Japan formally protested to China Wednesday after two Chinese patrol boats entered what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the Chinese ambassador in Tokyo was summoned to the Foreign Ministry over the incident, which occurred early Wednesday near a disputed island chain known as Senkaku […]
Japan Protests Chinese Incursion Near Disputed Islands
Hazare Accuses India’s Govt of Not Seriously Tackling Corruption
Indian activist Anna Hazare has accused India’s government of not being sincere in wanting to end the country’s rampant corruption problem. Hazare addressed his supporters Wednesday, as his hunger strike entered its ninth day. He vowed to continue his fast indefinitely unless parliament passes his version of an anti-corruption bill by August 30. Hazare’s hunger-strike […]
Asian Stocks Lower Wednesday
Asian stock markets closed lower Wednesday. Tokyo’s Nikkei index lost just over one percent to finish at 8,640, wiping out gains made early in the day’s trading. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index plunged just over two percent to finish the day’s trading at 19,467. Share prices were also lower in Manila, Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei and […]
Salvadoran War Crime Suspect Held In United States
Federal agents in the Massachusetts have arrested a former Salvadoran military officer accused of participating in the killing of six Jesuit priests in El Salvador in 1989. Inocente Orlando Montano was arrested on charges of making false statements on U.S. immigration forms. Montano is one of 20 Salvadorans indicted in Spain earlier this year for […]
China to Open Use of Yuan by Foreign Investors
China has drafted guidelines that will allow its currency to be used for foreign direct investment in the world’s second-largest economy. The guidelines drafted by the Commerce Ministry would let foreign investors use yuan raised through cross-border trade settlements, offshore bond issues or share sales. The ministry is accepting public feedback on the guidelines until […]
Corruption Scandal Threatens Survival of Australian Government
Mounting allegations against a legislator from Australia’s ruling party are threatening to bring down Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s government, which enjoys only a one-seat majority in parliament. Police say they are investigating whether parliament member Craig Thomson used a trade union credit card to pay for prostitutes while he was national secretary of the Health […]
Biden Thanks US Forces for Their Japanese Relief Efforts
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden traveled to a U.S. air base outside Tokyo Wednesday to thank service members and their families for their assistance to the Japanese people after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The visit was Mr. Biden’s final stop before flying home at the end of a week-long trip that also took […]
Officials: US Quake Largest on East Coast in 67 Years
U.S. Geological Survey officials say Tuesday’s 5.8 magnitude earthquake was the largest to strike the eastern part of the country since 1944. The quake, centered in the small town of Mineral in the eastern state of Virginia, rattled homes as far away as Ottawa, Canada and forced the evacuation of businesses in major cities across […]
China Wants UN to Lead Efforts in Post-War Libya
The Chinese government is asking the United Nations to lead post-war efforts in Libya, as it calls for a smooth political transition in the war torn North African nation. A statement on the Chinese foreign ministry’s website says China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi called on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon late Tuesday, urging him to play […]
Gadhafi Urges Residents to Clear Tripoli of Rebels
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has urged residents of the capital, Tripoli, to clear the city of rebels, after the opposition fighters overran his compound, taking weapons, television sets and souvenirs from the site. In a message broadcast Wednesday, Mr. Gadhafi also said he had discreetly gone out in Tripoli without being seen, but did not […]