ASIA:
NKOREA-AMERICANS DETAINED
TOKYO — North Korea said it is preparing to try two Americans who entered the country as tourists for carrying out what it says were hostile acts against the country. Though a small number of U.S. citizens visit North Korea each year as tourists, the State Department strongly advises against it. By Eric Talmadge. 630 words.
NEW ZEALAND DIPLOMAT SEX CHARGES
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A diplomat has evaded sexual assault charges in New Zealand by claiming diplomatic immunity and returning home. By Nick Perry. SENT: 270 words.
KOREAS-TENSION
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said that leader Kim Jong Un guided the test launches of tactical ballistic rockets aimed at U.S. and South Korean forces, the second such launch drill reported in state media in three days. By Jung-Yoon Choi. 540 words.
HONG KONG-CHINA-PROTEST
HONG KONG — Hong Kong is bracing for a massive protest march that organizers expect will attract more than 150,000 residents angered by Beijing's insistence that they won't get a genuine say in picking the southern Chinese financial hub's next leader. By Kelvin Chan. UPCOMING. 500 words.
CHINA-XINJIANG
BEIJING — Chinese courts in the far west, ethnic region of Xinjiang have imprisoned 113 people for terrorism or other charges, according to a government-run news portal. By Didi Tang. SENT: 460 words.
AUSTRLIA BISHOP CHARGED
SYDNEY — A senior member of Australia's Catholic Church has stepped down from his post after being charged with sexually abusing a teenaged student decades ago, the church said. SENT: 180 words.
SRI LANKA-WHITE FLAG
WASHINGTON — A new U.N. investigation into allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka will intensify international pressure on its government and could probe the purported responsibility of senior Sri Lankan officials with U.S. ties. By Matthew Pennington. SENT: 1,200 words.
THAILAND-SOUTHERN VIOLENCE
HAT YAI, Thailand — A group of gunmen opened fire at a mosque in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, killing one man and injuring another after the start of Ramadan on the weekend, police said. SENT: 170 words
SKOREA-SHIP-CHECKERED HISTORY
SEOUL, South Korea — The company that operated the doomed South Korean ferry that sank in April had a questionable safety record throughout its history, marred by frequent maritime accidents followed by sanctions from authorities. Chonghaejin Marine Co. sailors or upper-level managers were found to be the primary cause of at least five crashes between 2003 and this year. Though no one was killed in those accidents, experts say Chonghaejin's license could have been suspended or even revoked, but the company's monopoly on an important route may have made regulators hesitant to take that step. By Youkyung Lee. UPCOMING: 1,300 words.
U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL:
IRAQ
BAGHDAD — The al-Qaida breakaway group that has seized much of northeastern Syria and huge tracts of neighboring Iraq formally declares the establishment of a new Islamic state and demands allegiance from Muslims worldwide. Experts predict the declaration could herald infighting among Sunni militants who formed a loose alliance in the blitz across Iraqi territory and impact the broader international jihadist movement, in particular the future of al-Qaida. By Ryan Lucas. SENT: 1,200 words.
IRAQ-CHRISTIANS RETURNING — Thousands of Iraqi Christians have flocked back to their homes in the north, days after they fled villages under attack by Sunni Muslim extremists. SENT: 500 words, photos.
— ISRAEL-IRAQ — Seizing on the mayhem in Iraq, Israel's prime minister says the advance of jihadi militants across the Middle East obligates it to keep its troops in the West Bank. SENT: 930 words, photo.
VETERANS AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to nominate former Proctor & Gamble executive Robert McDonald as the next Veterans Affairs secretary, as the White House seeks to shore up an agency beset by treatment delays and struggling to deal with an influx of new veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. If confirmed by the Senate, McDonald will succeed Eric Shinseki, the retired four-star general who resigned last month as the scope of the issues at veterans' hospitals became apparent. By White House Correspondent Julie Pace. SENT: 770 words, photo.
BENGHAZI MILITANT
WASHINGTON — The first prosecution arising from the Benghazi attacks is playing out in the federal courthouse blocks from both the White House and Capitol Hill, an appropriate setting for a case that has drawn stark lines between President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress. The criminal trial could provide new insights into the 2012 attacks that killed four Americans and will serve as the latest test of the U.S. legal system's ability to handle terrorism suspects. Unfolding during an election year, the case against alleged mastermind Ahmed Abu Khattala could shape the legacies of Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, and spill over into the potential presidential candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 960 words, video, photos, audio.
CONGRESS-SNUG IN THEIR SEATS
WASHINGTON — Congress is wildly unpopular. In fact, two-thirds of Americans want their own House member booted. And the tea party is dogging longtime Republican lawmakers. So incumbents are sweating out this year's election, right? Nope. Mostly they're not. People talk about throwing the bums out, but voters keep sending the same bunch back in. More than halfway through the party primaries, 293 House and Senate members have completed their quests for re-nomination. The score: incumbents 291, challengers 2. By Connie Cass. SENT: 730 words, photo.
UKRAINE
KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko tries to keep his peace plan to settle the conflict with pro-Russian separatists on track in a four-way phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of France and Germany. The two-hour conversation comes ahead of a Monday deadline that European Union leaders set for Russia and the separatists to take steps to ease the violence, warning that otherwise they were ready "at any time" to impose further punitive measures. By David McHugh. SENT: 590 words, photos.
WORLD CUP
WCUP-NETHERLANDS-MEXICO
FORTALEZA, Brazil — The Dutch were worried about the oppressive heat at Arena Castelao, and they left it with the stifling hot conditions to thank for a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals. An inspired tactical change during the second of two official stoppages led to a late goal from Netherlands forward Wesley Sneijder and an injury-time penalty from Klaas Jan Huntelaar in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Mexico on Sunday. By Mike Corder. SENT: 757 words, photos.
WCUP-COSTA RICA-GREECE
RECIFE, Brazil — Costa Rica beat Greece in a penalty shootout Sunday to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time after defending desperately with 10 men for nearly an hour. Michael Umana scored the decisive penalty as Costa Rica won the shootout 5-3 after the game ended 1-1 following extra time. By Gerald Imray. SENT: 760-words, photos.
RIO DE JANEIRO — Free-scoring France takes on Nigeria and Germany faces Algeria as the second round continues at the World Cup on Monday with two games pitching European teams against African opponents. By Trevor Huggins. SENT: 608 words, photos.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION
— ARIZONA WILDFIRE — Hundreds of firefighters battle eastern Arizona blaze; dozens of homes evacuated. SENT: 520 words, photos, video.
— TOWN FOR SALE — A businessman is selling his small, southeastern South Dakota town for $400,000. SENT: 130 words.
— PACKARD PLANT-PALAZUELO — Latest would-be savior for Detroit's abandoned and vandalized Packard Plant is developer from Peru who wants to clean it up and bring in apartments, retail business, entrepreneurs and artist studios. SENT: 750 words, photos.
— MIDEAST-RAMADAN-GLANCE — From Morocco to Jakarta, world's 1.6 billion Muslims get ready for Ramadan. SENT: 830 words, photos.
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YOUR QUERIES: The editor in charge at the AP Asia-Pacific Desk in Bangkok is Dave Thurber. Questions and story requests are welcome. The news desk can be reached at (66) 2632-6911 or by email at asia@ap.org.
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