Libya

Car bomb hits Foreign Ministry

A powerful car bomb exploded on Wednesday near Libya's Foreign Ministry building in the heart of the eastern coastal city of Benghazi, security officials said, exactly one year after an attack there killed the US ambassador and three other Americans. The explosion caused no serious causalities, though several passers-by were slightly wounded, officials said.

Republic of Korea

Deal reached on joint complex

The Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea agreed to fully reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex on Monday after agreeing on several institutional tools to help prevent future shutdowns and develop the factory park in a progressive manner, Seoul's Unification Ministry said on Wednesday. After marathon talks that lasted around 20 hours from Tuesday morning, Seoul and Pyongyang released a joint statement on when to reopen it and how to manage it.

Egypt

6 dead in blast targeting army

Twin car-bomb blasts on Wednesday targeting Egypt's army killed at least six soldiers in the restive Sinai peninsula, where the military is battling Islamist militants, officials said. Security officials said an explosion targeted the military intelligence headquarters in Rafah on the border with the Gaza Strip, minutes before a second explosion hit an army checkpoint nearby.

Pakistan

Toxic liquor at party kills 12

Toxic liquor has killed at least 12 people in central Pakistan, police and health officials said on Wednesday. The deaths occurred near the farming town of Rahim Yar Khan, where the men were drinking locally made liquor at a party. Eight of them died on Monday and four more died on Tuesday.

Japan

280 sent out on monkey hunt

Around 280 trained hunters, firefighters and municipal officials fanned out across a Japanese city this week to catch a single bad-tempered monkey that was menacing locals. The male macaque had been terrorizing the people of Hyuga in the far south of the country since late last month, and was blamed for 18 attacks.

PNG

Guides hacked to death in attack

A group of Australian and New Zealand trekkers, including one woman have been savagely attacked and injured by bandits in Papua New Guinea with two of their guides hacked to death, officials said on Wednesday.

AFP-AP-Xinhua

(China Daily 09/12/2013 page11)