US to send combat ships to Singapore for exercises

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• US to send combat ships to Singapore for exercises
• China's Ma Qing Hua handed HRT spot
• Africa, Asia see rapid population growth to 2050: UN
• Blasts hit Philippine tourist island, three injured
• Abducted Pakistani teen starved to death in Greece: police
• NKorea launch an intel opportunity for US, allies
• Australian, US survivors relive horror of Bali attacks
• China urges 'direct' talks on maritime disputes
• S. Korea poll watchdog rebukes finance ministry
• Sri Lanka records best-ever economic growth
• Japanese swim trio qualify for Olympics
• Former arms dealer faces possible US life sentence
• Malaysia police arrest 137 in gambling bust
• Brits win women's team pursuit gold in record time
• Pietersen puts England on top in Sri Lanka
• Pakistan, US still 'far from deal', says Islamabad
• Tata Motors to build Jaguar F-Type in UK
• Cambodia bodies identified as missing French family
• Third of Vietnamese under-fives malnourished
• Pakistan: Suicide bomber targeting police kills 4
• Half of Vietnamese firms 'bribe officials'
• Gunmen attack Afghan government base, killing 10
• Former arms dealer faces possible life sentence
• Thai veteran storms ahead at Singapore golf
• Malaysia says Singapore ballet show can go on

US to send combat ships to Singapore for exercises Posted: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced plans Thursday to deploy combat ships to Singapore for joint exercises, which he said showed US commitment to the strategically vital Asia-Pacific region.

China's Ma Qing Hua handed HRT spot Posted: China's Ma Qing Hua was handed the chance to carve out a Formula One career on Thursday when he was named into HRT's driver development programme.

Africa, Asia see rapid population growth to 2050: UN Posted: Africa and Asia are the continents that will see the fastest urban population growth in the next 40 years, a UN report said Thursday, noting that India and China are leading the surge.

Blasts hit Philippine tourist island, three injured Posted: Two explosions rocked the western Philippine tourist island of Palawan on Thursday, leaving three local residents injured, police said.

Abducted Pakistani teen starved to death in Greece: police Posted: A Pakistani youth was starved to death in Greece after being held to ransom by kidnappers for more than two months, the semi-state Athens News Agency reported on Thursday, citing police sources.

NKorea launch an intel opportunity for US, allies Posted: As the U.S. and its allies decry North Korea's planned rocket launch, they're also rushing to capitalize on the rare opportunity it presents to assess the secretive nation's ability to strike beyond its shores.

Australian, US survivors relive horror of Bali attacks Posted: Australian and US survivors of the 2002 Bali attacks Thursday relived the horror of seeing burning victims and their friends killed as they testified in the Indonesian trial of the alleged bomb-maker.

China urges 'direct' talks on maritime disputes Posted: China urged "direct" talks with Southeast Asian nations Thursday to resolve overlapping maritime disputes, a day after regional leaders pledged to work towards easing tensions.

S. Korea poll watchdog rebukes finance ministry Posted: South Korea's election watchdog accused the government Thursday of violating its duty to remain neutral ahead of a closely fought general election next week.

Sri Lanka records best-ever economic growth Posted: Sri Lanka's economy grew by 8.3 percent last year, the fastest expansion since independence from Britain in 1948, the census and statistics department said Thursday.

Japanese swim trio qualify for Olympics Posted: World 50-metre bronze medallist Aya Terakawa set a new Japanese record to win the women's 100m backstroke and qualify for the London Olympics on Thursday.

Former arms dealer faces possible US life sentence Posted: A Russian man who became known as the "Merchant of Death" for his exploits in arms sales markets worldwide is set to learn Thursday how long he'll be in U.S. prison after his defense lawyers asked a judge to set him free and prosecutors asked that he never get out.

Malaysia police arrest 137 in gambling bust Posted: Malaysian police on Thursday arrested 137 people, mostly from China and Taiwan, in a raid on a crime ring that bet on English football, arranged Internet gambling and carried out online scams.

Brits win women's team pursuit gold in record time Posted: Britain underlined their Olympic gold-winning potential by successfully defending their 3 km team pursuit title in a world record time at the world track cycling championships on Thursday.

Pietersen puts England on top in Sri Lanka Posted: Kevin Pietersen shrugged off a switch-hit controversy to smash an explosive 151 off 165 balls as England took charge of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Thursday.

Pakistan, US still 'far from deal', says Islamabad Posted: Pakistan indicated Thursday it was still far from reaching an agreement with the United States on how to patch up turbulent relations after a series of major crises.

Tata Motors to build Jaguar F-Type in UK Posted: Upmarket carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India's Tata Motors, announced on Thursday that it plans to build its new Jaguar F-Type sports car in Britain.

Cambodia bodies identified as missing French family Posted: DNA tests have confirmed that the remains of five people found in a submerged car in Cambodia in January are those of a Frenchman and his four young children, embassy officials said Thursday.

Third of Vietnamese under-fives malnourished Posted: Nearly a third of pre-school children in Vietnam suffer from malnutrition and stunted growth, while in urban areas rates of childhood obesity are rising, a survey said Thursday.

Pakistan: Suicide bomber targeting police kills 4 Posted: A Taliban suicide bomber detonated his explosives near a vehicle carrying a senior police official in a southern Pakistani port city on Thursday, killing four people, officials said.

Half of Vietnamese firms 'bribe officials' Posted: sNearly 50 percent of Vietnamese companies admit to bribing officials in order to bid on contracts, a new survey shows, but experts say the real figure could be far higher.

Gunmen attack Afghan government base, killing 10 Posted: Gunmen attacked an outpost of a government-sponsored militia and killed 10 members of the security force in western Afghanistan, officials said Thursday.

Former arms dealer faces possible life sentence Posted: A Russian man who became known as the "Merchant of Death" for his exploits in the arms sales markets worldwide is set to learn how long he'll be in prison after his defense lawyers asked a judge to set him free and prosecutors asked that he never get out.

Thai veteran storms ahead at Singapore golf Posted: Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant stormed ahead with a nine-under-par 61 to take the clubhouse lead as the first round of the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic was suspended due to darkness on Thursday.

Malaysia says Singapore ballet show can go on Posted: Malaysia on Thursday denied reports that the Muslim-majority country blocked a performance by a Singapore ballet troupe due to squeamishness over tights-wearing dancers and said the show could go on.

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