http://www.voanews.com/archive/asia/latest/594/600.html asia http://www.voanews.com/img/voa/rssLogo_VOA.gif http://www.voanews.com/archive/asia/latest/594/600.html en-US 2012 - VOA 60 Sun, 19 May 2013 02:52:19 -0400 Pangea CMS – VOA A top Pakistani politician has been shot and killed in Karachi. Police say Zahra Shahid Hussain was shot twice in the head Saturday during an attempted street robbery outside her home. She died on the way to the hospital. A spokesman for Hussain's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, calls her killing an act of terrorism. Hussain was a senior vice president of PTI, which is led by Pakistani cricket star Imran Khan. PTI finished third in last week's parliamentary election. ... http://www.voanews.com/content/top-pakistani-politician-gunned-down-in-karachi/1663798.html http://www.voanews.com/content/top-pakistani-politician-gunned-down-in-karachi/1663798.html Sat, 18 May 2013 17:56:02 -0400 Asia VOA News U.S. President Barack Obama is trimming his funding request for the Afghan war. The Reuters news agency quotes an unidentified White House aide as saying the president has decreased his request for funding the war in Afghanistan by 10 percent for the 2014 fiscal year budget.  The report says the president reduced his original request from $88.5 billion to $79.4 billion. The White House issued a statement Friday saying the change was made to account for the drawdown of troops set to ... http://www.voanews.com/content/report-aobama-trims-afghan-war-budget-request/1663758.html http://www.voanews.com/content/report-aobama-trims-afghan-war-budget-request/1663758.html Sat, 18 May 2013 15:13:49 -0400 Asia VOA News Afghanistan's parliament has delayed action on a measure aimed at protecting women’s rights.   Activists say the move Saturday is a blow to progress made in women's rights in the conservative Muslim country since the ousting of the Taliban from power. The Taliban observed strict Islamic rule that banned Afghan women from attending school or participating in most public activity.     Conservative lawmakers postponed the ratification Saturday, insisting that portions ... http://www.voanews.com/content/afghan-lawmakers-block-womens-rights-law/1663706.html http://www.voanews.com/content/afghan-lawmakers-block-womens-rights-law/1663706.html Sat, 18 May 2013 12:52:49 -0400 Breaking News VOA News Chinese Premier Li Keqiang begins a three-day visit to India Sunday. His visit comes in the wake of a tense border standoff in the Himalayan mountains, but the Asian giants are trying to downplay the disagreement.    Syed Akbaruddin, India’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said it was appreciated that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is making India the first stop of his first overseas tour since taking office.   “We think very highly of this gesture….the object of such visits and ... http://www.voanews.com/content/china-premier-to-visit-india/1663582.html http://www.voanews.com/content/china-premier-to-visit-india/1663582.html Sat, 18 May 2013 08:42:35 -0400 Asia Anjana Pasricha http://www.voanews.com/content/china-premier-to-visit-india/1663582.html#relatedInfoContainer A federal court in Houston, Texas, has sentenced an Indian citizen and a Brazilian national to three years in prison for smuggling illegal migrants into the United States.   Kaushik Thakkar and Fabano Amorim were also given two years of supervised release when their prison terms end.   Prosecutors say the two charged Indian citizens up to $60,000 each and conspired to smuggle them into the United States through South and Central America and the Caribbean. Many crossed into ... http://www.voanews.com/content/indian-brazilian-national-sentenced-in-us-for-human-smuggling/1663565.html http://www.voanews.com/content/indian-brazilian-national-sentenced-in-us-for-human-smuggling/1663565.html Sat, 18 May 2013 07:41:08 -0400 USA VOA News South Korea says North Korea has fired three short-range missiles into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. The South's Defense Ministry says it detected two launches Saturday morning, followed by another in the afternoon. Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok says the North's intent was not clear.  