Activists: Blind Chinese lawyer flees house arrest

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• Activists: Blind Chinese lawyer flees house arrest
• Rare Philippine turtles returned by Hong Kong
• Lady Gaga wows S. Koreans as global tour kicks off
• Jimenez, Poulter and Casey ready for Korea charge
• Five-wicket Clarke leads Australia to 75-run win
• India's veteran leading lady turns 100
• HRW demands probe into Bangladesh abductions
• Bin Laden widows in Saudi: Yemeni NGO
• War zone or tourist trap? Mulling the Korean DMZ
• Ban warns N. Korea to refrain from nuclear test
• Safe passage for Afghan Taliban to be considered
• Li praises China's 'unprecedented ties' with Russia
• KFC ordered to pay $8.3 million to Australian girl
• Cambodia: Officer killed activist, then himself
• Malaysia cracks down on planned rally in capital
• KFC ordered to pay $8.3 million to Australian girl
• Bo Xilai's son 'ticketed while driving Porsche'
• Rare turtles returned to the Philippines
• Escaped Chinese blind activist's YouTube plea
• US to pull 9,000 Marines from southern Japan
• Myanmar changes bring new ASEAN-EU chapter
• White van brings fear in post-war Sri Lanka
• North Korea elite enjoy good life despite sanctions
• Russia hosts China's 'premier-in-waiting'
• Australian jailed for bushfire that killed 10

Activists: Blind Chinese lawyer flees house arrest Posted: A blind legal activist and inspirational figure in China's rights movement fled the house arrest he has lived under and made it to a secret location in Beijing on Friday, setting off a frantic police search for him and those who helped him, activists said.

Rare Philippine turtles returned by Hong Kong Posted: Turtles represent longevity and good luck, and that's certainly true for 18 rare smuggled turtles that were returned from Hong Kong to their native Philippines.

Lady Gaga wows S. Koreans as global tour kicks off Posted: US pop diva Lady Gaga wowed tens of thousands of South Koreans at the opening show of her global tour Friday with signature flamboyant outfits and a provocative performance.

Jimenez, Poulter and Casey ready for Korea charge Posted: Some of The European Tour's most famous names were poised to mount an assault on the Ballantine's Championship over the weekend after an intriguing second round Friday.

Five-wicket Clarke leads Australia to 75-run win Posted: Michael Clarke took five wickets as Australia won the third and final Test against West Indies by 75 runs at Windsor Park on Friday.

India's veteran leading lady turns 100 Posted: Bollywood's grand dame Zohra Sehgal, a star of Indian stage and screen for seven decades, celebrated her 100th birthday on Friday.

HRW demands probe into Bangladesh abductions Posted: New York-based Human Rights Watch Friday urged Bangladesh to order an "independent and impartial investigation" into the recent disappearances of opposition and political activists.

Bin Laden widows in Saudi: Yemeni NGO Posted: The three widows of slain Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and other family members arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday after being expelled from Pakistan, a Yemeni non-government group head told AFP.

War zone or tourist trap? Mulling the Korean DMZ Posted: Soldiers from rival North and South Korea eye one another across a thin strip of no-man's land that — just barely — keeps their armies apart. The tension, they insist on both sides, is palpable.

Ban warns N. Korea to refrain from nuclear test Posted: UN leader Ban Ki-moon warned North Korea on Friday against conducting a nuclear test, amid speculation Pyongyang may be planning such a move after a failed rocket launch earlier this month.

Safe passage for Afghan Taliban to be considered Posted: Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States agreed Friday to look at ways to provide safe passage to Afghan Taliban who are willing to join the peace process, officials said.

Li praises China's 'unprecedented ties' with Russia Posted: China's likely next premier Li Keqiang and Russian strongman Vladimir Putin on Friday praised close ties between the two giant neighbours as they met amid power transitions in both countries.

KFC ordered to pay $8.3 million to Australian girl Posted: Fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken has been ordered to pay Aus$8 million (US$8.3 million) to an Australian girl who suffered severe brain damage and was paralysed after eating a Twister wrap.

Cambodia: Officer killed activist, then himself Posted: The Cambodian military said Friday it was closing its investigation into a shooting that occurred in a forest rife with illegal logging, concluding one of its own police officers killed a prominent environmentalist then took his own life.

Malaysia cracks down on planned rally in capital Posted: Malaysian authorities Friday took action to prevent a mass political rally from going ahead this weekend, sealing off a square in the capital and serving a court order banning the protest.

KFC ordered to pay $8.3 million to Australian girl Posted: Fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken was Friday ordered to pay Aus$8 million (US$8.3 million) to an Australian girl who suffered severe brain damage and was paralysed after eating a chicken wrap.

Bo Xilai's son 'ticketed while driving Porsche' Posted: The son of a disgraced Chinese leader Bo Xilai received three traffic tickets while driving a Porsche in the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Rare turtles returned to the Philippines Posted: Thirty-one live turtles, including some rare species, that were smuggled to Hong Kong were flown back to the Philippines on Friday but five others did not live to make the trip, an official said.

Escaped Chinese blind activist's YouTube plea Posted: Blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng, one of China's best-known rights activists, has made a daring escape from house arrest and recorded a video detailing the abuses he and his family have suffered.

US to pull 9,000 Marines from southern Japan Posted: The United States said Friday it would pull 9,000 Marines out of Japan as it seeks to ease a long-running standoff over the future of its huge military presence in one of its top Asian allies.

Myanmar changes bring new ASEAN-EU chapter Posted: Europe and Southeast Asia on Friday pushed for a new chapter in relations, as Myanmar embraces democratic reforms and the EU seeks growth markets amid its crippling debt crisis.

White van brings fear in post-war Sri Lanka Posted: The choice of vehicle was almost inevitable. While describing his terrifying abduction ordeal in Sri Lanka, political activist Premakumar Gunaratnam said his captors came in a white van.

North Korea elite enjoy good life despite sanctions Posted: Nuclear-armed North Korea has been under heavy sanctions for years but there is little sign of any effect on the elite in Pyongyang, who enjoy unfettered access to upmarket cars and consumer goods.

Russia hosts China's 'premier-in-waiting' Posted: Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev were set Friday to host a top Chinese official who is tipped to become premier amid transitions of power in both countries.

Australian jailed for bushfire that killed 10 Posted: A former volunteer firefighter who started a blaze that killed 10 people and destroyed more than 150 homes on the day of Australia's "Black Saturday" bushfires was Friday jailed for at least 14 years.

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