Abe's new frontiers: Africa, Middle East

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set out on his first tour of the new year on Thursday aiming to boost Tokyo's influence globally and help Japanese companies gain ground on their European and Chinese rivals in the lucrative Middle East and African markets.

Ambassadors spar over shrine issue

Chinese and Japanese ambassadors to the United Kingdom both appeared on BBC's Newsnight on Wednesday night and talked about the Yasukuni Shrine issue and territorial disputes.

US troop deployment stoking peninsula tensions: experts

The decision by the United States to deploy additional military forces, including troops and tanks, to the Republic of Korea will only contribute to heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, according to Chinese observers.

Delhi state's leader battles age-old perks

For years, India's senior politicians have resided in the capital's most luxurious colonial-era bungalows, protected by gun-toting police and chauffeur-driven cars running red lights with sirens blazing - even if it was for a wife's shopping trip.

S. Sudan clashes rage as talks stall

South Sudan's government and rebels were locked in fierce battles across the country on Wednesday, as peace talks taking place in neighboring Ethiopia appeared to flounder.

Syria begins removing chemical weapons

Syria has started moving chemical weapon materials out of the country in a crucial phase of an internationally backed disarmament program that has been delayed by war and technical problems.

Robert Gates slams Obama in his memoir

Former US defense secretary Robert Gates has delivered a scathing critique of President Barack Obama's handling of the war in Afghanistan in a revealing new memoir, US media reported on Tuesday.

IN BRIEF (Page 11)

April homecoming for war heroes

The exhumed remains of 425 Chinese People's Volunteers killed during the Korean War are expected to arrive home before Tomb Sweeping Day in April, a spokesman for the Republic of Korea's Defense Ministry said in a written response to questions from Xinhua News Agency.

Battlefield visits stir emotions

The daughter of a Chinese People's Volunteers soldier, Zhang Ailan organized the first trip for former CPV soldiers and their relatives to revisit Korean War battlefields in September.

Overseas cemeteries for Chinese dead

Democratic People's Republic of Korea: During the Korean War (1950-53), 183,108 Chinese volunteers sacrificed their lives, according to records from a Chinese memorial hall.

What they said

"I had to take part in the war as a young student. I have experienced the cruelty of war and the deep wounds it brought to the people. We should cherish the life and the peace we have today."