by Associated Press BC-AS--Asian News Digest, AS Associated Press - 13 August 2014 08:03-04:00 ASIA: POPE-KOREA-5 THINGS TO KNOW VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis' five-day visit to South Korea will be the first time in a quarter-century that a pope has been on the divided Korean Peninsula. Francis plans to bring a message of peace and reconciliations to Koreans on both sides of the 38th parallel, while encouraging Catholics in the region to spread their faith. By Nicole Winfield. SENT: 890 words, photos. PHILIPPINES-TRAIN ACCIDENT MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine commuter train rams through a concrete barrier at the end of the line and rolls into a busy intersection, injuring scores of passengers and damaging vehicles. Rescuers removed dozens of injured people from the train's front car after the accident in Pasay city in metropolitan Manila. Many suffered fractures and bruises, hospital officials said, but there were no reports of any deaths from the accident, which caused a huge traffic jam. By Oliver Teves. SENT: 280 words, photos. INDONESIA-US WOMAN DEAD BALI, Indonesia — The body of a 62-year-old American woman is found stuffed inside a suitcase on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, and authorities arrest her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend in relation to the death. The suitcase containing Sheila von Wiese-Mack's body was found inside the trunk of a taxi parked in front of the St. Regis Bali Resort in the island's upscale Nusa Dua area, police said. SENT: 310 words, photos. NKOREA-AMERICAN DETAINED LEBANON, Ohio — The wife and three children of an Ohio man charged with "anti-state" crimes in North Korea apologize to the nation's people and government and ask for mercy, saying the family is struggling to get by without their sole breadwinner. Jeffrey Edward Fowle has told the AP he fears his situation will get much worse when he goes on trial, saying, "the horizon for me is pretty dark." His wife says she has asked President Barack Obama to intervene. By Amanda Lee Myers. SENT: 660 words, photo. BACK TO SCHOOL-CHINA-HIGH SCHOOL IN AMERICA BEIJING — After getting a glimpse of the endless cramming for China's grueling college entrance exams from the seniors in his high school, 16-year-old Zhang Kaisheng decided to take a different path. Like a growing number of Chinese teenagers, Zhang plans to enroll this fall in a private U.S. high school where he and his parents hope he will get a more well-rounded — if far more expensive — education. By Didi Tang. SENT: 1,430 words, photos. KERRY-SOLOMON ISLANDS HONIARA, Solomon Islands — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pays a visit to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, where he meets the tiny nation's leaders and commemorates the ferocious World War II battles fought on Guadalcanal. Kerry met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Lilo and Governor General Frank Kabui to discuss sustainable development, ocean preservation and how the islands' 600,000 residents are coping with the effects of climate change. By Matthew Lee. SENT: 270 words, photos. CHINA-DRUG CRACKDOWN BEIJING — An actor becomes the latest Chinese celebrity to face drug charges in a wave of detentions that an official says is one of China's sternest crackdowns on illegal drug use in two decades. Gao Hu, who had a small part as a soldier in Zhang Yimou's 2011 movie "The Flowers of War," was detained by police for possession and use of marijuana and methamphetamine, official media and police say. By Louise Watt. SENT: 610 words, photos. VIETNAM-FLOODS HANOI, Vietnam — A disaster official says flash floods triggered by heavy rains have killed six people, including five in a family in northern Vietnam. SENT: 130 words. BANGLADESH-FERRY SINKING DHAKA, Bangladesh — The owner of a Bangladesh ferry that sank earlier this month with more than 100 people dead or missing is arrested after weeks in hiding, officials say. Forces from the anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion raided a house in the southeastern district of Chittagong, where suspect Abu Bakar Siddique had been hiding since the overloaded ferry M.V. Pinak sank on Aug. 4, police said. SENT: 260 words. AUSTRALIA-IRAQ CANBERRA, Australia — Australia's prime minister holds open the possibility of sending a combat force to Iraq in addition to military transport aircraft to airlift humanitarian aid to refugees trapped by insurgents in northern mountains, though the defense minister played down the prospect. Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters in London after meeting with British officials on the Iraq crisis that his government would not rule out taking military action in Iraq. By Rod McGuirk. SENT: 490 words, photos. PHILIPPINES-FLYING TRAPEZE SCHOOL-PHOTO GALLERY MANILA, Philippines — Real estate broker Angel de Rivera is hooked on the newest way to fly high in the Philippine capital: trapeze. After a hard day's work, she and other Manila office workers can go to trapeze school and experience the scream-inducing adventure of being an acrobat. By Aaron Favila. SENT: 250 words, photos. BUSINESS AND FINANCE: JAPAN-ECONOMY TOKYO — The Japanese economy shrank at an annual pace of 6.8 percent in the second quarter after spending got slammed by a sales tax hike that kicked in from April, government figures show. Japan's gross domestic product, the total output of goods and services, also contracted 1.7 percent during the April-June period from the previous quarter. By Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 470 words, photos. CHINA-MONOPOLY CRACKDOWN-AUTOS BEIJING — General Motors Co.'s main China joint venture has joined automakers that say they have been contacted by Chinese anti-monopoly regulators as part of an investigation of the industry. Shanghai GM's announcement follows government announcements that Audi and Chrysler will face unspecified penalties for violating the country's anti-monopoly law. Mercedes Benz, Toyota's Lexus luxury brand and Japanese parts suppliers also are under scrutiny. By Joe McDonald. SENT: 320 words. CHINA-EARNS-TENCENT BEIJING — China's Tencent Holdings Ltd., which operates online games and the popular WeChat messaging service, says its quarterly profit rose 59 percent due to strong growth in its mobile business. The