Sep. 8, 2009 (Xinhua News Agency) -- Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1000 GMT, Sept. 8
KABUL -- A suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the military gate of Kabul airport killing two persons and wounding six others Tuesday morning, sources said.
"In the gruesome incident, two citizens were martyred and six others sustained injuries, all of them civilians and being hospitalized," Ahmad Farid Raaid, spokesman Public Health Ministry told Xinhua.(Afghanistan-Suicide Bombing)
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SEOUL -- Russia's deputy nuclear envoy met with his South Korean counterpart Hwang Joon-kook on Tuesday, calling for measures to revive the six-party talks on denuclearizing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"It is very important ... to find solutions acceptable to all parties that will enable us to negotiate," Grigory Logvinov, deputy head of Moscow's delegation to the multinational forum, said.(S.Korea-Russia-Six Party Talks)
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JAKARTA -- As many as 40 percent of Indonesia's forests are ruined due to deforestation, triggering threat to environment preservation, a minister told the press here on Tuesday.
"The enactment of the bill for protection and environmental management today is very important to prevent forest resource businessmen and local people from damaging forests," said Minister for Environment Rachmat Witoelar in the parliamentary building.( Indonesia-Forests)
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CANBERRA -- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to visit India in November after two postponements, Trade Minister Simon Crean said on Tuesday.
The government has enhanced contact with New Delhi ahead of the November trip, trying to ease the lingering concerns about the safety and quality of Australia's international education sector, worth 15 billion Australian dollars (12.9 billion U.S. dollars) a year.(Australia-India-Visit)
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CANBERRA -- The Australian government must act quickly to take advantage of the change of leadership in Japan to end whale hunting, Greenpeace activist Toru Suzuki told reporters on Tuesday.
In August, Japanese voters ended more than 50 years of conservative rule by electing the center-left Democratic Party led by Yukio Hatoyama who is expected to become prime minister. ( Australia-Japan-Whaling)
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BANGKOK -- The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) Tuesday has vowed to gather 20,000 signatures to back a petition to remove MPs and senators supporting a charter amendment motion.
The PAD group, which is one of Thailand's active political groups, held a press conference at Bangkok's Kasetsart University to reaffirm its opposition to the constitutional amendment.( Thailand-PAD)
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DHAKA -- Bangladesh's booming shipbuilding industry in the last fiscal year 2008-09 ended in June fetched over 1.43 billion taka ( about 20.43 million U.S. dollars) from exporting seaworthy ships, the country's Industries Minister said on Tuesday.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua told the country's National Parliament on Tuesday, "We've exported eight seaworthy ships -- two container vessels and six ferryboats in the last fiscal year which helped us to earn over 1.43 billion taka." (Bangladesh- Shipbuilding)
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CANBERRA -- Business confidence in Australia has recorded its highest level since October 2003 as a positive sign the economy is strengthening.
The National Australia Bank (OOTC:NABZY) business survey released on Tuesday showed its confidence index jumped a further eight points in August, for a total gain of 50 points since January. (Australia- Business Confidence)
