Rescued passengers head for open Antarctic water
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) _ All 52 passengers rescued after being trapped for more than a week on an icebound Russian research ship in the Antarctic were aboard an Australian icebreaker slowly cracking through heavy sea ice Friday toward open water after their dramatic rescue by a Chinese helicopter. A spot of clear weather allowed the multinational rescue operation after blinding snow, strong winds and thick sea ice forced rescuers to turn back time and again.
From feared Myanmar spymaster to art gallery owner
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Former political prisoner Than Htay walked into a small souvenir shop, hoping to catch a glimpse of the owner: a man once known in Myanmar as the Prince of Darkness. Moments later, he was face to face with the bespectacled 74-year-old, who had long ago traded his military uniform and polished black shoes for a simple button-down shirt and flip-flops.
Pakistan's Musharraf again a no-show at trial
ISLAMABAD (AP) _ It is Pakistan's biggest trial in years: The country's former strongman, a veteran of the powerful military, faces charges of high treason in a case that could result in the death penalty. But so far authorities can't get former President Pervez Musharraf into the courtroom. Musharraf was on the way to the latest session Thursday when his heavily secured convoy suddenly turned to speed to a military hospital after he suffered a heart problem on route, according to his lawyers and police.
SKorea dismisses NKorea's calls for improved ties
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ South Korea on Friday dismissed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's calls for improved ties and urged his government to take nuclear disarmament steps first. Kim made the overture in his New Year's Day speech Wednesday that included typical rhetoric against Seoul and Washington and a warning of a possible nuclear war.
US man pleads guilty in Chinese fossil case
CHEYENNE, Wyoming (AP) _ A man pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony charge of conspiring to smuggle fossils from China into the United States. He also agreed to forfeit any claim to a Tyrannosaurus skull that likely will be heading back home to Mongolia. Federal officials and a lawyer representing the government of Mongolia say the prosecution marks a continuing push to crack down on fossil smuggling.
Wal-Mart eyes legal action over donkey meat recall
NEW YORK (AP) _ Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says it's considering taking legal action against "responsible parties" after DNA testing showed traces of fox meat in the donkey meat it sold in China. Wal-Mart had recalled the donkey meat _ which it said was considered a popular delicacy in parts of China _ after DNA testing by a government agency. The company said Thursday that it withdrew all products from the supplier, Dezhou Fujude Food Company, and that affected customers were offered compensation.
FBI: Chinese Consulate fire set intentionally
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Federal officials said Thursday a fire at the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco was ignited at the front of the building, leading to an arson investigation and calls from the Chinese government for better protection of diplomats in the U.S. The blaze on Wednesday night was not being investigated as an act of terrorism, the FBI said.
China slams US sending Uighur ex-inmates to Europe
BEIJING (AP) _ The Chinese government on Thursday criticized a U.S. decision to release three members of an ethnic minority from China who had been held at Guantanamo Bay to the Central European country of Slovakia. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China had sought the repatriation of the Uighur men, who are considered by Chinese authorities to be terrorist suspects. The U.S. said earlier this week it had released the men to Slovakia.
Myanmar commutes death sentences, jail terms
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Myanmar's president on Thursday commuted the death sentences of some convicts and slashed the jail terms of others, but it was unclear whether any political prisoners would be freed through his order. President Thein Sein had granted pardons Monday to those convicted of or charged with a variety of political offenses. The amnesty followed a promise by Thein Sein in July that all political prisoners would be freed by the end of the year.
Bus plunges into gorge in India, killing 30 people
MUMBAI, India (AP) _ A bus plunged into a 120-meter (400-feet) deep gorge Thursday in western India, splitting open on the rocky ground below, killing at least 30 people, police said. The driver lost control of the bus after it collided with a truck on a road near Malshej Ghat, a hilly tourist spot about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of Mumbai, police officer Raghunath Yadav said.
Cambodian troops quash protest at garment factory
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) _ Cambodian soldiers forcefully quelled a demonstration by garment factory workers who were striking for better pay Thursday, detaining Buddhist monks and labor leaders. Soldiers from a military special command unit carrying metal pipes, knives, AK-47 rifles, slingshots and batons clashed with workers at a factory in an outlying area of Phnom Penh, local human rights group LICADHO said. Its statement said 10 people were taken into military custody and that monks and workers were beaten.
Thai Red Shirts ready to fight Bangkok shutdown
BANGKOK (AP) _ Supporters of Thailand's beleaguered government said Thursday that they are prepared to counter a threat by anti-government protesters to shut down Bangkok later this month. Leaders of the so-called Red Shirt movement stopped short Thursday of calling for their members to take to the streets of the capital to defend caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government from opponents who insist she step down. The opponents insist that Yingluck's administration be replaced by an appointed government before new elections are held. Polls are scheduled for Feb. 2.
Chinese cook crashes on balloon to disputed isles
TOKYO (AP) _ A Chinese cook who crashed into the sea while trying to fly on a hot-air balloon to islands claimed by both China and Japan has been rescued by Japan's coast guard. Xu Shuaijun, 35, crashed Wednesday after hitting turbulence as he approached the islands, known in Japan as Senkaku and Diayou in China, the coast guard said Thursday.
China's 1st aircraft carrier ends sea trials
BEIJING (AP) _ China's first aircraft carrier has successfully completed sea trials in the South China Sea, state media reported. The Liaoning returned to port Wednesday after a 37-day voyage, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Citing an unnamed naval source, Xinhua said the aircraft carrier tested its combat system and conducted a formation practice and "attained the anticipated objectives."
China fires senior official in vote-buying scandal
BEIJING (AP) _ A senior Chinese provincial official has been fired and expelled from the Communist Party for negligence in a massive vote-buying scandal, the party's internal anti-graft arm said Thursday. The party's discipline commission said that Tong Mingqian failed to take "timely and effective measures" in the central city of Hengyang to address reports of bribery in the city legislature's selection of provincial representatives.
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/wal-mart-stores-inc-top-asian-news-at-400-a-m-gmt-4/
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