Am. Samoa to keep flier miles of govt travelers PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP) -- American Samoa plans to take away frequent flier miles from government workers who travel on behalf of the U.S. territory and use the loyalty points to help medical patients and students travel off the islands when necessary....Stocks surge as Bernanke retains dovish tone LONDON (AP) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's signal that monetary policy will remain loose gave stocks another lift Wednesday, paving the way for many indexes to advance to new record highs....North Korean leader sends special envoy to China PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- After months of ignoring Chinese warnings to give up nuclear weapons, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a high-level confidant to Beijing on Wednesday, in a possible effort to mend strained ties with his country's most important ally and a sign that he may be giving diplomacy a chance....Chinese premier visits Pakistan, praises ties ISLAMABAD (AP) -- China's premier signed economic agreements and praised Pakistan in glowing terms as he began a two-day visit Wednesday, underscoring the importance of the longstanding alliance to the two Asian powers....Afghanistan: Suicide bomb kills anti-Taliban elder KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A suicide bomber on foot killed an anti-Taliban village elder and at least three other people in a busy marketplace Wednesday in central Afghanistan, the latest in a wave of assassinations and bombings....Pakistani cricket star politician leaves hospital ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Pakistani cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan left a hospital Wednesday, more than two weeks after he suffered serious back injuries in a fall from a forklift at a campaign event, a spokesman said....Japan approves joining int'l child abduction pact TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's parliament on Wednesday approved joining an international child custody treaty amid foreign pressure for Tokyo to address concerns that Japanese mothers can take children away from foreign fathers without recourse....Japan watchdog: Nuclear plant sits on active fault TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's nuclear watchdog on Wednesday endorsed a panel's conclusion that a seismic fault running underneath one of two reactors at an atomic plant in western Japan is active, making the reactor's restart virtually impossible....US parents quit Singapore inquest into son's death SINGAPORE (AP) -- The parents of an American software engineer who believe their son was murdered last year in Singapore withdrew from the inquest Wednesday, saying they have no confidence in the city-state's legal process....Death toll rises to 23 in China factory blast BEIJING (AP) -- The death toll from a massive blast at an explosives plant in eastern China has risen to 23 with 10 people still missing....
