A pro-democracy group in Hong Kong is preparing to hold another massive rally on Sunday afternoon, despite police refusal to grant permission for a march.

New machines popping up in Russian shopping centres seem innocuous enough -- users insert their passport and receive a small loan in a matter of minutes. But the devices, which dispense credit in Saint Petersburg malls at a sky-high annual rate of 365 percent, are another sign of a credit boom that has authorities worried.

University students in Hong Kong staged a mass rally on Friday evening aimed at gaining international support for anti-government protests.

Thousands of travelers at airports across the United States have run into long delays due to a computer systems failure at the Customs and Border Protection agency. Officials say the system is coming back online.

Tropical storm Krosa has damaged the boats used by tourists to view cormorant fishing on the Nagara River in Gifu City, central Japan.

The Thai government on Friday launched additional rain-making operations in the Northern, Northeastern and Central regions to tackle serious droughts.