company based in the southern city of Shenzhen earned 5.8 billion yuan ($949 million) in the three months ended June 30. Revenue rose 37 percent to 19.7 billion yuan ($3.2 billion). SENT: 210 words. U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL: IRAQ BAGHDAD - Fighting to hold on to power, Iraq's incumbent Prime Minister is warning of more turmoil if he is replaced at the helm of the country's government. Nouri al-Maliki says president's tasking of another politician with forming a new government amounts to a "constitutional violation" and would have worse consequences than the militant takeover of much of the country's north. Meanwhile, Iraqi politicians, the international community and Shiite powerhouse Iran have thrown their support behind al-Maliki's would-be successor Haider al-Abadi, hoping he can bridge the country's sectarian divide. SENT: 910 words, photos, video. ISRAEL-CAPTURED SOLDIERS JERUSALEM — An Israeli military tactic that allows overwhelming fire to stop the capture of soldiers — even at risk of killing them — is facing criticism after its use in the Gaza war killed some 100 Palestinians. The military used the "Hannibal Procedure" after soldiers feared militants captured an officer, unleashing heavy shelling on the southern Gaza town of Rafah. Now, a group is calling on the military to abandon the practice, saying it puts captured soldiers at unfair risk and can lead to civilian deaths. By Aron Heller. SENT: 850 words, photos. — ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Palestinian negotiators mull over an Egyptian proposal to end the month-long Gaza war with Israel, as the clock on the latest 72-hour cease-fire ticks down. By Mohammed Daraghmeh. SENT: 400 words, photos, video. OBIT-LAUREN BACALL NEW YORK — Lauren Bacall had one of those incredible lives. A star almost from the moment she appeared on screen to the day she died, Tuesday, at age 89, at a New York City hospital. Bacall would outlive her first husband, Humphrey Bogart, by more than 50 years, but never outlived their legend, which began in their first movie together. By National Writer Hillel Italie. SENT: 1,100 words, photos, video. — LAUREN BACALL-APPRECIATION — Appreciation: Lauren Bacall, a black-and-white screen goddess of the shadows. SENT: 650 words, photos. — LAUREN BACALL-ROLES — A sultry gaze, a throaty voice: 10 of Lauren Bacall's top roles. SENT: 500 words, photos. POLICE SHOOTING-MISSOURI FERGUSON, Mo. — Two nights of violence gave wave to heated but peaceful protests Tuesday as a St. Louis suburb where an unarmed black teenager was killed by a police officer looked to heal while still seeking answers about the weekend shooting. By Alan Scher. SENT: 530 words, photos, video, audio. ROBIN WILLIAMS SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Although police have now revealed how Robin Williams committed suicide, the Oscar-winning actor's fans, friends and even family continue to struggle to understand why someone who spread so much joy throughout the world could find so little in his own life that he decided to stop living. By Paul Elias. SENT: 850 words, photos. ATHENS-OLYMPICS-10 YEARS LATER ATHENS, Greece — In an obscure corner of a park sits a forlorn reminder that, 10 years ago, Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics. The crumbling miniature theater is inscribed with the words "glory, wealth, wisdom, victory, triumph, hero, labor" — and it is where visiting Olympic officials planted an olive sapling to commemorate the Games. Once a symbol of pomp, the theater is now an emblem of pointless waste in a venture that left a mixed legacy. By Nicholas Paphitis and Theodora Tongas. SENT: 1,060 words, photos ALSO GETTING ATTENTION — JUSTIN BIEBER ARREST — Pop star Justin Bieber is expected to plead guilty Wednesday to lesser charges stemming from his arrest in South Florida in what police initially described as an illegal street drag race. Hearing set for 1:30 p.m. in Miami. SENT: 400 words, photo. — SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP — More than 500 Scrabble players compete in Buffalo, N.Y., in the 2014 National Scrabble Championship — with 5,000 new words to choose from following the release of a new Scrabble dictionary. SENT: 300 words. — CONGRESS-IRAQ — Congress is OK with Obama's Iraq intervention a year after objecting to strikes in Syria. SENT: 590 words, photos. — GUANTANAMO-SEPT 11 TRIAL — Sept. 11 war crimes judge ponders way forward after severing 1 defendant's case from other 4. SENT: 130 words. ___ YOUR QUERIES: The editor in charge at the AP Asia-Pacific Desk in Bangkok is David Thurber. Questions and story requests are welcome. The news desk can be reached at (66) 2632-6911 or by email at asia@ap.org. The Asia Photo Desk can be reached at (81-3) 6215-8941 or by fax at (81-3) 3574-8850. Between 1600 GMT and 0000 GMT, please refer queries to the North America Desk in New York at (1) 212-621-1650. News Topics: General news, Drug-related crime, Illegal drug use, Rail accidents, Celebrity, Arrests, Celebrity legal affairs, Celebrity deaths, Automotive accidents, War and unrest, Ferry accidents, Crime, Government and politics, Pop music, Accidents and disasters, Legislature, Rail transportation industry, Antitrust regulation, Summer Olympic games, Word games, Transportation accidents, Accidents, Transportation, Entertainment, Arts and entertainment, Law and order, Maritime accidents, Music, Transportation and shipping, Industrial products and services, Industries, Business, Industry regulation, Government business and finance, Government regulations, Olympic games, Events, Games, Recreation and leisure, Lifestyle, Sports People, Places and Companies: General Motors Co, Tencent Holdings Ltd., Pope Francis, Barack Obama, John Kerry, Frank Kabui, Zhang Yimou, Tony Abbott, Nouri al-Maliki, Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, Robin Williams, Justin Bieber, China, Manila, Iraq, Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Israel, United States, Bali, East Asia, Bangladesh, Australia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Athens, Gaza Strip, Honiara, New York, Solomon Islands, Greater China, Asia, North America, South Asia, Oceania, Greece, Western Europe, Europe, Palestinian territories Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. 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