Myanmar's NLD wants ASEAN envoy to see Suu Kyi 'without fail'
December 19, 2005Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy said Monday it wants a special envoy from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to meet with detained party leader Aung San Suu Kyi when the envoy visits Yangon, as early as next month. In a statement, the NLD welcomed as a ''special development'' the decision of ASEAN foreign ministers on Dec. 8 to send Malaysian Foreign Minister Minister Syed Hamid Albar to Yangon to gauge the progress of democratic reforms promised by the junta.
Preliminary results show Shiite alliance ahead in parliamentary vote
December 19, 2005Preliminary results Monday from 89 percent of Baghdad ballot boxes showed an alliance of Shiite parties ahead with almost 60 percent of the vote, the Associated Press reported. AP quoted an electoral official as saying the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance was in the lead with 58 percent of the vote in Baghdad, Iraq's biggest electoral district with 2,161 candidates running for 59 of the 275 seats in Iraq's parliament.
Conference on empowerment of leprosy patients held in India
December 19, 2005A Japan-supported conference on integration and empowerment of leprosy patients was held Monday in New Delhi, bringing together more than 500 leprosy patients and cured people from all over India. The national conference, the first of its kind, was supported by the Nippon Foundation and presided over by the foundation's president Yohei Sasakawa, the World Health Organization's goodwill ambassador for leprosy.
N. Korea rejects U.N. rights resolution, vows to boost nuke arsenal
December 19, 2005North Korea on Monday rejected a U.N. resolution adopted last week on rights abuses in the North and blasted the human rights record of the United States, which introduced the resolution. A spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that in response to the U.N. General Assembly's adoption of the resolution on Friday, the country would build up its nuclear deterrent to defend its sovereignty, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
U.S., EU lack courage in WTO talks: China
December 19, 2005China's Commerce Minister Bo Xilai on Monday criticized the United States and the European Union for dragging out the Doha Round of multilateral negotiations under the World Trade Organization and said Western countries should learn from China. ''Had the EU and U.S. had the courage, an open mind and a responsible approach China had when acceding to the World Trade Organization (in December 2001)), the Doha Round of negotiations would have concluded,'' Bo said here.
Rare snow leopards turn up in China
December 19, 2005A foreign-funded research team turned up five snow leopards in northwestern China between October and mid-December despite fears that hunting and environmental degradation have reduced the population of the endangered species, the team leader said Monday. ''According to this finding, we can be optimistic,'' team leader Ma Ming said at a press briefing and slideshow in Beijing.
New Afghanistan parliament sworn in
December 19, 2005Afghanistan on Monday inaugurated its first parliament in more than 30 years, marking the final step of its transition to democracy. ''This gathering shows the sign of our people's sovereignty again in their country,'' President Hamid Karzai told the members of parliament.