He says South Korea's military is watching for any additional launches and "possible provocations." Japan's Kyodo news service reported a Japanese official ... http://www.voanews.com/content/north-korea-launches-shortrange-missiles-into-sea/1663539.html http://www.voanews.com/content/north-korea-launches-shortrange-missiles-into-sea/1663539.html Sat, 18 May 2013 05:15:42 -0400 Asia VOA News A police chief in Afghanistan's Farah province has been shot to death by unknown attackers. Officials say Police Chief Abdul Ghani was near his home late Friday when gunmen shot him. No one has been detained in the case. The Associated Press quotes a local official as saying Ghani had led a crackdown on insurgents in his district of Khaki Safad that resulted in the killing and capture of several Taliban leaders. The spokesman said that made him a target for Taliban attacks. http://www.voanews.com/content/afghan-police-chief-assassinated/1663535.html http://www.voanews.com/content/afghan-police-chief-assassinated/1663535.html Sat, 18 May 2013 04:11:59 -0400 Asia VOA News Two new medical discoveries are raising hopes of containing malaria - the mosquito-borne parasitic disease that each year infects more than 200 million people and claims an estimated 660 thousand lives.  Meantime, the World Health Organization is warning about dire consequences if a drug-resistant form of malaria spreads beyond southeast Asia. Artemisinin has helped cut global malaria deaths by more than 25 percent over the past decade. But now, in parts of Southeast Asia, this drug no ... http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-making-new-dicoveries-but-finding-more-resistance/1663515.html http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-making-new-dicoveries-but-finding-more-resistance/1663515.html Fri, 17 May 2013 23:41:32 -0400 Health Carol Pearson http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-making-new-dicoveries-but-finding-more-resistance/1663515.html#relatedInfoContainer Obama, Burmese President to Discuss Reform Progress, Challenges Burma's President Thein Sein holds talks on Monday with President Obama at the White House. The discussions will focus on progress in reforms, barriers toward greater democratization and next steps in the changing U.S. - Burma relationship. November 2012. Barack Obama becomes the first serving U.S. president to visit Burma. He meets with President Thein Sein, who has led a bold but cautious reform process since 2011 after ... http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-and-burmese-president-discuss-reform-progress-and-challenges/1663509.html http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-and-burmese-president-discuss-reform-progress-and-challenges/1663509.html Fri, 17 May 2013 21:43:00 -0400 Asia Dan Robinson http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-and-burmese-president-discuss-reform-progress-and-challenges/1663509.html#relatedInfoContainer In recent years, Nepal has deepened its already strong ties with China - some say to counter its reliance on India for aid and investment. In a sprawling 132-bed hospital in Nepal’s capital, patients receive treatment for everything from blood disorders to heart disease - vital services in a country that the United Nations ranks 157th in the world for human development.    The Civil Service Hospital, which treats the country’s 86,000 government workers as well as the general ... http://www.voanews.com/content/china-nepal-investment/1663184.html http://www.voanews.com/content/china-nepal-investment/1663184.html Fri, 17 May 2013 13:32:44 -0400 Asia Aru Pande Burmese President Thein Sein will join a town hall meeting at the Voice of America Sunday as he begins the first U.S. visit by a Burmese head of state in nearly 50 years.   VOA's Burmese service will broadcast the session on Sunday evening [Washington time] to Burma.   Thein Sein is expected to discuss his program of political and economic reforms for Burma as well as deadly sectarian fighting that began last years in the country's western Rakhine state.   About 30 ... http://www.voanews.com/content/burma-president-thein-sein-to-lead-townhall-meeting-at-voa-voice-of-america/1663076.html http://www.voanews.com/content/burma-president-thein-sein-to-lead-townhall-meeting-at-voa-voice-of-america/1663076.html Fri, 17 May 2013 11:38:35 -0400 Asia VOA News The yellow fever ‘booster’ vaccination given 10 years after the initial vaccination is not necessary, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO's group of experts on immunization believes one dose of vaccination is enough to provide life-long immunity against yellow fever.   "This is very important because it will allow endemic countries currently using booster doses in their schedule to consider alleviating this schedule, and it also has implications for ... http://www.voanews.com/content/who-says-yellow-fever-booster-unnecessary/1662973.html http://www.voanews.com/content/who-says-yellow-fever-booster-unnecessary/1662973.html Fri, 17 May 2013 10:49:38 -0400 Health Selah Hennessy The developing world is poised to become a major player in global investment. The World Bank says in fewer than 20 years half the global stock of capital will be in developing countries. That compares to about one-third today. The bank has released the latest edition of its Global Development Horizons report. The World Bank forecasts, by 2030, “developing countries’ share in global investment is projected to triple” to nearly 160-trillion dollars. Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President ... http://www.voanews.com/content/world-bank-global-investment-17may13/1662966.html http://www.voanews.com/content/world-bank-global-investment-17may13/1662966.html Fri, 17 May 2013 10:16:08 -0400 Africa Joe DeCapua Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has taken inspiration from fears in China about milk safety for his latest work of art, a huge map of China made out of milk powder tins appearing at an exhibition in Hong Kong which opens on Friday.   Ai, whose 81-day detention in 2011 sparked an international outcry, has regularly criticized the government for what he sees as its flouting of the rule of law and the rights of citizens.   His new work is a made of more than 1,800 large tins of milk ... http://www.voanews.com/content/dissident-artist-draws-inspiration-from-milk-fears/1662942.html http://www.voanews.com/content/dissident-artist-draws-inspiration-from-milk-fears/1662942.html Fri, 17 May 2013 10:11:18 -0400 Asia Reuters In the short space of several weeks, two provinces in China have seen three protests against the construction of oil refinery plants. Protesters say they are concerned about the possible health and environmental impact of the plants. The protests not only highlight how environmental activism is growing in this country where speaking out about touchy topics can easily land one in jail, but the need for more transparency. Protests over oil refineries and petrochemical facilities in China, ... http://www.voanews.com/content/Chinese-environmental-protesters-demand-transparency/1662908.html http://www.voanews.com/content/Chinese-environmental-protesters-demand-transparency/1662908.html Fri, 17 May 2013 09:22:35 -0400 Asia William Ide Burma has freed at least 21 political prisoners in the country's latest amnesty that comes just days before President Thein Sein makes a landmark visit to the United States. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma told VOA about the prisoner release, which was confirmed by government officials later Friday. "We are confirming that 23 prisoners were released, but [we have] not received the complete information yet. Around 21 were political prisoners," Aung ... http://www.voanews.com/content/burma-releases-political-prisoners-ahead-of-presidents-us-visit/1662844.html http://www.voanews.com/content/burma-releases-political-prisoners-ahead-of-presidents-us-visit/1662844.html Fri, 17 May 2013 07:28:12 -0400 Asia VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/burma-releases-political-prisoners-ahead-of-presidents-us-visit/1662844.html#relatedInfoContainer The carbon-soaking qualities of Australia’s coastal and marine wetlands are the focus of a new international research project.  Experts from 20 countries have this week attended a special seminar in Sydney.    Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney say that seagrass, mangroves and saltmarsh capture carbon up to 40 times faster than forests on land.    