Hourly News updated 18:00 2011/10/17

 North Korea and U.S. to meet in Geneva next week: report

Reports from South Korea say North Korea and the United States will hold a second round of talks in Geneva next week to discuss ways to restart regional talks on the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue.
Yonhap news agency quoted a diplomatic source in Seoul as saying that the two sides would possibly meet on Wednesday.
In July, U.S. envoy 1 Stephen Bosworth held two days of talks with North Korean Vice 2 Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan in New York, their first such interaction since 2009.
The so-called six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program has been suspended for nearly three years.
 
 
89 dead as torrential rains hit Central America
Nearly 90 people have been killed as a week of devastating 3 torrential rain continued in Mexico and Central America.
Days of non-stop rains provoked a wave of mudslides in the region. Presidents from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala have called states of emergency. 
Guatemala has reported 28 deaths while 24 died in El Salvador.
Official figures show at least 350,000 people have been affected 4 across the region.
 
 
Thailand floods stop from reaching Bangkok
In Thailand, the government says it's "confident" the floods currently ravaging 5 a huge swathe of the country have been stopped from reaching Bangkok. 
Officials also say floodwaters just north of the capital have begun receding 6 for the first time.
The authorities have put a huge effort into diverting the waters into the Chao Phraya River, which runs through the city.
Heavy rains showered the capital for much of the day Sunday, but life was otherwise normal with shopping malls open and elevated trains crossing the city.
 
 
U.S. president to visit Cambodia for first time next year
For the first time in history, Cambodia is expected to welcome the visit of the incumbent 7 President of the United States next year when the country chairs the regional group ASEAN. 
A spokesman for Cambodia's foreign ministry 8 says the ASEAN-U.S. Summit will be held in late November, 2012 in Phnom Penh.
US Ambassador to ASEAN David Carden, who is on a four-day visit to Cambodia, says the U.S. is ready to assist Cambodia to chair the ASEAN successfully.
 
 
Stranded 9 Chinese sailors escorted home from Thailand after deadly attack
Some of the stranded Chinese shipping 10 crews have returned home after being stranded in northern Thailand following the deadly attack on two Chinese merchant ships on the Mekong River earlier this month.
A total of 11 cargo 11 boats with 78 sailors have returned to Yunnan province in the southwest.
164 sailors aboard 26 ships became stranded on the Mekong in Thailand after shipping was halted following the attacks on the two Chinese ships.
15 other ships stranded on the Mekong following the halt to shipping are expected to arrive back in Yunnan over the coming days.
Meanwhile, a working team from China is now in Chiang Rai in Thailand to help with the investigation 12 into the deadly attack that killed 12 Chinese sailors.
 
 
China's first A380 takes virgin 13 flight 
China's first A380 superjumbo has taken its maiden 14 flight from Beijing to Guangzhou. 
China Southern Airlines is the first airline operating the Airbus A380 in China, and the 7th in the world.
The double decker plane will fly between Beijing and Guangzhou until October 26th, and then between Shanghai and Beijing from October 27th to 29th.
The jet's international routes have yet to be announced.
 
 
Tourist bus overturns in China, 10 dead, 33 hurt
A tourist bus carrying many elderly passengers has overturned on a winding 15 highway in southern China, leaving 10 people dead and 33 injured.
Reports say the bus carrying 49 people may have blown a tire, causing the vehicle to flip 16 over into a ditch outside Zhangjiajie city in Hunan Province yesterday afternoon.
The accident follows another earlier this month when 35 people died after a bus and car collided near the northern port city of Tianjin.
 
 
Wal-Mart replaces top China executive after pork scandal
Wal-Mart has replaced its top executive of China operations after the U.S. retailing 17 giant stumbled in a scandal and was forced to temporarily shut down stores in southwest China.
The company says Ed Chan, who served as president and CEO of Wal-Mart's Chinese business for almost five years, is leaving the company for what it calls "personal reasons."
Scott Price, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Asia, will serve as interim 18 leader for Wal-Mart China.
Last week, 13 Mal-Mart stores in the city of Chongqing were ordered to temporarily close for 15 days for overhaul 19 after the company was accused of fraudulently selling ordinary pork as organic pork. 
Wal-Mart opened its first Chinese store in 1996 and now has over 350 outlets 20 across the country.