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Thousands protest in Taipei against nuclear power

Kyodo News InternationalMay 19, 2013 10:00

Thousands of people took to the streets of Taipei on Sunday to protest against nuclear energy, a day before the first anniversary of President Ma Ying-jeou's second-term inauguration. Protesters began the 5.7-kilometer march from the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in eastern Taipei to the Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, where a rally was held in the evening. Some protesters proceeded to the legislature to stage a 24-hour sit-in and relay hunger strike.

PM's chief of staff Nigel Wright resigns in wake of Duffy controversy

The Canadian PressMay 19, 2013 09:45

OTTAWA - The prime minister's chief of staff announced his resignation early Sunday, saying he left his post in light of the controversy around his handling of expense payments involving Sen. Mike Duffy. Nigel Wright said Stephen Harper had accepted his resignation. The Prime Minister's Office said earlier this week that Wright personally paid off $90,000 in inappropriately claimed housing expenses for Duffy, prompting critics to complain that the bailout violated ethics rules that prohibit senators from accepting gifts.

Abe to promote talks with N. Korea over abduction issue

Kyodo News InternationalMay 19, 2013 07:46

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday he is ready to promote talks with North Korea to resolve the issue of the country's past abductions of Japanese nationals. "I hope I can promote negotiations and dialogue (with Pyongyang)," Abe told reporters in the city of Fukuoka. "I will continue pressuring North Korea as long as the abduction issue remains unresolved."

Algeria censors dailies over Bouteflika 'coma' reports

Agence France-PresseMay 19, 2013 06:45

Algeria censored two dailies over reports that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, hospitalised in Paris since April 27, will return home in a coma after his health took a turn for the worse, their chief said on Sunday. The reports in the two newspapers referred to a "deterioration" in Bouteflika's health, said managing editor Hichem Aboud, citing French medical sources and relatives of the Algerian president.

N. Korea test-fires another short-range missile

Agence France-PresseMay 19, 2013 05:15

North Korea Sunday test-fired a short-range missile off its east coast, its fourth in two days, despite pleas from South Korea and the UN chief to halt the launches at a time of high tensions. The guided missile was fired into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) on Sunday afternoon, a defence ministry spokesman told AFP without elaborating. On Saturday the North fired three short-range missiles off its east coast, apparently as part of a military drill.

Japan defends PM aide's surprise N. Korea trip

Agence France-PresseMay 19, 2013 03:00

A Japanese minister Sunday defended a surprise visit to North Korea by one of the prime minister's aides which Washington and Seoul said could not help efforts to forge a united front against Pyongyang. Akira Amari, state minister of economic revitalisation, said the four-day trip by Isao Iijima reflected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's resolve to have North Korea come clean on its kidnapping of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s.

Fiji turns to Russia, China amid strained regional ties

Agence France-PresseMay 19, 2013 02:30

Fiji's military ruler said Sunday he would meet Beijing's leaders in China this month, a week after unveiling an official trip to Russia, as he looks beyond strained regional ties in the South Pacific. Voreqe Bainimarama has been banned from Australia and New Zealand since seizing control in a 2006 coup. His announcement that he would hold talks with Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping came a week after he said he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next month when he is in Moscow for the Rugby Sevens World Cup.

Fisherman found dead off New Brunswick, two others still lost at sea

The Canadian PressMay 18, 2013 14:01

HALIFAX - A small New Brunswick community was mourning the loss of a young fisherman Saturday as search efforts continued for two other crew members who were aboard a vessel that went aground off the province's northeast coast. Military efforts to find the two missing crew members were called off around 3:45 p.m., about 10 hours after the boat issued a distress call after heading out to sea offshore of Tabusintac.

Abe to make 3-day visit to Myanmar from next Friday

Kyodo News InternationalMay 18, 2013 12:00

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to make a three-day visit to Myanmar from next Friday in a bid to strengthen bilateral ties, a Japanese government source said Saturday. Abe, who will be accompanied by top executives from more than 30 Japanese companies, is expected to hold talks with Myanmar President Thein Sein on improving the investment environment in the southeast Asian nation for expansion of Japanese investments there.

Merkel meets pope for private audience

Agence France-PresseMay 18, 2013 11:01

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Pope Francis for private talks at the Vatican Saturday which addressed the state of Europe and its role in the world, the Vatican said in a statement. Merkel flew in especially to meet the new pontiff, an encounter that lasted 45 minutes -- unusually long for a private papal audience. "These discussions covered the long relationship between the Vatican and Germany as well as common concerns including the social, political, economic and religious situation in Europe and the world," the Vatican said.