Marine wetlands are able to store the carbon for very long periods, but scientists worry that these ... http://www.voanews.com/content/carbon-storing-qualities-of-coastal-wetlands-explored-in-australia/1662835.html http://www.voanews.com/content/carbon-storing-qualities-of-coastal-wetlands-explored-in-australia/1662835.html Fri, 17 May 2013 07:25:20 -0400 Asia Phil Mercer China's environment ministry has given the go-ahead for the construction of what will become the country's tallest hydroelectric dam despite acknowledging it will have an impact on plants and rare fish. The dam, with a height of 314 meters (1,030 feet), will serve the Shuangjiangkou hydropower project on the Dadu River in southwestern Sichuan province. To be built over 10 years by a subsidiary of state power firm Guodian Group, it is expected to cost 24.68 billion yuan ($4.02 ... http://www.voanews.com/content/chinas-environment-ministry-approves-huge-hydro-dam/1662832.html http://www.voanews.com/content/chinas-environment-ministry-approves-huge-hydro-dam/1662832.html Fri, 17 May 2013 06:54:55 -0400 Asia Reuters Officials in northwest Pakistan say bombings at two mosques have killed 10 people and wounded at least 20. Authorities say the explosions happened after Friday prayers in the Malakand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Associated Press reports the roof of one of the mosques collapsed. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. http://www.voanews.com/content/ten-killed-in-pakistan-blast/1662825.html http://www.voanews.com/content/ten-killed-in-pakistan-blast/1662825.html Fri, 17 May 2013 06:54:45 -0400 Asia VOA News Bangladesh has re-opened hundreds of garment factories, just days after closing them. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association called for the re-openings Friday. The closings this week were prompted by worker protests over low pay and poor working conditions sparked by the country's worst industrial accident. In response to workers' demands, the Bangladeshi government has approved labor law changes, making it easier for workers to form unions. The government ... http://www.voanews.com/content/bangladesh-garment-factories-reopen/1662812.html http://www.voanews.com/content/bangladesh-garment-factories-reopen/1662812.html Fri, 17 May 2013 05:35:32 -0400 Asia VOA News The United States says it is concerned at the prison sentences given to two young activists in Vietnam who were convicted this week on subversion charges. College student Nguyen Phuong Uyen was given six years in prison, while computer technician Dinh Nguyen Kha received eight years following a one-day trialThursday. They were found guilty of spreading what Vietnamese authorities said were "anti-government" leaflets that "humiliated" the country's communist ... http://www.voanews.com/content/us-concerned-at-conviction-of-vietnamese-activists/1662798.html http://www.voanews.com/content/us-concerned-at-conviction-of-vietnamese-activists/1662798.html Fri, 17 May 2013 03:57:22 -0400 Asia VOA News Bangladesh began cleaning up Friday in the aftermath of Cyclone Mahasen. Mahasen has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it moves into northeastern India. On Thursday, Cyclone Mahasen struck Bangladesh, forcing the evacuation of a million people and causing dozens of casualties before weakening over land into a tropical storm. Authorities say the storm killed at least 14 people in Bangladesh, after bearing down on the ports of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar. The cyclone caused ... http://www.voanews.com/content/bangladesh-cleans-up-after-cyclone/1662791.html http://www.voanews.com/content/bangladesh-cleans-up-after-cyclone/1662791.html Fri, 17 May 2013 03:09:08 -0400 Asia VOA News Human rights and labor advocates are welcoming a joint agreement by clothing retailers and brand name companies that calls for improving conditions for garment factory workers in Bangladesh.  Western retailers, most of them European, agreed to the plan after a building housing garment factories in Dhaka collapsed last month, killing more than 1,100 people.  Some advocates, however, are concerned that efforts to improve working conditions in the country will fade as the Dhaka ... http://www.voanews.com/content/can-worker-safety-momentum-in-bangladesh-last/1662697.html http://www.voanews.com/content/can-worker-safety-momentum-in-bangladesh-last/1662697.html Thu, 16 May 2013 18:39:22 -0400 Asia Pamela Dockins A cyclone crossed into Bangladesh Thursday, forcing the evacuation of roughly one million people and causing dozens of casualties before weakening into a tropical storm over land.   Authorities say Cyclone Mahasen killed at least 14 people in Bangladesh, after bearing down on the ports of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar.   