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Typhoon arrives in China after hitting Philippines

HONG KONG (AP) — A powerful typhoon arrived in southern China on Thursday after skirting Hong Kong and bringing death and widespread flooding to the Philippines earlier this week.
Typhoon Nesat made landfall on the eastern tip of China’s Hainan island at 2:30 p.m., the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Hainan authorities closed schools, suspended ferry services [...]

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Second-seeded Sharapova forced to retire at Tokyo

TOKYO (AP) — Second-seeded Maria Sharapova was eliminated from the Pan Pacific Open on Thursday when she was forced to retire in the first set of her quarterfinal match against Petra Kvitova.
With her Czech opponent leading 4-3 in the first set, Sharapovatwisted her left ankle when serving in the eighth game. She limped to her chair and pulled out after seeing [...]

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China counts down to space module launch

China will take its first step towards building a space station on Thursday when it launches an experimental module ahead ofNational Day celebrations.
The Asian nation sees its ambitious space programme as a symbol of its global stature and state media said the launch of Tiangong-1, or “Heavenly Palace”, represented a “milestone” for the country.
Tiangong-1 is scheduled to take [...]

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Typhoon heads to China after hitting Philippines

HONG KONG (AP) — A powerful typhoon arrived in southern China on Thursday after skirting Hong Kong and bringing death and destruction to the Philippines earlier this week.
Typhoon Nesat made landfall on the eastern tip of China’s Hainan Island at 2:30 p.m., the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Hainan authorities closed schools, suspended ferry services and recalled fishing boats as the storm made its [...]

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N. Korea’s Kim spends up to $200,000 on pets

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il spends $100,000-200,000 each year to care for and feed dozens of pet dogs, even as his people suffer serious food shortages, a South Korean lawmaker said Thursday.
Yoon Sang-Hyun, a member of parliament’s foreign affairs and unification committee, cited intelligence sources for his information. The South’s intelligence agency declined comment.
Yoon, a member [...]

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West Indies’ Samuels cleared to bowl

The West Indies were given a boost on Thursday ahead of their Bangladesh tour when all-rounder Marlon Samuels was cleared to bowl by the sport’s world governing body.
The off-spinner, a key member of the West Indies Test, one-day and Twenty20 squads for the tour, had been suspended from bowling after being reported for a suspect action in 2008.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) [...]

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Zvonareva advances to semifinals at Tokyo

TOKYO (AP) — Fourth-ranked Vera Zvonareva of Russia defeated compatriot Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday to advance to the semifinals of the Pan Pacific Open.
Zvonareva had five aces in the match that lasted 1 hour, 14 minutes at Ariake Colosseum and improved to 6-0 in head-to-head matches against the unseeded Kirilenko.
“I’m really happy that my serve helped me today,” Zvonareva said. “The first serve was [...]

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Japanese tourist killed in Myanmar

A Japanese tourist has been killed in Myanmar and a motorcycle taxi driver arrested on suspicion of her murder, a government official said Thursday.
Chiharu Shiramatsu, 31, was killed on Wednesday near Kyaukpadaung, close to the ancient temple city of Bagan, after hiring the motorcycle taxi to go sightseeing, according to the authorities.
“She was killed by a motorcycle taxi driver who tried to rape [...]

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Fire at Shell’s Singapore refinery

Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell said Thursday that a major Singapore refinery was on fire and that firefighters have contained the blaze but were still working to completely extinguish it.
“We believe it was an accident. A full investigation will be conducted once the fire is put out,” the company said in a statement.
The fire broke out Wednesday at the Shell refinery [...]

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Asian stocks fall as Europe anxieties flare again

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mostly lower Thursday as investors again began to doubt Europe’s ability to cauterize its worsening debt crisis.
Benchmark oil hovered above $81 a barrel while the dollar dropped against the euro but was steady against the yen.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index shed 0.2 percent to 8,602.96 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.2 [...]

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