appeal against a five-year jail term for attempted murder, a court clerk said Wednesday.