The storm caused minimal damage in neighboring Burma, but French news agency AFP reported that authorities found the bodies of 22 Muslim Rohingya from Burma who ... http://www.voanews.com/content/cyclone-weakens-after-crossing-into-bangladesh/1662440.html http://www.voanews.com/content/cyclone-weakens-after-crossing-into-bangladesh/1662440.html Thu, 16 May 2013 13:54:52 -0400 Asia VOA News Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistani politician set to become the nation’s next prime minister, is expected to seek good relations with the United States.  However, South Asian analysts said Sharif faces daunting challenges from militant groups and a struggling economy. Nawaz Sharif has been Pakistan’s prime minister twice before.  Last time he was toppled in a 1999 military coup, jailed and exiled. But now, after historic elections, some are calling the 63-year-old the country’s comeback ... http://www.voanews.com/content/pakistans-future-pm-is-comeback-kid/1662286.html http://www.voanews.com/content/pakistans-future-pm-is-comeback-kid/1662286.html Thu, 16 May 2013 11:29:38 -0400 Asia Meredith Buel Tens of thousands scramble to leave low-lying refugee camps in Burma's Rakhine state as Cyclone Mahasen approaches. http://www.voanews.com/media/photogallery/1660583.html http://www.voanews.com/media/photogallery/1660583.html Thu, 16 May 2013 09:21:00 -0400 Asia The U.S. government believes a Chinese missile launch this week was the first test of a new interceptor that could be used to destroy a satellite in orbit, a U.S. defense official told Reuters on Wednesday.   China launched a rocket into space on Monday, but no objects were placed into orbit, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. The object re-entered Earth's atmosphere above the Indian Ocean.   “We tracked several objects during the flight but did not observe the insertion of any ... http://www.voanews.com/content/us-sees-china-launch-as-test-of-anti-satellite-muscle/1662191.html http://www.voanews.com/content/us-sees-china-launch-as-test-of-anti-satellite-muscle/1662191.html Thu, 16 May 2013 09:19:46 -0400 Asia Reuters A diplomatic dispute between Taiwan and the Philippines intensified Thursday, as Taipei began a military exercise in the disputed waters between the neighbors. http://www.voanews.com/media/photogallery/1662131.html http://www.voanews.com/media/photogallery/1662131.html Thu, 16 May 2013 08:38:00 -0400 Asia Rescue workers in a remote region of West Papua, in eastern Indonesia, are continuing efforts to free 23 miners trapped in an underground gold and copper mine.  Five miners were killed when the mine tunnel collapsed. Thirty-nine Freeport workers were reportedly undergoing safety training in an underground training facility at Freeport-McMoRan's Grasberg mine when the tunnel collapsed Tuesday.   Freeport officials confirm five deaths from the accident. Rescuers have managed to ... http://www.voanews.com/content/mine-collapses-in-eastern-indonesia/1662095.html http://www.voanews.com/content/mine-collapses-in-eastern-indonesia/1662095.html Thu, 16 May 2013 07:54:40 -0400 Asia Kate Lamb http://www.voanews.com/content/mine-collapses-in-eastern-indonesia/1662095.html#relatedInfoContainer Congolese media say a mines-for-infrastructure barter agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and a consortium of Chinese companies may be at risk because China's Exim Bank has reportedly withdrawn its support. When the deal was announced five years ago it involved the Democratic Republic of Congo agreeing to give the Chinese consortium majority stakes in two of the biggest mines in the country, in exchange for $9 billion worth of infrastructure, including roads and a ... http://www.voanews.com/content/congo-china-mines-deal-hits-rough-patch/1662105.html http://www.voanews.com/content/congo-china-mines-deal-hits-rough-patch/1662105.html Thu, 16 May 2013 07:11:29 -0400 Africa Nick Long http://www.voanews.com/media/photogallery/1662080.html http://www.voanews.com/media/photogallery/1662080.html Thu, 16 May 2013 07:08:00 -0400 Asia Afghan police say a suicide bomber targeted a convoy of foreign military vehicles in the capital, Kabul, on Thursday. http://www.voanews.com/media/photogallery/1662078.html http://www.voanews.com/media/photogallery/1662078.html Thu, 16 May 2013 07:07:00 -0400 Asia Residents of the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming took to the streets