KOREAS-A SHATTERED DREAMLAND — Every year, thousands of North Koreans risk imprisonment, or worse, to leave their homeland, many hoping to eventually reach the South. Instead, they often find themselves lost in a nation where they thought they'd feel at home, struggling with depression, discrimination, joblessness and their own lingering pride in the repressive nation they left behind. 

OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS-AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND — More than 800 wealthy Australians are under investigation by the Australian Taxation Office for possible tax evasion linked to their alleged dealings with a Panamanian law firm. The investigation comes one day after an international coalition of media outlets published details of an investigation into the offshore financial dealings of the world's wealthy elite, based on a massive cache of documents provided by an anonymous source. 

KASHMIR-WOMAN LEADER — The new leader of a pro-India party has become the first woman to become the chief minister of Indian Kashmir following the death of her father, the region's top elected leader. 

CHINA-EATING DOG — Animal rights activists are seeking to shut down an annual summer dog meat festival in southern China blamed for blackening the country's international reputation as well as fueling extreme cruelty to canines and unhygienic food handling practices. Activists from a coalition of groups said Monday that they will continue press for the festival to be banned as well as legislation outlawing the slaughtering of dogs and cats and the consumption of their meat.

INDONESIA-PASSENGERS FOR HIRE — Lines of people from women holding babies to school age children, with a hand held up to show they're for hire, are a ubiquitous sight on the Indonesian capital's busiest roads during rush hour. But not this week. Traffic-clogged Jakarta plans to suspend its peak-time rule of three people to one car from Tuesday. And the passengers for hire, known as jockeys, who helped drivers cheat the traffic controls, will be out of a job. 

SOUTH CHINA SEA-VIETNAM-VESSEL SEIZURE — Vietnam's coast guard in a rare move has seized a Chinese vessel for allegedly intruding in its waters, state media reported Monday.