Readwrotes Blog

ASEAN and friends: Foreign Ministers from left, Vietnam's Pham Gia Khiem, South Korea's Kim Sung-hwan, Japan's Takeaki Matsumoto, Indonesia's Marty Natalegawa, and China's Yang Jiechi, hold hands during a group photo at the opening session of ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Thursday. (AP/Dita Alangkara) Associated Press, Nusa Dua | Thu, 07/21/2011 2:19 PM Foreign ministers from 10 Southeast Asian nations are calling for a speedy resumption of talks aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. China, the US, Japan, South Korea and Russia had been negotiating since 2003 to persuade Pyongyang to dismantle the program in exchange for aid and other concessions. The North pulled out of the talks about two years ago after being censured for launching a long-range rocket. It has indicated a willingness in recent months to return to the table. The 10-member Association of Southeast As...

Sean Yoong, Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur | Mon, 07/18/2011 2:30 PM Malaysia's government-linked media claimed Monday that foreign Jewish groups might try to use an opposition-backed push to reform electoral laws to interfere in this Muslim-majority country. Political activists who recently organized Malaysia's biggest street demonstration in years insisted the accusation by the ruling party's widely read newspaper was an irresponsible attempt to discredit them through appeals to religious prejudice. The Malay-language Utusan Malaysia daily said in an editorial that Malaysians "cannot allow anyone, especially the Jews, to interfere secretly in this country's business." It offered no evidence of a possible Jewish plot and named no specific group. "When the drums are pounded hard in the name of human rights, the pro-Jewish people will have their best opportunity to interfere in any Islamic country," the newspaper said. "We might not...

  Dennis Hooper ( AP/Lionel Cironneau ) Dennis Hopper, who brought counterculture to Hollywood with the movie "Easy Rider" and led an acting and directing career marked by successes, failures and comebacks, has died at age 74. Hopper, who was twice nominated for Oscars and earned a star this year on the Walk of Fame, died Saturday at his home in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, family friend Alex Hitz said. Hopper had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009. "We rode the highways of America and changed the way movies were made in Hollywood," Peter Fonda, his "Easy Rider" co-star, said in comments carried by several news outlets. "I was blessed by his passion and friendship." The success of "Easy Rider" and failure of his next film, "The Last Movie," fit the pattern for the talented but wild Hopper, who also had parts in such favorites as "Rebel Without a Cause," "Apocalypse Now," "B...

Thai authorities have extended a 10-hour curfew to cover 23 provinces, apparently fearing unrest in the Thai capital could spread throughout the country.  Thai authorities say troops in Bangkok are working to restore order after a new assault ended a nine-week, anti-government protest, leaving at least six people dead and scores injured.  The night-time curfew was announced as protesters angry at a government crackdown looted and set fire to buildings in parts of the Thai capital. Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said soldiers stabilized areas previously occupied by protesters, but acknowledged peace was not yet restored. "We are still facing with a few pockets of trouble in several places in Bangkok," he said. "We would like to ask for your cooperation to remain in your own household." Reports of unrest in other provinces and the curfew extension reveals fears of more violence following clashes with soldiers clearing protesters.  The ...

  Fire of fury: An anti-government protester carries a tire to be burnt as smoke plummets in the streets during a shooting between them and Thai soldiers in Bangkok. Thai troops clashed with protesters for a third day in Bangkok on Saturday. – AP/Wong Maye-E   Associated Press, Bangkok | Sat, 05/15/2010 8:51 PM | World Thailand's prime minister struck a defiant tone Saturday on national television, saying his government will not bow to demonstrators demanding his resignation. Explosions and street fighting have killed 22 people and wounded more than 170 since the government attempted Thursday to seal off a 1-square-mile (3-square-kilometer) zone the Red Shirt protesters have occupied in one of the capital's most upscale areas. In his first comments since the latest violence erupted, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva defended the army's actions. "The government must move forward. We cannot retreat because we are doing things that will benefit th...

 The Associated Press, Bangkok | Sat, 05/15/2010 9:00 AM | Headlines Soldiers opened fire on anti-government protesters who battled them with firebombs and homemade rockets Friday in a second straight day of escalating violence as troops tried to clear the rioters from the streets of downtown Bangkok. The clashes have killed 16 people and wounded 157, including two soldiers, since authorities began Thursday to try to seal off the upscale neighborhoods occupied by the protesters, the government said. The troops used tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds on demonstrators, who set fire to tires and a police bus. Explosions echoed through streets emptied of shoppers and tourists, plumes of black smoke rose amid skyscrapers and hotels, and the deteriorating security raised concerns that Thailand - a key U.S. ally with Southeast Asia's second-largest economy - was teetering toward instability because of the two-month political crisis. The Red Shirt protesters began...

