China, Russia bolster ties with $3.5 billion in deals (Reuters)

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• China, Russia bolster ties with $3.5 billion in deals (Reuters)
• Driver of deadly Thai train crash fell asleep (AP)
• Aus PM discussed immigrants amid Indonesia swoop (AFP)
• North Korea to fire more missiles ahead of talks
• UK's Brown to repay $19,000 in expenses claims
• N Korea 'readying more missiles'
• N. Korea Agrees to Flood Control Talks
• Europe Sets New Anti-Ice Rules for Jets
• Obama's climate-change hopes get a boost
• Australia PM intervenes with Indonesia on asylum boats
• Russia, China sign deals worth $3.5 billion (AP)
• Official: Taliban better financed than al-Qaida (AP)
• Body in Australian bush thought to be German hiker (AFP)
• Climate no longer top policy issue with Australians
• SCENARIOS - Obama's options in Afghan war
• Hezbollah denies five killed in Lebanon blast
• ANALYSIS - Crisis spurs Asia to hasten cooperation, a little
• Fire ravages Brazil shanty town
• US 'bolsters' Afghan troop presence
• NKorea agrees to talks with SKorea: ministry

China, Russia bolster ties with $3.5 billion in deals (Reuters) Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:22 PM PDT Reuters - Russia and China looked to steady their close but increasingly imbalanced relationship on Tuesday when visiting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ushered through trade deals said to be worth $3.5 billion.

Driver of deadly Thai train crash fell asleep (AP) Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:23 PM PDT AP - A deadly train crash last week near a beach resort in Thailand was the fault of the driver who fell asleep after taking antihistamines and other cold medicine, the head of a fact-finding panel said Tuesday.

Aus PM discussed immigrants amid Indonesia swoop (AFP) Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:12 PM PDT AFP - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Tuesday revealed he discussed people-smuggling with Indonesia's president the same weekend as Indonesia swooped on a boat carrying hundreds of asylum-seekers.

North Korea to fire more missiles ahead of talks Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:37 PM PDT SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea was on Tuesday reportedly preparing to fire more short-range missiles, a move seen as an attempt to boost its bargaining position ahead of expected talks on ending its nuclear weapons programme.

UK's Brown to repay $19,000 in expenses claims Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:37 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will repay more than 12,000 pounds of expenses claims for cleaning, gardening and decorating after an independent review found he had exceeded revised limits over the past five years.

N Korea 'readying more missiles' Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:00 PM PDT South Korean media reports say more tests to follow Monday's launch of five missiles.

N. Korea Agrees to Flood Control Talks Posted: 12 Oct 2009 08:29 PM PDT North Korea agreed to hold a meeting Wednesday with South Korean officials to discuss flood control on rivers that start in the North and end in the South.

Europe Sets New Anti-Ice Rules for Jets Posted: 12 Oct 2009 07:11 PM PDT Europe mandated enhanced inspections and new onboard warning devices to protect against ice buildup on hundreds of popular Bombardier commuter jets.

Obama's climate-change hopes get a boost Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:21 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS/LONDON (Reuters) - Official Washington sounded more upbeat on Monday than it has for weeks in sizing up U.S. President Barack Obama's chances of progress on a climate-change bill in Congress this year.

Australia PM intervenes with Indonesia on asylum boats Posted: 12 Oct 2009 09:49 PM PDT CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Tuesday he had raised concern about surging refugee arrivals with his Indonesian counterpart, prompting Indonesia's navy to seize a boat packed with hundreds of asylum seekers.

Russia, China sign deals worth $3.5 billion (AP) Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:30 PM PDT AP - Russia and China signed agreements worth $3.5 billion Tuesday, but the former rivals-turned-strategic partners were still working on an energy deal, a top Russian official said.

Official: Taliban better financed than al-Qaida (AP) Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:01 PM PDT AP - The Taliban are in much stronger financial shape than al-Qaida and rely on a wide range of criminal activities to pay for attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, a senior Treasury Department official said Monday.

Body in Australian bush thought to be German hiker (AFP) Posted: 12 Oct 2009 09:53 PM PDT AFP - Australian police Tuesday said they had found the body of a man in rugged bushland in an area where they had been searching for a missing 24-year-old German hiker.

Climate no longer top policy issue with Australians Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:09 PM PDT SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian voters no longer see the environment as the top policy issue, but the government remained committed on Tuesday to an emissions trading scheme which, if defeated in November, could see a snap election.

SCENARIOS - Obama's options in Afghan war Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:09 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama faces key decisions in the coming weeks on the war in Afghanistan, where insurgent violence has reached its highest level since the Taliban was ousted from power in late 2001.

Hezbollah denies five killed in Lebanon blast Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:09 PM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese security sources said on Monday five people had been killed, including a Hezbollah official, in a munitions explosion in his home in southern Lebanon on Monday, but the guerrilla group denied anyone had died in a blast in the area.

ANALYSIS - Crisis spurs Asia to hasten cooperation, a little Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:09 PM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - Advocates of closer Asian economic integration should keep the champagne on ice, but there are signs that the global financial crisis is finally pushing governments in the region to cooperate more actively.

Fire ravages Brazil shanty town Posted: 12 Oct 2009 06:46 PM PDT At least 200 families are feared homeless after a blaze swept through a shanty town in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.

US 'bolsters' Afghan troop presence Posted: 12 Oct 2009 09:53 PM PDT Support forces are in addition to the 21,000 troops announced by Obama, US daily says.

NKorea agrees to talks with SKorea: ministry Posted: 12 Oct 2009 06:26 PM PDT SEOUL -North Korea agreed Tuesday to hold talks with South Korea this week, Seoul's unification ministry said, apparently signalling a wish for better ties despite conducting short-range missile tests. Read more...

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