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Vietnam hopes to test human bird flu vaccine early next year
HANOI, Oct 12 (AFP) - Vietnam hopes to test its self-developed bird flu vaccine on humans early next year amid fears that the disease could become easily transmittable between humans, a medical official said Wednesday. "We have recorded successful test results on animals and have sent the application" for human testing to both the environment and health ministries, a senior official at the Institute of Epidemiology told AFP.
Thai insurgency backed by 3,000 Libyan-trained militants
BANGKOK, Oct 12 (AFP) - Some 3,000 "core militants" received military training in Libya before joining the Islamic insurgency in Thailand's Muslim-majority south, a top general said Wednesday. "The militants have advanced over the last 20 years, as the core members went to receive military training in Libya for four years, just like our soldiers train," General Panlop Pinmanee told a seminar of 100 security officials--AFP.
Hundreds of ethnic Hmong surrender in northern Laos
HANOI, Oct 12 (AFP): Over 240 relatives of Hmong rebels fighting a low-level insurgency in northern Laos have surrendered to the authorities, a US-based group backing the Hmong said Wednesday. The 242 people came out of the forest in northern Bolikhamxay Province on October 6, according to the Fact Finding Commission, which supports the rebels--AFP.
US deserter claims N Korea
kidnapped Thai women
TOKYO, Oct 12 (AFP): Charles Jenkins, who spent 40 years in North Korea as a US army deserter, claimed Wednesday that the seclusive Stalinist nation had kidnapped citizens from Romania, Thailand and other countries. Speaking at a press conference to promote his book, Jenkins said he knew a Thai woman who had been abducted from Macau as well as Japanese kidnap victims--AFP.
Malaysian minister accuses govt of failing to help Indian minority
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 (AFP) - A Malaysian minister heading the country's ethnic Indian party has accused the government of failing to help the minority group improve its wealth, a report said Wednesday. Minister and president of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) Samy Vellu said the government had ignored calls to help the Indian community achieve an equity target of three percent by 2010--AFP.
Muslim shot dead in restive Thai south
BANGKOK, Oct 12 : Two suspected Islamic militants shot dead a Muslim security volunteer in Thailand's violence-plagued southern provinces, police said Wednesday. Waehuseng Malee, 31, had volunteered to help Thai security forces protect his village of Bothong in Pattani province. He was shot three times while driving his motorcycle in Pattani's Nong Chik district late Tuesday.—AFP
US warns bird flu could go global
PHNOM PENH, Oct 12: The US health secretary said Wednesday that an outbreak of bird flu in Southeast Asia could spark an unstoppable pandemic, as he led a team through the region to find ways of stopping the deadly disease. Scientists fear that the H5N1 bird flu virus, which has killed more than 60 people in Southeast Asia since late 2003, could mutate to spread easily among humans, causing a global pandemic that could kill millions. —AFP
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