  Deadly landing: Rescue teams search the site of the Libyan Afriqiyah Airways plane crash in Tripoli. The plane with 104 people on board crashed on landing Wednesday at the airport in the Libyan capital. – AP/Abdel Meguid al-Fergany Associated Press, Tripoli | Wed, 05/12/2010 7:15 PM | World  A Libyan plane crashed Wednesday on approach to Tripoli's airport, killing at least 96 people and leaving a field scattered with smoldering debris that included a large chunk of the tail painted with the airline's brightly colored logo. A 10-year-old Dutch boy was the only known survivor. Afriqiyah Airways said its Airbus A330-200 arriving from Johannesburg, South Africa was carrying 104 people - 93 passengers and 11 crew. Libyan Transport Minister Mohammed Ali Zaidan said rescuers were still searching for the rest of the victims. The Royal Dutch Tourism Board said 61 of the dead came from the Netherlands. "Afriqiyah Airways announces that our flight 771 had...

 Associated Press, Brussels | Wed, 05/12/2010 10:34 PM | Business European Union officials urged a crackdown on widespread government overspending, calling Wednesday for much closer economic coordination between EU nations to curb the acute debt crisis that has threatened to sink their shared currency. The plan by the EU's executive commission advocated unprecedented scrutiny of countries' spending plans even before they go to their national parliaments - and new financial penalties for rule breakers. That would deepen the ties that bind 16 nations in Europe's currency union and would curtail some nations' power over their own economies in an attempt to keep more reckless spenders like recently bailed-out Greece from dumping their debts on all eurozone members. EU Economy Commissioner Olli Rehn said the EU's moves would ensure that national governments' spending plans were "consistent with European objectives." They will also ...

Human rights groups are calling on Indonesia to urge Burma to ensure its coming election is free and fair at a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said that Indonesia will promote democracy. And human rights groups in Asia want him to make good on that pledge by pressing Burma's military government to hold free and fair elections. Mr. Yudhoyono meets Thursday and Friday in Vietnam the leaders of Burma and the other members of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations. Elaine Pearson, with Human Rights Watch, wrote an open letter to the Indonesian foreign minister calling on him to press for reform in Burma. She says Indonesia has both the experience and credibility to influence the Burmese leadership. "Because Indonesia is the leading member of ASEAN and it has been a strong and principled voice on the human rights situation in Burma, and because of its own history and transition from a military-led government to a demo...

10 April 2010 Photo: AP In this photo taken from a TV screen , Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva makes an address in Bangkok on the current political situation, 10 Apr 2010 Thailand's Prime Minister says soldiers have ended their operation after at least 10 people were killed in clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters in Bangkok. Abhisit Vejjajiva went on television late Saturday to say he will continue efforts to resolve the stituation, refusing to bow to demands to resign.  The beleaguered prime minister expressed condolences to family members of the victims.  Month-long protests turned violent after security forces attempted to move thousands of "Red Shirt" protesters who are blocking key areas in the capital. Security forces have failed to disperse protesters from public places despite firing rubber bullets, tear gas and even live ammunition.  Protesters fought back with stones, guns and gasoline bombs. ...

  Besides the presidential couple, all other people on board the plane reportedly died, including the country's army chief, its deputy foreign minister, the Central Bank governor and scores of other officials, legislators and crew members.  10 April 2010 Photo: AP A huge crowd of mourners gathered in front of the Presidential Palace to pay tribute to late Polish President Lech Kaczynski, in Warsaw, Poland, 10 Apr 2010 Poles are mourning their president Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria who were among those killed in a plane crash in Western Russia. The speaker of parliament has taken over presidential duties in preparation for what will be early elections. Poland's speaker of parliament, Bronislaw Komorowski, became the country's interim head of state Saturday after Polish radio adjusted its regular programming to announce that President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria were among those killed in a plane crash in Western Russia. New pr...

Kurniawan Hari ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Hongkong   |  Sun, 04/04/2010 9:54 AM  |  Travel JP/Kurniawan Hari The baggage claim process is very efficient. I just needed to know the flight number and go to a designated area as shown on an LCD monitor. The conveyor belt is accessible from different sides, so passengers don’t crowd at one point to get their belongings. After clearing through immigration and getting my bags, I went to a counter to sign up for a public transport vehicle. While waiting for the bus, I marveled at the modernity of the airport — until I heard a woman’s raised voice in the familiar East Javanese dialect. “Who would make a phone call in voice that loud?” I thought to myself. As I turned around to pinpoint the source of the cacophony, I saw an Indonesian woman speaking into her cell phone. That’s right, the loud voice came from an Indonesian. And soon I realized that Hong Kong, just like Malaysia and S...

