NEW DELHI — India said on Wednesday “trust deficit” with Pakistan was “shrinking” and there was a very positive atmosphere before the prime ministers of the two countries are expected to meet in Maldives on Thursday, according to the Press Trust of India.

Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna told reporters before leaving for Maldives that he was very optimistic about the forward movement during the meeting as the “trust level has gone up between the two countries.” Continue Reading

SEOUL — South Korea will resume humanitarian aid to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) through the World Health Organization (WHO), local media reported Tuesday.

South Korea donated 13.12 million U.S. dollars to the UN agency in 2009, but has not allowed the use of the remaining 6.94 million dollars since inter-Korean relations froze following two deadly border incidents last year that killed 50 South Koreans.

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BANGKOK — Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Tuesday she had cancelled her plan to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum in Hawaii, USA, from November 12 to 14 because of flooding. Continue Reading

TOKYO, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — Tokyo stocks closed lower Tuesday, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index losing 1.27 percent on investor caution over Italy’s political situation and Olympus Corp ‘s. admission that it covered up massive losses compounded a pessimistic market mood.

Tokyo-based brokers said that sentiment turned sour on Tuesday following the revelation that imaging and life science firm Olympus inflated payments to advisors during four of the firm’s acquisitions and wrote down deals to conceal massive losses the firm incurred during the 1990s. Continue Reading

BEIJING, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — China urges Japan to protect the lawful rights and interests of the recently detained Chinese sailors and to resolve the issue properly as soon as possible, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.

Hong Lei, the spokesman, said at a daily press briefing that China has noticed the relevant reports and the issue is under investigation. Continue Reading

VIENTIANE — The Lao stock market closed on Monday with composite index unchanged at 904.99.

A total of 55,796 shares worth about 408 million Lao kip (about 51,000 U.S. dollars) changed hands at the stock market. Continue Reading

BEIJING, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese stocks ended gains of three-straight trading days to close lower on Monday, dragged down by cement and banking sectors.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.73 percent, or 18.5 points, to close at 2,509.8. Continue Reading

TOKYO — Sales in Japan of new imported vehicles increased 33.1 percent in October from a year earlier to 19,647 units, data from the Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA) showed Monday.

According to the association, the cumulative total since January stood at 226,295 units, marking a 23.4 percent increase compared with the same period of last year. Continue Reading

TOKYO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) — Tokyo stocks closed lower Monday, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index dropping 0.39 percent, as political turmoil in the eurozone and the potential to compound the region’s financial woes contributed to a circumspect market mood. Continue Reading

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) — Pakistan rejected on Sunday a U.S. magazine’s report that the country’s nuclear weapons are ” transported in delivery vans on congested and dangerous roads,” saying the report is “baseless and motivated.” Continue Reading

KABUL, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) — The Afghan and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) had captured multiple anti-Afghan government militants including a leader of Haqqani network on Thursday, a statement of the alliance released here Friday said.

“A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani network leader and detained one Continue Reading

TOKYO, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) — Tokyo stocks climbed on Friday, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index gaining 1.86 percent as Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou backed away from a referendum that could potentially derail a bailout plan for debt-plagued Greece and risk aversion was reversed following better-than- expected factory orders in the United States. Continue Reading

BANGKOK — A total of 442 people were confirmed dead and two people were missing in the floods that have inundated the upper part of the country for almost three months, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Friday.

Five more people were confirmed dead on Thursday in central province of Singburi. Continue Reading