Chinese, S. Korean negotiators meet, discuss N. Korea nuke
March 10, 2006South Korea's new chief delegate to the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programs met with his Chinese counterpart Friday and exchanged views about ways to move the negotiation process forward, a South Korean Embassy official said. South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Chun Young Woo met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei in the morning, the official said.
Indonesia seeks early Japanese transfer of Sumatra project: report
March 10, 2006Indonesia wants Japan to speed up transfer of an integrated aluminum and power project on Sumatra Island that has been operated by a Japanese consortium for the last 30 years, saying Indonesia has enjoyed no benefits from the project, a media report said. In its March 13 edition, which went on sale this week, the weekly KONTAN economic tabloid reported Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla suggested to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during a visit to Tokyo in January that the two governments discuss the fate of the Asahan Project on North Sumatra Province.
Indonesia's death toll from bird flu rises to 21
March 10, 2006Indonesia said Friday that a U.S. laboratory has confirmed that a 3-year-old toddler died of bird flu last month, becoming the 21st human bird flu death in the country. Hariadi Wibisono, director of animal-related diseases control at the Health Ministry, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the boy tested positive for the virulent H5N1 strain of the disease.