Thursday for a protest against the construction of a state-run chemical and petroleum refinery they say will harm the environment. Groups of shouting protesters waved flowers, wore symbolic face masks and carried banners warning of the dangers of paraxylene, a chemical set to be produced at the refinery by the powerful state company Petrochina Co. One of the protesters, who identified herself only as Liu, said she ... http://www.voanews.com/content/chinese-residents-in-kunming-protest-chemical-refinery/1662070.html http://www.voanews.com/content/chinese-residents-in-kunming-protest-chemical-refinery/1662070.html Thu, 16 May 2013 06:56:47 -0400 Asia VOA News Three people were killed when the ceiling of a warehouse fell in at a shoe factory in Cambodia, a government minister said on Thursday, adding to concern about safety standards at Asian factories producing clothes cheaply for Western consumers.   Cambodia has seen a rush of investment in recent years, especially into the shoe and garment sector, with Western and Asian firms attracted by its low-cost labor. The International Monetary Fund says garments account for about 80 percent of the ... http://www.voanews.com/content/roof-collapse-at-cambodian-shoe-plant-kills-three/1662067.html http://www.voanews.com/content/roof-collapse-at-cambodian-shoe-plant-kills-three/1662067.html Thu, 16 May 2013 06:45:27 -0400 Asia Reuters A diplomatic dispute between Taiwan and the Philippines intensified Thursday, as Taipei began a military exercise in the disputed waters between both countries. The air and naval drills in the Bashi Channel come a week after the Philippines Coast Guard shot dead a 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman, prompting outrage in Taiwan. The family of the fisherman and Taiwanese officials have refused to meet the Philippine president's personal representative who was sent to Taiwan to apologize for ... http://www.voanews.com/content/taiwan-begins-military-drills-near-philippines-to-protest-fishermans-death/1662025.html http://www.voanews.com/content/taiwan-begins-military-drills-near-philippines-to-protest-fishermans-death/1662025.html Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:57 -0400 Asia VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/taiwan-begins-military-drills-near-philippines-to-protest-fishermans-death/1662025.html#relatedInfoContainer Authorities in Bangladesh and Burma are working to quickly move to safety hundreds of thousands of people still at risk from cyclone Mahasen.  The tropical storm hit Bangladesh and is expected to make landfall as early as Friday in western Rakhine state in Burma, where some people displaced from last year's sectarian violence have been reluctant to move.  Hundreds of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate parts of southern Bangladesh as the cyclone brought heavy winds and ... http://www.voanews.com/content/cyclone-hits-bangladesh-burma/1662021.html http://www.voanews.com/content/cyclone-hits-bangladesh-burma/1662021.html Thu, 16 May 2013 03:49:13 -0400 Asia Daniel Schearf http://www.voanews.com/content/cyclone-hits-bangladesh-burma/1662021.html#relatedInfoContainer A suicide attack on a NATO military convoy in Kabul Thursday killed at least 15 people, including several foreigners. An insurgent group fighting alongside the Taliban is claiming responsibility for what is being described as one of the deadliest attacks in the Afghan capital in recent months. Afghan authorities and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, said the attack occurred during the morning rush-hour in Kabul. Witnesses said the suicide bomber rammed his ... http://www.voanews.com/content/kabul-blast-targets-foreign-convoy/1662013.html http://www.voanews.com/content/kabul-blast-targets-foreign-convoy/1662013.html Thu, 16 May 2013 02:56:08 -0400 Asia Ayaz Gul The Obama administration has appointed Danny Russel, a senior Asia adviser, to be Washington's top diplomat for East Asia. The White House announced Russel's nomination to be Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia in a statement late Wednesday. Russel, who will need to be confirmed by the Senate, previously served as the top Asia advisor in the Obama White House. He also served as the State Department's top official on Japan. If confirmed, he will take over the post from ... http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-names-russel-as-top-east-asia-diplomat/1662004.html