Asia

The al-Qa'ida leader, Osama bin Laden, was thought to be in Pakistan, but officials deny this

Bin Laden not in our country, says Pakistan

Brown's claim that country is not doing enough to find al-Qa'ida leader is rejected

Inside Asia

Drug-smuggler Gregory returns to Thailand and is deported

Friday, 4 December 2009

Briton pays unexpected visit to country where she was sentenced to death

Support the Afghan war, says Army chief

Friday, 4 December 2009

The head of the British Army says the war in Afghanistan will become "unsustainable" unless it has support back home, and more must be done to make up for past failures to persuade the public of the justification for the mission.

Primark faces new claims that it uses sweatshop labour

Friday, 4 December 2009

2005: Primark named least ethical clothing company by 'Ethical Consumer' magazine. Primark says it has a code of conduct for suppliers which is independently audited abroad
2006: War on Want report finds child labourers in Bangladesh making Primark clothes for 3p an hour. Allegations of beating and sexual harrassment are made. Primarkasks for details and says it will investigate
2008: BBC's Panorama finds Primark using child labourers working gruelling hours in slum workshops and refugee camps. Primark blames third party suppliers and says itwill tighten controls on contractors

Pakistani PM hits back over anti-terror effort

Thursday, 3 December 2009

Pakistan's Prime Minister today publicly disputed Gordon Brown's assessment of his country's efforts to fight terrorism and capture the leaders of al Qa'ida.

North Koreans dare to protest as devaluation wipes out savings

Thursday, 3 December 2009

Rush for dollars and Chinese yuan after Kim Jong-il's surprise move to reassert control over economy

China: Where the air is like lead

Thursday, 3 December 2009

You can practically taste the sulphur in these photographs. You can smell the reek, and feel the weight of the filthy air on your lungs. Here in a handful of images is the world's disastrous future – and it is nothing other than our own tragic and oppressive recent past, writ large, fast and Chinese.