IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Pakistan

Blast kills 10 near army HQ

A Taliban suicide bomber killed 10 people and wounded 14 in a crowded market near the Pakistani army headquarters in Rawalpindi on Monday, a day after the Taliban killed 20 soldiers near the largely lawless, tribal region of North Waziristan, police said.

Vietnam

30 sentenced to death for drugs

Vietnam on Monday sentenced 30 drug smugglers to death in the country's largest-ever narcotics case, involving scores of defendants and nearly two metric tons of heroin, a judge said. The 30 men and women, all Vietnamese, were found guilty of drug trafficking and given the death penalty while an additional 59 defendants were handed sentences ranging up to life in prison in connection with the case, presiding judge Ngo Duc said.

United States

Pot 'no worse than alcohol'

US President Barack Obama believes smoking marijuana is a "bad habit" but thinks legal penalties now fall disproportionately on minorities and that states legalizing pot should go ahead with their plans, he said in a profile released on Sunday. "I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice," he is quoted as saying in a New Yorker magazine article. "I don't think it is more dangerous than alcohol."

Zimbabwe

Mugabe makes appearance

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe appeared in public for the first time in several weeks on Monday to mourn the death of his sister, ending speculation that he may be bedridden, in declining health or even dead. Mugabe, 89, has ruled the country since it gained independence from Britain in 1980. His health is the hottest news topic for Zimbabwe's 13 million people and its ruling ZANU-PF party.

Republic of Korea

Card data theft shows lapses

A massive theft of customer data from three major credit card firms in South Korea has shown security lapses in the financial industry. First revealed by prosecutors, the theft of information linked to 80 million credit cards has sparked widespread public concern. Local media said the theft may have affected most credit card holders in a country of 50 million people.

New Zealand

Strong quake jolts country

A powerful magnitude-6.3 earthquake rattled New Zealand on Monday, jolting buildings and halting train services, but there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries. The quake, which struck at 3:52 pm, was centered in the North Island about 115 kilometers northeast of the capital city Wellington, the US Geological Survey said.

Reuters-AP-AFP

(China Daily 01/21/2014 page11)