介绍:
S. Korean president apologizes for ferry disaster
South Korean President Park Geun-hye has apologized to families of the 302 dead and missing in the ferry disaster, the country's worst maritime accident in 21 years.
It's the first time Park has apologized over the sinking of the Sewol on April 16.
"How should I apologize for the failure to prevent the accident and for the insufficient initial response in order to comfort the pains and sufferings of relatives of the victims even for a moment? I am sorry to the people and heavy-hearted that many precious lives were lost."
Park said she will create a government agency in charge of dealing with such large-scale accidents.
She also ordered a complete overhaul of South Korea's safety system.
Park was jeered by some relatives when she visited them in Jindo, the centre of the rescue effort, in the wake of the disaster.
Her prime minister has offered to resign over the handling of rescue efforts.
DPRK halts live-fire drill near inter-Korean border
North Korea halted its live-fire drill just 10 minutes after starting it Tuesday afternoon.
A South Korean Defense Ministry official says the North set off its live-fire drill at 2 p.m. local time near the disputed inter-Korean border islands.
The drill was halted just 10 minutes later, with about 50 rounds of shells fired and none has landed in South Korean waters.
It is the second time in a month that Pyongyang has carried out such exercises.
The earlier firing at the end of March resulted in the two sides exchanging hundreds of rounds of artillery fire.
Russia alarmed over US-NATO military moves
Russia has voiced concern over the increase in US and NATO military activity near Russian borders, amid an escalating crisis in Ukraine.
In a phone conversation, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told his US counterpart Chuck Hagel to "tone down the rhetoric".
But the US said Shoigu also pledged Russia would not invade Ukraine.
The US and the EU have announced new sanctions on Russia over Moscow's actions in the Ukraine crisis.
Obama concludes two-day state visit to Philippines
U.S. President Barack Obama has wrapped-up his two-day visit to the Philippines, the last leg of his four-nation Asia trip which also covered Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia.
Before leaving Manila, Obama paid homage to Filipino veterans who fought with U.S. soldiers during World War II and reiterated that the US is committed to defending the Philippines.
On Monday, the two countries reaffirmed their alliance with the signing of a new military pact which gives the US military broader access to bases across the South East Asian nation.
Shortly after Obama left the country, hundreds of activists attempted to march towards the U.S. embassy to protest against the military pact.
Mortar attack kills 12 in Damascus
Twelve people have been killed and some 50 others wounded in a mortar attack in central Damascus.
Syrian state media say four mortar shells struck the Shaghour neighborhood, a mainly Shiite community in the city.
The attack comes a day after President Bashar al-Assad registered to stand for re-election defying calls to step down as a way of ending Syria's civil war.
Chinese police bust major telecom fraud ring
Chinese police have busted a crime ring of nearly 500 suspects who allegedly sold fake base stations for telecom fraud.
After a month-long investigation, police busted the Zhejiang-based gang, whose members were scattered across 29 provinces and municipalities.
The fake base stations can be easily assembled and are used to send spam messages.
Official statistics show that Chinese mobile users received 300 billion SMS spam messages last year.
Smuggled cigarettes destroyed in China
China's customs and tobacco authorities have destroyed nearly 380,000 cartons of smuggled cigarettes worth some 3.6 million U.S. dollars in the southern city of Zhanjiang.
The cigarettes involved more than 30 brands including Marlboro and 555.
China is stepping up its fight against tobacco smuggling, with 34 cases cracked nationwide last year that involved more than 1.8 billion cigarettes.
Shanghai Disneyland expects 30 pct more tourists
The first Disneyland on the Chinese mainland expects 30 percent more visitors than originally planned, thanks to an additional 5 billion yuan worth of investment.
The money is pledged by both Walt Disney and Chinese partner Shanghai Shendi Group.
It will be spent on more attractions, entertainment and other areas to increase capacity at the theme park.
Shanghai Shendi says the decision to invest more was based on their confidence in the prospects for the Shanghai park, scheduled to open at the end of 2015.
