Headlines from the Associated Press

Helicopter crash at Afghan base kills 16

By JASON STRAZIUSO — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:05:50 GMT

KABUL (AP) -- A Russian-owned civilian helicopter crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff at southern Afghanistan's largest NATO base Sunday, killing 16 civilians in the latest in a string of deadly aircraft crashes in the country....

South Korea deploys cloned drug-sniffing dogs

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:23:00 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea has put cloned dogs on patrol to sniff out drugs at customs. Six genetic duplicates of a single Labrador retriever have been working at the country's main Incheon international airport and three other customs checkpoints to deter drug smuggling after completing 16 months of training, the Korea Customs Service said in a statement Sunday....

Myanmar detains dozens of opposition members

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:11:38 GMT

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Authorities in military-run Myanmar detained dozens of opposition party members Sunday as they returned from ceremonies marking the death of the father of jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, witnesses said....

China says recent Urumqi unrest was premeditated

By GILLIAN WONG — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:23:38 GMT

BEIJING (AP) -- The Chinese government acknowledged for the first time that police killed 12 people during July 5 unrest in western China but put the blame squarely on rioters, saying they stockpiled weapons and planned synchronized attacks on targets across the city of Urumqi....

Rains kill 26 in Pakistan's biggest city

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:44:42 GMT

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) -- At least 26 people died in heavy rains in Pakistan's largest city, officials said Sunday....

Kazakh Uighurs hold mass protest

By PETER LEONARD — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:56:27 GMT

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) -- More than 5,000 ethnic Uighurs rallied in Kazakhstan's largest city on Sunday to protest China's use of deadly force to quash Uighur protests this month....

Philippine troops rescue 5 kidnapped workers

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:59:41 GMT

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AP) -- Philippine troops have rescued five employees of a logging company who were kidnapped by suspected Muslim guerrillas in the country's south last week, the military said Sunday....

Philippine troops deployed to crush Abu Sayyaf

By JIM GOMEZ — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:29:27 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Hundreds of marines and army troops have been deployed to two islands in the southern Philippines for a new offensive aimed at eradicating al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants by the end of this year, officials said Sunday....

Hotel bombings rekindle Indonesians' anxieties

By BEN STOCKING — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:38:42 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- The terrorist attacks that struck two luxury hotels in the capital have shaken ordinary Indonesians who had grown more confident after waves of arrests had left the nation's al-Qaida-linked militant network seriously weakened....

Heavy rains hit NKorea, raising fears of floods

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 08:21:16 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Heavy downpours have hit the capital and other parts of North Korea, the country's state news agency reported Sunday, raising the specter of a repeat of massive floods two years ago that left hundreds of people dead and devastated farmlands....