by Associated Press BC-AS--Asian News Digest, AS Associated Press - 12 February 2015 01:13-05:00 ASIA: TAIWAN-HOSTAGES HELD TAIPEI, Taiwan — Six inmates led by a mob boss committed suicide at a prison in Taiwan early Thursday after a failed breakout attempt in which they seized weapons and held a warden and guards hostage, officials said. All the hostages were released. The inmates started their attempt Wednesday afternoon in the southern port city of Kaohsiung. In a telephone interview with a newspaper during the overnight standoff, the 46-year-old ringleader said the six had long planned the move and were prepared to die. He also complained about long sentences and unfairness in the granting of medical paroles. By Gladys Tsai. SENt: 580 words, photos. INDIA-CRUSADER'S RETURN NEW DELHI — There were the public falling-outs with his political allies. There was the crushing defeat when he ran for Parliament against the man who became prime minister. More than anything, there was the scorn he earned by quitting last year as New Delhi's top official after just 49 days in office. Arvind Kejriwal, the former tax official with the chronic cough and the ill-fitting sweaters, the man who had remade himself into a champion for clean government, seemed lost in the political wilderness. The crusading politician was suddenly a punchline. But on Wednesday, there was Kejriwal on the front page of nearly every Indian newspaper, celebrating election results that again make him New Delhi's chief minister. SENT: 830 words, photos. AUSTRALIA-TERRORISM SYDNEY — One of two men charged with planning to launch an imminent terrorist attack in Australia appeared on a video threatening to stab the kidneys and necks of their victims, the nation's prime minister said Thursday, accusing the pair of "monstrous extremism." Omar Al-Kutobi, 24, and Mohammad Kiad, 25, were charged this week with undertaking acts in preparation or planning for a terrorist act after police raided their Sydney home and seized the video, a homemade flag associated with the Islamic State group, a machete and a hunting knife. By Kristen Gelineau. SENT: 480 words, photos. UNITED STATES-SRI LANKA WASHINGTON — Urging international patience, Sri Lanka's new government that won a surprise election victory last month called for a postponement in the publication of a U.N. investigation into allegations of war crimes committed during the island nation's civil war. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera spoke Wednesday ahead of a meeting Thursday with Secretary of State John Kerry, amid warming ties with Washington following early steps by the government to promote democracy in Sri Lanka and reconciliation. By Matthew Pennington. SENT, photos. NEW ZEALAND-ANTARCTIC RESCUE WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Crews from the U.S. and New Zealand were trying to rescue a damaged fishing boat with 27 people aboard that remains stuck in ice near Antarctica. SENT: 270 words. AUSTRALIA-INDONESIA-EXECUTIONS CANBERRA, Australia — Australia's foreign minister calls on the Indonesian government to show the same mercy to two Australian drug traffickers on death row as Indonesia seeks from countries where Indonesian citizens face execution. SENT: 280 words, photo. VIETNAM-BLOGGER HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnamese authorities have released a second blogger jailed more than two months ago for posting comments deemed critical of the Communist Party in a rare gesture as the country prepares to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which is often an occasion for prisoner amnesties. SENT: 300 words, photos. CHINA-EARNS-BAIDU BEIJING — Baidu Inc., which operates China's most popular Internet search engine, said Thursday its quarterly profit rose 16 percent but growth slowed as it spent more to attract users to its mobile services. SENT: 230 words. NEW & DEVELOPING CONGRESS-WAR POWERS WASHINGTON — Declaring the Islamic State is on the defensive and "going to lose," President Barack Obama asks Congress to formally authorize military force against the militants. But he vowed not to repeat the large and costly ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. By David Espo and Nedra Pickler. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, audio. — AMERICAN-ISLAMIC STATE — Congress members say efforts to free a 26-year-old American aid worker held hostage by the Islamic State group played out behind the scenes. SENT: 800 words, photos, video. UKRAINE MINSK, Belarus — The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine negotiate into the early hours to try to find a way to halt the fighting in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 5,300 people. The talks, brokered by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, aim to negotiate a deal to end the hostilities between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists that have killed more 5,300 people since April. By Yuras Karmanau. SENT: 750 words, photos. ITALY-SHIPWRECK TRIAL GROSSETO, Italy — The captain of the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship is convicted and sentenced to 16 years and one month in prison for multiple counts of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship in the 2012 disaster that killed 32 people. By Frances D'Emilio. SENT: 700 words, photos, video. GUANTANAMO-FREED DETAINEES WASHINGTON — Former Guantanamo Bay