http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-names-russel-as-top-east-asia-diplomat/1662004.html Thu, 16 May 2013 01:43:22 -0400 Asia VOA News Investigators have raised questions over training and cockpit procedures at Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air after a preliminary report into a crash last month off Bali found the captain was not at the controls at a 'critical time.' All 108 passengers and crew survived. http://www.voanews.com/media/photogallery/1661476.html http://www.voanews.com/media/photogallery/1661476.html Wed, 15 May 2013 11:14:00 -0400 Asia The top U.S. envoy on North Korea said China has indicated it will continue to implement U.N. sanctions against North Korea. Glyn Davies made the remark after meeting in Beijing Wednesday with his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei, and other officials. He said China is seeking to convey messages to North Korea so it understands the importance China places on denuclearization. "I think this is all a work in progress. The Chinese have said to us that they will faithfully implement U.N. ... http://www.voanews.com/content/us-official-china-to-continue-north-korea-sanctions/1661457.html http://www.voanews.com/content/us-official-china-to-continue-north-korea-sanctions/1661457.html Wed, 15 May 2013 10:57:21 -0400 Asia VOA News Investigators have raised questions over training and cockpit procedures at Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air after a preliminary report into a crash last month off Bali found the captain was not at the controls at a “critical time”.      The National Transportation Safety Committee said in a report that Lion Air should immediately review or reinforce a number of safety measures related to landing procedures carried out by pilots.      However, it did ... http://www.voanews.com/content/report-lion-air-pilots-critized-over-bali-crash/1661384.html http://www.voanews.com/content/report-lion-air-pilots-critized-over-bali-crash/1661384.html Wed, 15 May 2013 09:57:45 -0400 Asia Reuters India says it has developed a low cost vaccine to prevent diarrhea - a disease that claims the lives of tens of thousands of infants and young children in developing countries. It is expected to be on the market by next year, and is being hailed as a significant breakthrough.   Health officials say that clinical test results indicate the new vaccine is safe and effective against rotavirus, which causes severe diarrhea in children under the age of five.   Rotavirus is spread ... http://www.voanews.com/content/india-develops-lowest-cost-vaccine-to-prevent-diarrhea/1661311.html http://www.voanews.com/content/india-develops-lowest-cost-vaccine-to-prevent-diarrhea/1661311.html Wed, 15 May 2013 08:16:03 -0400 Asia Anjana Pasricha http://www.voanews.com/content/india-develops-lowest-cost-vaccine-to-prevent-diarrhea/1661311.html#relatedInfoContainer Taiwan's premier Jiang Yi-huah is rejecting the Philippines president's apology for last week's shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman by the coast guard. Jiang says President Benigno Aquino's apology is unacceptable because it calls the shooting "unfortunate" and "unintentional." Taiwan has imposed sanctions on the Philippines  including recalling its envoy to Manila and freezing job permits for Philippines workers. Taiwan also plans to hold naval ... http://www.voanews.com/content/philippine-president-apologizes-for-taiwanese-fisherman-death/1661262.html http://www.voanews.com/content/philippine-president-apologizes-for-taiwanese-fisherman-death/1661262.html Wed, 15 May 2013 06:09:37 -0400 Asia VOA News Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has refused to comment on the nature of the Japanese delegation's visit to North Korea.  But he told a parliamentary committee Wednesday he is open to the possibility of meeting North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un to resolve outstanding issues between the two nations, which have no formal diplomatic ties. For relations to improve, Abe says, there must be progress on several issues including the fate of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents, ... http://www.voanews.com/content/abe-hints-at-possibility-of-summit-with-kim-jong-un/1661259.html http://www.voanews.com/content/abe-hints-at-possibility-of-summit-with-kim-jong-un/1661259.html Wed, 15 May 2013 05:48:16 -0400 Asia Steve Herman (Seoul, South Korea) http://www.voanews.com/content/abe-hints-at-possibility-of-summit-with-kim-jong-un/1661259.html#relatedInfoContainer Officials in eastern Afghanistan say a bomb blast has wounded nine people, including at least five police officers. Authorities say the explosion Wednesday in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, targeted security forces. