Asia/Pacific

Sen. Bob Corker wants an explanation from President Obama for payments that were reportedly sent to Afghan officials.

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The State Department on Thursday lifted a visa ban on Burma's military and government officials as part of the Obama administration's efforts to encourage the country's transition to democracy.

The 1996 ban targeted “persons who formulate, implement, or benefit from policies that impede Burma’s transition to democracy, and the immediate family members of such persons.” Burma, also known as Myanmar, remains subject to other travel sanctions under the Immigration and Naturalization Act, the 2008 JADE Act targeting regime leaders and President Obama's Executive Order 13619 of last July that targets human-rights abusers and people who threaten peace.

“This termination, effective immediately, is consistent with the Administration’s calibrated approach to strengthen and encourage further reform while holding Burma to its commitments on human rights and democratization,” the State Department said.

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White House press secretary Jay Carney said Thursday that the White House was working to confirm that North Korea had sentenced an American citizen to 15 years of hard labor.

"We've seen those reports ... and we're working with our protecting power, the Embassy of Sweden in Pyongyang, to confirm them," Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that Kenneth Bae of Washington state had been sentenced for "committing hostile acts" against North Korea. South Korean human rights campaigners say Bae may have angered the regime by taking photographs of impoverished children or public executions during his travels in the country.

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The State Department on Thursday asked that North Korea grant amnesty to an American citizen sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.

Kenneth Bae, a tour operator from Washington state who has visited the country several times, was arrested last year near the border with China. North Korea has accused him of unspecified “hostile acts” against the state in a case that's largely seen as an effort to extract food aid and other concessions from the United States.

“There is no greater priority for us than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad, and we urge the [North Korean] authorities to grant Mr. Bae amnesty and immediate release,” State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said Thursday. “We've had deep concerns about the transparency and due process across the breadth of the North Korean legal system.”

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The Obama administration will likely approve a limited number of politically controversial natural gas export projects despite some fears on Capitol Hill about a massive expansion, according to a Moody's report released Wednesday.

It said the Energy Department (DOE) would likely approve three out of the 20 applications under review for exporting natural gas to nations that lack a free-trade agreement with the United States. One such application already has received the go-ahead from the DOE.

Those projects have alarmed some lawmakers, who are tussling over whether to allow a major expansion of natural gas exports.

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The impact of natural gas exports on everything from foreign relations to jobs will get a look in the House during a May 7 hearing, The Hill has learned.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power will hold the 10 a.m. hearing, committee spokeswoman Charlotte Baker told The Hill. Witnesses for the hearing have not yet been finalized, she said.

The hearing will sharpen the focus on the geopolitical effects of expanding natural gas exports.

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai admitted Monday to receiving millions in cash payouts from the CIA over the past decade, weeks after he demanded agency officials ramp down their efforts in Afghanistan. 

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Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American tourist, could face the death penalty.

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The White house notified Congress on Wednesday of its intention to include Japan in Asia-Pacific trade agreement negotiations.

The United States and Tokyo recently agreed to hold bilateral parallel talks on hard-edged issues including autos and non-tariff sectors, toward completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), possibly later this year. 

“The participation of Japan, a major U.S. trading partner as well as close ally, further increases the economic significance of a TPP agreement," wrote acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis in a letter to congressional leaders.

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The newly elected president of South Korea, Park Geun-hye, will address a joint meeting of Congress next month, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced Tuesday.

Park took office in February and is the first woman president of South Korea. Her address to members of the House and Senate will be closely watched in the wake of mounting tensions and bluster from North Korean leader Kim Jung Un.

“Given the North Korean regime’s recent provocative actions,” Boehner said in a statement, “President Park’s address to Congress will serve as a vital and timely reminder that Americans and South Koreans will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to preserve our hopes for peace and freedom.”

Park’s address will be May 8.

Park’s predecessor, Lee Myung-bak, spoke to a joint meeting in 2011 and was the last foreign leader to address Congress. Five other South Korean leaders have done so.