U.S. special envoy on North Korean human rights issues Robert King has canceled his visit to South Korea and Japan that was planned to commence last weekend, a State Department spokesman said Monday. Patrick Ventrell told a press briefing that King "regretfully had to cancel his planned travel and speaking engagements to Seoul and Tokyo," adding it was a "logistical matter having to do with flights."

By Dominic Evans BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria said its troops destroyed an Israeli vehicle that crossed into its territory from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday and warned that any attempt to violate its sovereignty would meet "immediate and firm retaliation". Israel said the incident took place on its side of Golan ceasefire line and the vehicle was damaged but not destroyed, and none of its soldiers was hurt. It said its troops returned fire.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his Georgian counterpart Maia Panjikidze confirmed on Tuesday Japan's commitment to continuing cooperation with the former Soviet republic through official development assistance, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. During a meeting in Tokyo, the two ministers also agreed on the importance of cooperating with each other at the United Nations and other international venues, while they briefed each other on their countries' foreign affairs developments.

The Philippines said Tuesday it has filed an official complaint with the Chinese Embassy in Manila over the intrusion of Chinese vessels into Philippine waters, a spokesman for the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday. The complaint was submitted May 10 protesting the presence of a warship and two Chinese maritime surveillance ships near Ayungin, also known as Second Thomas Shoal. Spokesman Raul Hernandez said Chinese fishing vessels "are still there and they go around the place," despite Manila's protests.