detainees who have returned to the battlefield after being released are complicating President Barack Obama's hopes of closing the detention center for terrorism suspects in Cuba. By Deb Riechmann. SENT: 890 words, photo. AMERICAN SNIPER-TRIAL STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Shortly before he was shot to death by a troubled former Marine at a Texas gun range, legendary Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle texted a buddy, "This dude is straight-up nuts," a defense attorney told jurors. Kyle's widow, Taya Kyle, testified about her husband's own struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving the battlefield. By Jamie Stengle. SENT: 500 words, photos, video. CONGRESS-KEYSTONE WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled Congress clears a bill approving the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, setting up a confrontation with President Barack Obama, who has threatened to veto the measure. By Dina Cappiello. SENT: 600 words, photos. — CONGRESS-CHILD PORNOGRAPHY — Senate passes bill to help victims of child pornography recover monetary damages. SENT: 390 words. YEMEN SANAA, Yemen — Saudi Arabia is arming tribal allies in Yemen to fight Shiite rebels who have seized power and are suspected of being backed by Iran, and Egypt has prepared a special military unit to intervene if the rebels threaten Red Sea shipping — signs that the country's increasing turmoil is starting to resonate around the region. By Hamza Hendawi and Ahmed Al-Haj. SENT: 1,000 words, photos. NIGERIA-BRING BACK OUR GIRLS YOLA, Nigeria — Months after Nigeria and the West failed to rescue more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls, Boko Haram is bragging about their alleged marriage to fighters and conversion to Islam. The success of that mass abduction has emboldened the militant group to kidnap many other girls and women. By Chika Oduah. SENT: 1,100 words, photos, video. UNITED NATIONS-DARFUR-MASS RAPE UNITED NATIONS — Sudanese army troops raped at least 221 women and girls in a Darfur town in a series of organized, house-to-house attacks last year, Human Rights Watch says in a report. The organization's Africa director calls it "a new low in the catalog of atrocities in Darfur." By Cara Anna. SENT: 580 words. SYRIA BEIRUT — Syrian troops backed by Hezbollah fighters are driving south from the capital Damascus, seizing towns and villages previously held by rebels and a local al-Qaida affiliate and approaching the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, close to where the Lebanese militant group and Israel exchanged fire in recent weeks. By Bassem Mroue. SENT: 580 words, photo. ITALY MIGRANT DEATHS ROME — Some 300 migrants who tried to cross the frigid Mediterranean in open, rubber boats, are reported missing by survivors as the U.N. refugee agency and other aid groups sharply criticize the new EU rescue operation as insufficient. By Nicole Winfield. SENT: 640 words. GREECE-BAILOUT BRUSSELS — Greece and its partners in the 19-country eurozone dug in for tough talks as the country's finance minister unveiled the new Greek government's first concrete proposals on how to lighten its bailout program. By Lorne Cooke and Pan Pylas. SENT: 750 words, with photos. JEEP FIRES DETROIT — Kayla White's death has been blamed on an inattentive driver who rammed her Jeep from behind. But safety advocates and the lawyer for White's family say the blame belongs as much, if not more, on the automaker and the industry's slow-moving system for dealing with dangerous defects. By Tom Krisher. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. ALSO GETTING ATTENTION: — SECRET SERVICE — Ousted Secret Service No. 2 assigned to mystery Homeland Security job. SENT: 750 words. — SEXUAL ASSAULT-MILITARY ACADEMIES — Students at military academies report fewer sexual assaults. SENT: 880 words, photo, graphic. — BRITAIN DRIVERLESS CARS — Driverless cars are hitting Britain's public roads for the first time, giving a glimpse of future travel. SENT 400 words, photos. — PEOPLE-KANYE WEST — Kanye West rolls back diss of Beck but calls the Grammys a joke. SENT: 240 words. — TV-NBC-WILLIAMS — For Brian Williams, questions remain over whether suspension leads to permanent exit. SENT: 690 words, photos. ___ YOUR QUERIES: The editor in charge at the AP Asia-Pacific Desk in Bangkok is Scott McDonald. 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, Sexual assault, International incidents, Religion and politics, Militant groups, War and unrest, Government and politics, Terrorism, Legislature, Crime, Bills, Kidnapping, Violent crime, Religious issues, Religion, Social affairs, Social issues, Legislation People, Places and Companies: Baidu Inc, Arvind Kejriwal, John Kerry, Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande, Emilio Navaira, Chris Kyle, Kanye West, Brian Williams, Indonesia, New Delhi, Australia, Taiwan, Syria, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Italy, Sydney, Israel, Nigeria, New Zealand, Belarus, Germany, Cuba, Middle East, Ukraine, Southeast Asia, Greece, United States, United Kingdom, Yemen, Asia, India, South Asia, Oceania, Greater China, East Asia, Western Europe, Europe, West Africa, Africa, Eastern Europe, Caribbean, Latin America and Caribbean, North America Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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