by Associated Press BC-AS--Asian News Digest, AS Associated Press - 20 February 2015 09:12-05:00 ASIA: THAILAND-SURROGACY BANGKOK — Thailand's military-picked legislature passed a law that criminalized commercial surrogacy and prohibited foreigners from seeking surrogacy services in the kingdom after a string of scandals last year, a lawmaker said. Sent: 340 words. INDIA-OIL ESPIONAGE NEW DELHI — Police have arrested seven people for allegedly stealing classified documents from the Indian government and selling them to energy companies, a top police officer said. By Nirmala George. Sent: 320 words, photos. INDIA-OBAMA'S TREE NEW DELHI — Officials in India want to make one thing clear: The tree that President Barack Obama planted in New Delhi three weeks ago is not dead. It just looks dead. Sent: 170 words, photos. INDIA-MODI'S SUIT NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dark suit with its unique monogram pinstripes was auctioned for a whopping sum of nearly $700,000. Sent: 200 words, photos. AUSTRALIA-STORMS SYDNEY — Two powerful cyclones smashed into northern Australia, knocking out power to thousands, tearing roofs and doors off houses, but appeared to have spared the region earlier predictions of a "calamity." By Kristen Gelineau. CHINESE NEW YEAR IMAGE-AUSTRALIA — Glimpse of Chinese New Year: Emperor returns to Beijing in re-enactment that embraces history. The fifth of six images the AP is presenting this week to showcase Chinese New Year celebrations in the Asia-Pacific region. SENT: 290 words, photo. — AP PHOTO BKCD101 — Qi Xue'en plays the role of a Qing Dynasty emperor during a re-creation of an ancient sacrificial ceremony at Beijing's Ditan Park, the "Altar of the Earth," on the eve of the Lunar New Year. INDIA-FLU OUTBREAK NEW DELHI — Health authorities were working to ensure remote hospitals in northern and western India had adequate medical supplies for a flu outbreak that has claimed more than 700 lives in 10 weeks. Sent: 270 words. SRI LANKA-INDIA COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Sri Lanka in March, a government spokesman said, amid signs the island nation is shifting from its heavy pro-China policy. Sent: 350 words, photo. TOKYO MARATHON-SECURITY TOKYO — Organizers of this Sunday's Tokyo Marathon have promised increased security following the slaying of two Japanese hostages by the Islamic State group. Sent: 170 words, photos. INTERNATIONAL: UKRAINE KIEV, Ukraine — Separatist rebels fire on Ukrainian positions nearly 50 times in the past 24 hours and Russia is sending more tanks into Ukraine despite a cease-fire that was supposed to take effect five days ago, a Ukrainian military spokesman says. By Jim Heintz. SENT: 480 words, photos. NSA SURVEILLANCE WASHINGTON — Britain's electronic spying agency, in cooperation with the U.S. National Security Agency, hacks into the networks of a Dutch company to steal codes that allow both governments to seamlessly eavesdrop on mobile phones worldwide, according to the documents given to journalists by Edward Snowden. By Intelligence Writer Ken Dilanian. SENT: 660 words, photo. LIBYA CAIRO — A Libyan army spokesman says a massive car bombing has struck a town in the country's east, killing at least 30 people, according to initial reports. SENT: 350 words. GREECE-BAILOUT ATHENS, Greece — Finance ministers from the 19-nation eurozone head to Brussels for an emergency meeting in a last-ditch effort to prevent negotiations over Greece's bailout from collapsing. Greece asks for an extension of its loan agreement but Germany's initial reaction is negative. By Nicholas Paphitis. SENT: 300 words. UPCOMING: Updates after arrivals in Brussels from 7:30 a.m. and from talks at 9 a.m. ANTARCTICA-MYSTERIES DECEPTION ISLAND, Antarctica — Antarctica may hold clues to answering humanity's most basic questions: Where did we come from? Are we alone? And what's the fate of our planet? It is the continent of mystery. Strange, forbidding and most of all desolate, the continent was first set foot on 194 years ago and it is still mostly unexplored. By Luis Andres Henao and Seth Borenstein. With photo essay by Natacha Pisarenko. SENT: 1,380 words, photos, video, interactive. Eds: This is the first in a series of periodic multi-format stories examining the world's least-known continent. SOMALIA-VIOLENCE MOGADISHU, Somalia — Two strong explosions are heard at a hotel near Somalia's presidential palace, and smoke can be seen rising from the building frequented by government officials. Capt. Mohamed Hussein, a senior Somali police officer, says a car bomb was detonated at the gate of the central hotel in Mogadishu, followed by heavy gunfire. By Abdi Guled. SENT: 270 words. BUSINESS STRONG DOLLAR SQUEEZE NEW YORK — A surging dollar is a source of constant complaint this earnings season. From Avon to Yum Brands, American companies with overseas customers say their results would have been much better if it hadn't been for the strong dollar. By Matthew Craft. SENT: 940 words, photos. JAPAN-HONDA TOKYO — Honda Motor Co. will cut output at two North American factories due to a disruption in parts shipments caused by a protracted labor dispute at West Coast ports. Sent: 130 words, photo. ENTERTAINMENT OSCARS-PREDICTIONS Associated Press film writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr face off in a he-said-she-said battle of personal predictions for winners in the top Oscar categories. SENT: 1,600 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, War and unrest, Bombings, Government and politics, Government surveillance, Political issues People, Places and Companies: Barack Obama, Narendra Modi, Edward Snowden, New Delhi, India, Brussels, Sri Lanka, Japan, Tokyo, Thailand, Beijing, Bangkok, Somalia, Ukraine, Australia, Antarctica, New York, Greece, Mogadishu, South Asia, Asia, Belgium, Western Europe, Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, China, Greater China, East Africa, Africa, Eastern Europe, Oceania, United States, North America Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. 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