By Lee Chi-dong WASHINGTON, May 19 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. government aims to expand dialogue with North Korea in fiscal 2014 to improve the communist country's "international standing," according to the State Department's report to Congress. The policy target is seen as in line with the South Korean administration's goal of building mutual trust with the North.

Algeria censored two newspapers for reporting that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has fallen into a coma three weeks after being hospitalised in Paris, fuelling speculation on Sunday about his health. The Algiers public prosecutor ordered legal action against the newspaper's chief editor, Hichem Aboud, accusing him of "undermining state security". The prosecutor said Aboud had published "unfounded" information according to which Bouteflika, who was hospitalised after suffering a mini-stroke last month, had returned to Algiers on Wednesday in a comatose state.

The UN General Assembly on Friday put French Polynesia on the global body's decolonization list at a meeting boycotted by France. The resolution, passed by consensus in the 193 member assembly, was called for by the Solomon Islands and other Pacific states who back the Pacific territory's pro-independence parties. The vote places French Polynesia on the UN decolonization list along with 16 other territories around the world, including the British-ruled Falkland islands and the US Virgin Islands.

Japan is likely to miss most of the next round of Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations in July as it is being arranged to start before the country becomes the 12th member of the talks, a senior Malaysian government official said Friday. The 18th round is set to be held July 15 to 24 in Kuala Lumpur, while Japan waits for the United States to complete its 90-day notice to Congress around July 24 to officially admit it as a new member of multilateral talks for creating one of the largest free trade zones in the world.