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 04/09/2010 10:08 AM  |  Headlines The ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) is a gold mine for Indonesia’s long-term growth, says the World Bank’s recently released Indonesian Economics Quarterly report. “Qualitatively, Indonesia is expected to benefit from increased access to the third-largest consumer market in the world; increased productivity, and efficiency in the domestic [market] resulting from greater competition,” it says. The sheer size of the ACFTA, which covers a population of almost 2 billion, offers potentially large trade creation benefits for Indonesia, it says, adding that the agreement should also result in reduced prices and greater choices for Indonesian consumers and producers. Indonesian businesses have strongly opposed the full implementation of the free trade agreement, saying it could result in the closure of many small companies unable to compete with an influx of...

Daniel Schearf | Schearf Bangkok 05 March 2010 Photo: AP Ships are seen off the coast of Singapore, 04 Mar 2010 Security patrols in the Malacca Strait have increased following a warning from Singapore that terrorists were planning attacks on ships. Defense authorities in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore say they have increased sea and air patrols in the Malacca Strait. Singapore warned that a terrorist group was planning attacks on oil tankers in the shipping lanes, through which half the world's oil and much of its trade is transported. The warning did not specify a terrorist organization or say when the sea attacks were expected. But, the Singapore Navy said militants could use small boats to launch the attacks and urged shipping companies to stay alert for suspicious activities. Rohan Gunaratna, the head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore, says the countries are right to take the terrorism ...

The Associated Press | Thu, 03/04/2010 1:02 PM | Photo Chinese military officers arrive outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Thursday. China says it will boost its defense budget by 7.5 percent this year, the first time in more than 15 years it has announced a less than double-digit percentage increase. AP/Ng Han Guan

The Associated Press , Beijing | Wed, 02/24/2010 9:22 AM | Sci-Tech China has rejected a news report that U.S. investigators traced hacking attacks against Google Inc. to two Chinese schools and said suggestions the government might be involved were irresponsible. A foreign ministry spokesman, Ma Zhaoxu, said Chinese law prohibits hacking and the government will take steps to stop it. At a regular news briefing Tuesday, Ma rejected a report by The New York Times last week that investigators traced hacking attacks on Google to Shanghai Jiaotong University and Lanxiang Vocational School in China. "Reports that these attacks came from Chinese schools are groundless, and accusations of Chinese government involvement are irresponsible and out of ulterior motives," Ma said. Google cited the hacking attacks in a Jan. 12 announcement that said it would no longer cooperate with Chinese government censorship of the Internet and might close its...

By VOA News 14 August 2009 Pakistani girls wave national flags as they sing national songs during the Independence Day ceremony celebrations at the mausoleum of the country's founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi 14 Aug 2009 Pakistani President Asif Zardari lifted a ban on political activities in the country's tribal regions Friday, as Pakistanis held celebrations marking the country's Independence Day. Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal regions along the Afghan border have never been integrated into the country's political and administrative system, allowing militants and tribal elders to hold sway. The change is the first major break with the system Pakistan inherited from Britain, which ruled the region until the country gained independence in 1947. Police and security forces were on high alert during Independence Day celebrations across Pakistan to prevent militant groups from disrupting ...

By VOA News 14 August 2009 U.S. dollars U.S. consumer prices were unchanged in July and actually declined around two percent from the same time a year ago. Friday's Labor Department report shows inflation dropping at the sharpest rate in decades. Some analysts say these readings show inflation is tame for the time being, which will allow the U.S. central bank to keep interest rates at historic lows. The Federal Reserve lowers interest rates to bolster the economy, but raises them to fight inflation. Inflation is being kept in check by the worst slump in consumer spending since 1980, which reduces demand for goods and services and gives companies less power to raise prices. Consumer spending may not rebound soon, as a report Friday showed U.S. consumers growing more worried about the economy. Data from the University of Michigan shows consumers lost confidence because of concerns about unemployment and wages. Econo...

By VOA News 14 August 2009 Volunteers help clean up a local residents home covered in mud from landslides brought by Typhoon Morakot in the village of Chishan, in Kaohsiung county, southern Taiwan, 14 Aug 2009 Taiwan's president says the death toll from flooding and mudslides triggered by Typhoon Morakot will likely exceed 500 people, in the worst storm to hit the island in 50 years. Ma Ying-jeou told aides at a national security meeting Friday that nearly 400 people were probably buried alive when a mudslide covered the village of Shiao Lin in southern Kaohsiung county. More than 100 people have been confirmed dead due to the disaster. Mr. Ma's government has been criticized for what many say was its slow response to the crisis. Thousands of villagers were trapped when floods and mudslides wiped out scores of bridges and roads after Morakot hit last week, dumping more than two meters of rainfall on the island...