Chinese sailors and their family members stranded in northern Thailand have begun their journey home.

More than 160 of them had been living aboard dozens of ships on the Mekong River, as shipping on the major southeast Asian waterway was suspended due to last week's attack on two Chinese cargo ships.

A Chinese vessel with police aboard is escorting the ships. Some speed boats of the Thai police were also seen guarding the Chinese ships.

 

Family members of the 12 murdered sailors now arrived in Thailand

Earlier, 29 family members of the 12 Chinese sailors who were murdered during the hijacking of their cargo ships on the Mekong River arrived in Thailand to identify their loved-ones. 

A memorial service has been held at the scene where the attack took place.

One of the 13 Chinese sailors on board the two boats attacked last week remains missing.

 

China's inflation eases to 6.1 pct in September

Consumer prices in China increased 6.1 percent in September from a year earlier, following a 6.2 percent gain in August. 

It's the lowest inflation rate since May.

Meanwhile, producer prices rose 6.5 percent. 

China's statistics bureau will release gross domestic product data on Tuesday.

 

Aircraft nose-dives at NW China air show; no casualties reported

A Chinese fighter jet has crashed during an airshow in northwest China. 

The pilot was ejected safely and there were no casualties on the ground.

The fighter jet FBC-1, also known as a Flying Leopard, was manufactured by the Xi'an Aircraft Industry Corp. 

The three-day air show is part of the China International General Aviation Convention being held in Xi'an, capital city of Shaanxi Province.

 

Papua New Guinea hit by 6.7-magnitude earthquake off coast

A 6.7-magnitude undersea earthquake has rocked the coast off Papua New Guinea.

There was no immediate tsunami warning. The extent of damage or casualties remains unclear. 

Papua New Guinea lies in the so-called "Ring of Fire", an area where several tectonic plates collide.

 

Slovakia approves the EFSF

Slovakia's parliament has approved expanding the size and power of the EU bailout fund.

The parliament rejected the proposal in the first vote earlier this week.

Slovakia is the last of the 17 eurozone nations to approve adding to the 440 billion euro bailout fund.

The expanded fund is empowered to buy eurozone government debt and offer lines of credit to both member states and their banks.

 

Johnson-Sirleaf leads with 44.5 pct votes in preliminary results of Liberian polls

Liberia's elections commission has released the official preliminary results of this week's voting.

Incumbent President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf holds a significant lead, garnering 44.5-percent of the vote so far.

Her closest competitor, Winston Tubman, holds 26.5-percent of the votes cast.

The final tally won't be complete for at least another week.

 

US, S Korea leaders reassure alliance following approved FTA

US President Barack Obama and his South Korean counterpart Lee Myung-Bak have met in Washington.

The meeting comes just hours after the U.S. Congress approved a long-delayed free trade deal between the two countries.

"Our alliance reflects a broader truth. The United States is a Pacific nation and America is leading once more in the Asia-Pacific and with our landmark trade agreement, we will bring our nations even closer, creating new jobs for both our people and preserving our edge as two of the most dynamic economies in the world."

Both Obama and Lee hailed the new FTA as a win for both countries.

 

U.S. hedge fund tycoon sentenced to 11 years in jail for insider trading

The man convicted in one of the world's biggest hedge fund scams has been sentenced to 11-years in prison.

A court in New York has also fined Raj Rajaratnam 10-million dollars.

The co-founder of the Galleon Group was arrested in late 2009, after police discovered he gained close to 64-million dollars in insider trading.

The Sri Lanka-born Rajaratnam ran Galleon, worth some 7-billion US dollars at one point, until his arrest, which was part of the largest crackdown on hedge fund insider trading in US history.

 

13 Chinese tourists injured in central Philippines traffic accident: police

Thirteen Chinese tourists have been injured in a traffic accident in the central Philippine province of Aklan. 

Local police say the Chinese nationals were aboard an Island Tour Bus when it collided with a dump truck. 

An investigation is underway.

 

Australian fans queue up for iPhone 4S in Sydney

Australia has become the first country to receive the iPhone 4S as the new phone went on sale today.

Hundreds of Apple fans queued at the Apple Store in Sydney's central business district this morning.

The four-story George Street office was filled to capacity as soon as the doors opened.

The iPhone 4S is said to be much faster than its predecessor and with improved video and photo capabilities.

It's been more than a year since the previous model was released.