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Top Asian News at 6:30 p.m. GMT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Myanmar warns Suu Kyi her tour could trigger riotsYANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Myanmar's state media warned pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday that her planned tour to meet supporters outside Yangon could trigger riots. The commentary published in all three state-run daily newspapers said the government would not stop Suu Kyi but appeared to reflect government anxiety over her plans. The state press serves as a mouthpiece for the government, which otherwise makes few public announcements. NATO-Afghan raid ends hotel assault; 19 deadKABUL, Afghanistan (AP) _ The first sign that militants were attacking one of Kabul's premiere hotels was an explosion that pierced Jawid's eardrums, prompting him to jump out the window of his room on the first floor into a chaotic scene that quickly turned into a grisly morass of bodies, gunfire and shattered glass. Nineteen people died _ including all eight suicide bombers _ in a more than five-hour standoff at the Inter-Continental that ended early Wednesday after NATO attack helicopters fired missiles to kill three suicide bombers on the roof. As China Communist Party turns 90, a debate eruptsBEIJING (AP) _ China is marking the 90th birthday of the Communist Party with its typically over-the-top celebrations and an unusually rancorous debate about whether the government needs a major change in direction to sustain the country's resurgence. Percolating for years among academics and commentators, the debate pits those who want a transition to more democratic government against those who want a more egalitarian, populist authoritarianism _ a group known as the "new left." Chinese artist Ai Weiwei appeals tax bill, finesBEIJING (AP) _ Outspoken Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's design firm on Wednesday challenged the $1.85 million tax bill delivered by authorities shortly after Ai was released from nearly three months in detention, a lawyer for the company said. Lawyer Pu Zhiqiang said an appeal was filed with the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau by Ai's wife, Lu Qing. She is the legal representative of his design company Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd. Sudan's president reassured of Chinese investmentsBEIJING (AP) _ Sudan's president, wanted on a war crimes warrant, won pledges Wednesday from China and its state-owned energy firm they will continue investing in his country after its resource-rich southern region becomes independent next month. Sudan's Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti said Wednesday that President Omar al-Bashir came to China hoping to hear Sudan's biggest diplomatic and economic backer would continue to invest in northern Sudan's oil, agriculture and mining sectors. Violence has escalated in areas contested by the north and south, and China has said it wants the two sides to peacefully settle the disputes. NKorea vows military retaliation against SKoreaSEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ North Korea's military vowed Wednesday to retaliate for anti-Pyongyang signs posted at front-line South Korean army units, as rare talks between the rivals on a stalled joint tourism project broke down. North Korea also has been releasing water from a dam southward without prior notice since Monday night, Seoul officials said. A release on the same river caused a surge that killed six South Koreans in 2009. Amid scandals, SKorea frets graft will hinder riseSEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ Allegations of multibillion dollar fraud at banks and revelations by South Korea's top business conglomerate of shady dealings are forcing the country to grapple anew with a legacy of deep-seated corruption. State prosecutors have been probing a burgeoning scandal at regional savings banks. The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs has come under a cloud amid reports of officials receiving bribes and being lavishly wined and dined. Lee Kun-hee, the influential chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. who himself has run afoul of the law more than once over the years, has publicly blown the whistle on corruption within the Samsung conglomerate, the nation's biggest, and called for a clean-up. Famed Australia ranch to be sold due to export banCANBERRA, Australia (AP) _ Australia's best-known Outback cattle ranch has been put on the market by an owner who on Wednesday blamed the country's ban on livestock exports to Indonesia for destroying her livelihood. The decision to sell iconic Bullo River Station in the Northern Territory is the latest evidence of the economic hardship gripping tropical Australian cattle country since the government announced June 8 that livestock exports to Indonesia were banned for up to six months because of animal cruelty concerns in Indonesian slaughterhouses. Tour boat abandons US snorkeler on Australian reefSYDNEY (AP) _ Australian officials said Wednesday they were investigating a dive boat company that accidentally left behind a U.S. tourist snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, forcing the panicked man to swim to another boat for help. A spokesman for the company denied Ian Cole was ever in danger. But it drew immediate comparisons to the infamous case of Americans Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who died in 1998 after their tour boat left while they were scuba diving on the reef. Officials believe they drowned or were eaten by sharks. Humans will help lost penguin start long swim homeWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) _ A young emperor penguin won't be getting a free ride all the way back to its Antarctic home, but its human friends in New Zealand will help it get a little closer. The penguin is recovering well at Wellington Zoo, where it underwent a medical procedure on Monday to flush out much of the beach sand it swallowed, apparently mistaking it for snow. Bin Laden raid has fallout for Pakistani studentsABBOTTABAD, Pakistan (AP) _ A group of British schools, fearing negative publicity, cut off a partnership with teachers and students in this town where Osama bin Laden was killed, upsetting Pakistani participants who note that a key purpose of the program was eradicating stereotypes. The partnership's demise is an unusual example of fallout from the May 2 U.S. raid that killed the al-Qaida chief, an operation that has deeply shaken the U.S.-Pakistan relationship because it was carried out without Pakistani government knowledge. 7 charged in videotaped slaying of Pakistani youthKARACHI, Pakistan (AP) _ A Pakistani prosecutor says an anti-terrorism court has indicted six paramilitary Rangers and a civilian on charges related to the videotaped fatal shooting of an unarmed young man. Mohammad Khan Buriro says all seven on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to the murder and terrorism charges. Malaysia holds 14 opposition members over T-shirtsKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) _ Malaysian police Wednesday detained 14 opposition activists for wearing T-shirts promoting a planned rally against alleged electoral abuses. It was the latest attempt by authorities to deter citizens from marching in Kuala Lumpur on July 9 in what the opposition hopes will be Malaysia's biggest protest in nearly four years. Militants' influx fuels north Afghanistan violenceKUNDUZ, Afghanistan (AP) _ A phalanx of bodyguards protects Samiullah Qatra in his office _ with good reason. He got the job as police chief in this northern province after a suicide bomber killed his predecessor just down the street. Qatra narrowly escaped a bomber aiming for him a few weeks back. Security in northern Afghanistan, once seen as a success story compared with the more troublesome south and east, has fallen apart under increasing attacks that intelligence and government officials say are fueled by a new influx of Central Asian Islamic militants moving in from bases in Pakistan's tribal areas. Group: Philippine president hasn't improved rightsMANILA, Philippines (AP) _ Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has done little during his first year in office to carry out his campaign promise to achieve justice for human rights victims, an activist group said Wednesday. Human Rights Watch said Aquino has undertaken a number of reforms but measures to prosecute members of the military and police for serious human rights violations have fallen short. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |