December 15, 2016 NGOs urge search for Laos activist 4 years after he vanished Human rights groups have renewed calls for a full investigation into the disappearance of a well-known community organizer four years ago at a police checkpoint in the capital of Laos.
December 15, 2016 South Korea raises bird flu alert to highest level for first time South Korea's agriculture ministry raised the country's bird flu alert status to the highest level for the first time on Thursday as the disease has spread quickly nationwide.
December 15, 2016 Germany: Afghan suspect in slaying assaulted woman in Greece German police say there's evidence an Afghan refugee suspected of raping and killing a 19-year-old university student in Freiburg was also convicted of attempting to kill another woman in Greece.
December 15, 2016 Vietnam's government says Trump, in phone call, hoped to promote ties Vietnam's government says U.S. President-elect Donald Trump told Vietnam's prime minister in a telephone conversation that he hopes to promote relations with the Communist country.
December 15, 2016 Canadian officials meet detained Canadian in North Korea Canadian officials have visited North Korea and met with Canadian detainee Hyeon Soo Lim, who was sentenced to life in prison last year over what Pyongyang described as anti-state activities.
December 15, 2016 Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Japan for territorial talks Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Japan on Thursday for a two-day summit that marks his first official visit to a G-7 country since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.
December 15, 2016 Rebels kill 2 Indian policemen near border with Myanmar Police say heavily armed rebels have killed two Indian police officers in an ambush on a highway they were guarding hours before the visit of the top elected official of an insurgency-wracked northeastern state.
December 15, 2016 Greenpeace: Thai fishing boats sail far to avoid regulations A report by environmental group Greenpeace says Thai fishing fleets are operating thousands of kilometers (miles) from home in unregulated waters to dodge government oversight over illegal fishing and onboard human rights abuses.
December 15, 2016 Lawyer: Police confirm they detained Chinese rights activist The lawyer for a prominent Chinese human rights campaigner says police have detained his client for allegedly falsely using ID that wasn't his own to buy train tickets.
December 15, 2016 Japanese leader accuses Australian church of discrimination A Japanese-Australian community leader says he has filed a racial discrimination complaint against a Sydney church that he alleges has intimidated Japanese nationals by erecting a memorial to women forced to work as sex slaves by Japan's World War II army.
