Kyodo news summary -3-

TOKYO, Nov. 23 Kyodo

---------- Former Thai premier Thaksin revisits H.K.: report

HONG KONG - Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife have returned to Hong Kong to celebrate his wife's birthday before heading to Beijing, a local newspaper reported Thursday.

The Chinese-language Oriental Daily showed photos of the Thaksins having dinner at a high-end restaurant Wednesday night. Thaksin said he will leave Hong Kong for Beijing to ''meet some friends'' but without disclosing further details, the report said.

---------- N.Z. opposition leader resigns

SYDNEY - The leader of New Zealand's main opposition National Party resigned suddenly Thursday, citing growing media speculation over his future as a key reason for stepping down.

Don Brash, who led the party for three years, said that the ongoing speculation about his leadership was damaging the National Party and its election prospects.

---------- Thai prime minister arrives in Myanmar

YANGON - Thai interim Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont arrived in Myanmar on Thursday for a one-day state visit, the last stop of his Southeast Asian tour, official sources said.

A special plane carrying Surayud and his entourage landed at Myanmar's new administrative capital Naypyitaw, about 400 kilometers north of Yangon, in the morning, according to the sources.

---------- Beijing court to rule Fri. on H.K. journalist's spying conviction

HONG KONG - A Hong Kong journalist jailed for spying will receive a ruling on his appeal on Friday, according to reports and friends Thursday.

Singapore's Straits Times and Hong Kong media said Beijing's High People's Court will rule on Ching Cheong's appeal against his spying conviction. Ching was handed a five-year prison term in August.

---------- LEAD: Popular children's writer Kenjiro Haitani dies at 72

TOKYO - Kenjiro Haitani, a popular author who cheered up children through his books including ''A Rabbit's Eyes,'' died of esophageal cancer at a hospital in Shizuoka Prefecture on Thursday, his family said. He was 72.

Haitani died at 4:30 a.m.

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