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban militants have been ramping up attacks on government forces lately, seeking to destabilize Afghanistan as more foreign troops prepare to draw down from the 12-year war. http://www.voanews.com/content/blast-hits-afghan-city-of-jalalabad/1661244.html http://www.voanews.com/content/blast-hits-afghan-city-of-jalalabad/1661244.html Wed, 15 May 2013 04:44:41 -0400 Asia VOA News The United Nations says it is working with the governments of Bangladesh and Burma to prepare their disaster response procedures ahead of a cyclone.  The U.N. said late Tuesday Cyclone Mahasen is expected to make landfall late Friday north of the Bangladeshi city of Chittagong, near the Burma border. The international agency said there are "fears" Mahasen "could threaten millions of people" in northeast India, Bangladesh, and Burma's Rakhine State, where tens of ... http://www.voanews.com/content/bangladesh-burma-prepare-for-cyclone/1661242.html http://www.voanews.com/content/bangladesh-burma-prepare-for-cyclone/1661242.html Wed, 15 May 2013 04:41:39 -0400 Asia VOA News North Korea says an American citizen sentenced to 15 years of hard labor has begun serving his sentence. The Korean Central News Agency said Kenneth Bae "started his life at a 'special prison' Tuesday." It did not elaborate. The 44-year-old Korean-American tour operator was found guilty last month of plotting to overthrow the Pyongyang government. He was arrested in November in the northeastern port city of Rason while in possession of what authorities said was ... http://www.voanews.com/content/nkorea-detained-us-citizen-begins-life-at-special-prison/1661238.html http://www.voanews.com/content/nkorea-detained-us-citizen-begins-life-at-special-prison/1661238.html Wed, 15 May 2013 03:38:54 -0400 Asia VOA News The Philippines has apologized to Taiwan for the shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman by the coast guard - an incident that has added to an already tense relationship. The Philippines' top representative in Taipei voiced his government's deep regret to Taiwanese Foreign Minister David Lin Wednesday. Another Philippines official plans to meet with the family of the fisherman. Both countries plan a thorough investigation. Taiwan threatened to begin naval exercises near the ... http://www.voanews.com/content/philippines-apologizes-for-death-of-taiwanese-fisherman/1661175.html http://www.voanews.com/content/philippines-apologizes-for-death-of-taiwanese-fisherman/1661175.html Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:20 -0400 Asia VOA News The world's largest retailer, Walmart, is ordering inspections of all 279 of its suppliers' factories in Bangladesh and will publicly announce the results. Walmart is acting after a building containing garment factories in Bangladesh collapsed last month, killing more than 1,100 workers. Walmart says it will no longer buy goods from any factory that fails safety inspection and does not make proper repairs. Walmart is acting separately from a joint agreement by several top global ... http://www.voanews.com/content/walmart-to-inspect-bangladesh-factories/1661144.html http://www.voanews.com/content/walmart-to-inspect-bangladesh-factories/1661144.html Tue, 14 May 2013 19:24:45 -0400 Asia VOA News A cyclone caused by a tropical depression in the Bay of Bengal killed at least seven people in Sri Lanka, government officials said on Tuesday.   Cyclone Mahasen, which brought heavy rains and landslides to Sri Lanka, was expected to hit Bangladesh and Burma later this week.   “Seven people have died and 10 people have got injured. There are 7,399 people from 1,947 families affected,'' Lal Sarath Kumara, the spokesman at Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center, told ... http://www.voanews.com/content/cyclone-mahasen-sri-lanka/1661119.html http://www.voanews.com/content/cyclone-mahasen-sri-lanka/1661119.html Tue, 14 May 2013 17:36:22 -0400 Asia Reuters