Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao said on Monday that he planned to run for a post in the influential Philippine Senate despite a lacklustre stint as a congressman.

A mainland Chinese crew member was killed and eight others were missing after their Taiwanese-owned freighter collided with another ship at the mouth of Tokyo Bay and sank yesterday.

CNN electoral vote projection: Romney 169, Obama 157
New York Times electoral vote projection: Romney 160, Obama 148

BBC electoral vote projection: Obama 172, Romney 163 

updated at 11:50 am HK

SCMP.com readers took to their keyboards to post a record number of comments on the story, in which the controversial star told Phoenix TV that America was "the most corrupt country in the world".

Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei joined the growing chorus of disapproval at Beijing’s air pollution this week by posing pictures of himself on Twitter wearing a gas mask.

Hong Kong shares fell 1.32 per cent on Tuesday, losing all their gains for 2013 after elections in Italy failed to produce a winner, fuelling fears of gridlock that could spark a new crisis in the euro zone.

China looks poised to launch another crackdown on its social networks after two newspapers carried editorials defending restrictions on the internet.

Hundreds of North Korean paratroopers descend on Seoul. Their mission: to take thousands of US citizens living in South Korea hostage. This is the fantasy scenario at the centre of the latest propaganda video released by the government to bolster animosity towards America.

Nasa is keeping close tabs on a sizable asteroid set to whizz past our planet in what the US space agency says is the closest fly-by ever predicted for such a large object.

A Chinese official was removed from his post on Monday after a picture of him being given a piggyback because he was wearing expensive shoes sparked an online uproar.