Obama promises probe of errant hostage rescue...Stem cell test on human

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Barack Obama promises the U.S. will know what happened because of a rescue attempt in Afghanistan last week to go wrong. He also expressed his condolences to Britain for the murder of aid worker Linda Norgrove, who may have been killed by a grenade thrown by rescuers.

NEW YORK (AP) - Testimony of a human subject with a spinal cord injury is about to start using a treatment of embryonic stem cells. This marks the first time that treatment was used in a human being. Geron Corp. said the initial test is to examine the safety of treatment and how the patient can tolerate.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. national interest to ensure that the strategic routes in Asia and litigation port will remain open. He also mentioned the rights of the United States and other navies to navigate through what they considered international waters. Gates is in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, for a meeting of defense ministers from Asia. China maintains some of the water.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - State and federal authorities are investigating the reports, a hospital chain in Southern California with an abnormally high rate of fatal infections in older patients. The Los Angeles Times reported that authorities are trying to determine whether an increase in sepsis in the first hospitals of health services reflects a health problem or Medicare fraud.

WARSAW (AP) - Polish police said 17 people were killed in a bus crash in central Poland. Police said a small bus carrying workers collided with a truck. One person has serious injuries.

Gates: U.S. commended the steps for Maritime Code of Conduct

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the United States is pleased that the nations of the South China Sea to take first steps "to develop a code of conduct against competition maritime territorial claims.

"We welcome this multilateral approach," said Gates, speaking Tuesday in Hanoi, Vietnam, before a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN.

Gates raised the issue of such regional differences "seems to be an increasing challenge to regional stability and prosperity."

"The United States does not take sides resolved peacefully competing territorial claims, as in the South China Sea. If the claims can compete without violence or coercion, through diplomatic cooperation processes, and in accordance with customary international law.

"In this regard, we are encouraged that the applicant countries in the South China Sea take the first steps to develop a comprehensive code of conduct to discuss, in line with the 2002 Declaration of ASEAN on the Conduct of Parties."

Beijing says most of the South China Sea belongs to China, arguing neighbors complaints. The dispute over territorial waters and islands - and the natural resources that go with them - is a focus on Asia-Pacific region.

A diplomatic battle erupted last month between China and Japan on the Japanese detention of a Chinese fishing captain of the disputed Diaoyu Islands. China makes claims to the islands, but the Japanese see it as an integral part of Japanese territory and called the Senkaku.

ASEAN is a political and economic organization, consisting of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The talks in Vietnam, other nations such as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States.