by Associated Press BC-AS--Asian News Digest, AS Associated Press - 23 February 2015 07:09-05:00 ASIA: BANGLADESH-FERRY CAPSIZE DHAKA, Bangladesh — The death toll from a weekend ferry disaster rises to 70 as divers halt the search for more bodies. By Julhas Alam. SENT: 500 words, photos. AUSTRALIA-TERRORISM SYDNEY — Australia will strengthen its immigration laws and crack down on groups that incite hatred under a raft of counterterrorism measures introduced in a bid to combat the threat from home-grown terrorists. Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the nation's new anti-extremism strategy following the release of a government review into December's deadly siege at a cafe in Sydney's busy Martin Place plaza. By Kristen Gelineau. SENT: 490 words, photos. MYANMAR-ETHNIC REBELS-NEWS GUIDE YANGON, Myanmar — A guide to fighting between Myanmar troops and ethnic Kokang rebels which has left more than 130 dead since Feb. 9. SENT: 530 words, photos. NKOREA-EBOLA FEARS TOKYO — Tightening the screws even further on travel to their already isolated country, North Korean authorities bar foreigners from one of the year's most popular tourist events — the annual Pyongyang marathon — because of concerns over the spread of the Ebola virus, travel agencies say. By Eric Talmadge. SENT: 670 words, photos. THAILAND-MONARCHY BANGKOK — A court sentences two theater activists to two and a half years in prison on charges of insulting the country's monarchy. The activists produced a play called "The Wolf Bride" about a fictional monarch and his adviser. By Thanyarat Doksone. SENT: 350 words, photos. NEPAL-EVEREST KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal is improving its weather forecasting, stepping up security and promising swift rescues if needed during the upcoming climbing season on Everest in an attempt to recover from the worst mountaineering disaster on the world's highest peak last year. By Binaj Gurubacharya. SENT: 490 words, photos. PHILIPPINES-US-KILLING MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine court enters a not-guilty plea for a U.S. Marine charged with the murder of a transgender Filipino, who authorities say he killed after finding out her gender when they checked into a motel. Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton refused to enter a plea. By Jim Gomez. SENT: 490 words. BUSINESS AND FINANCE: JAPAN-HONDA TOKYO — Honda Motor Co., the Japanese automaker at the center of an air-bag defect scandal, says its president Takanobu Ito will step aside and be replaced by another Honda executive. By Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 430 words, photos. JAPAN-MINISTER RESIGNS TOKYO — Japan's agriculture minister steps down following questions over political funding contributions, the latest in a series of such resignations. By Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 330 words, photos. U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL: OSCARS LOS ANGELES — Hollywood is smarter than you thought. Whether by design or chance, the 87th Academy Awards elegantly and subtly shifted the tone of the season from an obsession with snubs and fact-checking to a positive celebration of original filmmaking and purposeful advocacy for causes as diverse as immigration, suicide and equal opportunity. By Film Writer Lindsey Bahr. SENT: 900 words, photos, video. — OSCARS-POLITICS AND ISSUES — Rundown of Oscar speeches filled with political activism, pet issues. By Beth Harpaz. SENT: 880 words, photos. — OSCARS-IMMIGRATION — Alejandro Inarritu says Penn's immigration remark a joke among friends; others offended. By Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney. SENT: 430 words, photos. — OSCARS-TV REVIEW — No surprise, Neil Patrick Harris brought sparkle to Oscars. By Television Writer Frazier Moore. SENT: 780 words, photos. — OSCARS-THE FASHION BUZZ — Lupita's pearls, Margot's plunge earn red carpet raves. By Leanne Italie. SENT: 1,120 words, photos. — OSCARS-LIST — A complete list of Oscar winners. SENT: 200 words, photos. GUANTANAMO-FEWER PRISONERS GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba — Despite heated opposition in Congress, President Barack Obama is making progress toward his goal of closing the Guantanamo prison. A surge of releases in recent months has brought the number of detainees down to 122, less than half the number when Obama took office. By Ben Fox. SENT: 940 words, photo. IRAN-NUCLEAR TALKS GENEVA — The United States and Iran are shaping the contours of a deal that would initially freeze Tehran's nuclear program but would allow it to slowly ramp up activities that could be used to make nuclear arms over the last years of the agreement's duration. By Bradley Klapper and George Jahn. SENT: 610 words, photos. EGYPT CAIRO — An Egyptian court sentenced an icon of the country's 2011 revolt to five years in prison Monday, showing authorities' determination to continue to stifle dissent despite promises by its president to release "wrongly jailed youths." By Hamza Hendawi. SENT: 520 words, photo. CARTER-ISLAMIC STATE CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait — U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter is convening an unusual conference in Kuwait of top American military, diplomatic and intelligence experts on the administration's strategy for countering the violence and spreading influence of the Islamic State militant group. SENT: 780 words, photos. — FRANCE-IRAQ — France has deployed an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf to strengthen its military operation against Islamic State extremists in Iraq. SENT: 130 words. — GREECE BAILOUT— Greece is submitting a list of proposed reforms to debt holders to get final approval for an extension to its rescue loans. SENT: 140 words, photos. — BOKO HARAM — A girl suicide bomber as young as 10 blew herself up at a busy market in the northeastern Nigerian town of Potiskum, killing four others and seriously wounding 46 people. SENT: 350 words. — BRITAIN-LOBBYING STING — Two former senior British government ministers have denied wrongdoing after being caught in a hidden-camera sting appearing to offer access to politicians and diplomats in return for cash. SENT: 290 words, photos. ___ 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, Ferry accidents, War and unrest, Terrorism, Crime, Political issues, Government and politics, Theater, Diplomacy, Immigration, Academy Awards, Maritime accidents, Transportation accidents, Accidents, Accidents and disasters, Transportation, Performing arts, Entertainment, Arts and entertainment, International relations, Social issues, Social affairs, Events, Award shows, Movie awards, Movies People, Places and Companies: Honda Motor Co Ltd, Tony Abbott, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Neil Patrick Harris, Barack Obama, Ashton Carter, Philippines, Egypt, Japan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Tokyo, Nepal, Bangkok, Australia, Cuba, United States, Southeast Asia, Sydney, Middle East, Asia, North Africa, Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Thailand, Oceania, Caribbean, Latin America and Caribbean, North America, New South Wales Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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