A helicopter convoy carrying German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg came under fire from the ground during a recent surprise visit to troops in the area, several media reported on Sunday.

NATO and Afghan forces killed several insurgents, including an armed woman, in a search operation in western Afghanistan, the alliance said.

Britain will apologize for shipping thousands of poor children, often without the knowledge of their parents, to its former colonies during the 20th century, the government said on Sunday.

North Korea briefly activated radar for its surface-to-ship missiles Sunday, forcing South Korean naval vessels to move away from a disputed western sea border where the two countries' navies clashed last week, news reports said.

Watchtowers and close-circuit televisions will help secure the Taj Mahal, one of the world's most visited monuments, as the busy tourist season begins in India, a senior police officer said.

Malaysia's government has warned a newspaper that its coverage of a fatal police shooting of five ethnic Indian criminal suspects could stir racial tensions and cause the publication to be suspended, the daily's chief executive said.

A South Korean fishing boat flipped over after colliding with a much larger Hong Kong cargo ship, killing four fishermen and leaving three others missing, officials said Sunday.

South Korean police and fire officials on Sunday investigated the cause of a fire that raced through an indoor shooting gallery, killing 10 people including eight Japanese tourists.

Australia's government has agreed to exclude agriculture from its emissions trading scheme in a major concession to the opposition to try to get carbon trading laws through parliament, a minister said on Sunday.

Thousands of members of Thailand's “Yellow Shirt” protest group were set to rally in Bangkok Sunday against a visit to Cambodia by their arch-foe, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.