Typhoon Megi cleared the Philippines' main island and headed toward China on October 19, and authorities said initial estimates showed around 105,000 tons of the region's unmilled rice crop had been damaged.

Super Typhoon Megi slammed into the northern Philippines Monday causing landslides in mountainous areas, tearing roofs off houses, whipping up huge waves along the coast and killing at least one person.

Japan's prime minister urged China on Monday to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens and firms and called for calm after Chinese protesters took to the streets over a territorial feud straining ties between Asia's top economies.

A UN conference on global biodiversity loss kicked off in Japan on Monday aiming to tackle how to curb the world's rapid loss of animal and plant species and the habitats they live in.

Gunmen shot to death at least 29 people in Pakistan's commercial hub Karachi over the weekend, deepening tensions as a by-election was held to replace a lawmaker who was murdered in August.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is taking a hard line ahead of nuclear talks scheduled for next month with world powers skeptical of his government's intentions, local media reported on October 17.

Saudi Arabia has warned France it is the target of an imminent al-Qaeda attack, French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux has said.

Thirteen of Chile's 33 rescued miners returned on October 17 to the mine that nearly became their tomb and thanked God for their freedom in an emotional religious service.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was ready for resumption of the six-party talks, a spokesman for the DPRK foreign ministry was quoted as saying on Saturday (October 16).

Thousands of protesters marched through Tokyo on October 16 to demonstrate against what they called China's invasion of disputed islands that both countries claim.