U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld leaves for Singapore today (Thursday) for talks with Asian allies and other major regional players. Mr. Rumsfeld is scheduled to attend a three-day security conference beginning Friday with defense ministers and policymakers from throughout Asia.
North Korea has declared an end to efforts to recover the remains of American soldiers missing in action since the 1950-1953 Korean War. A statement released by Pyongyang today (Thursday) said the action follows a U.S. decision to temporarily suspend the program. The statement says now U.S. remains lost on old North Korean battlefields can never be recovered.
The U.S. commerce secretary says that while issues concerning China's textile exports are negotiable, piracy is a crime and must be treated like such. Carlos Gutierrez made the comment in Beijing, where he began three days of talks with Chinese officials today. He will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Bo Xilai, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Wu Yi, who oversees trade issues.
The leader of a U.S.-based Cambodian rebel group has been arrested in (the U.S. state of) California for allegedly plotting a coup in 2000 against the Cambodian government. A U.S. federal grand jury indicted Yasith Chhun, head of a Cambodian opposition group based in Long Beach, California, Tuesday on several charges, including conspiracy to overthrow Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
Witnesses in Beirut say a car bomb explosion has killed prominent anti-Syrian journalist Samir Kassir. They say Mr. Kassir's car exploded with him inside it. Another person was wounded in the blast, which occurred in the Ashrafieh neighborhood of mostly Christian eastern Beirut.
Listen to our World News for more on these stories and others.