IN BRIEF (Page 12)

The Philippines

Marine charged with murder

A Philippine government prosecutor said a detained US marine has been charged with murder in the killing of a transgender Filipino. Prosecutor Emily de los Santos said Monday there was "probable cause" that Joseph Scott Pemberton killed Jennifer Laude, whose former name was Jeffrey, in a motel room, where the victim's body was found in October in Olongapo, northwest of Manila. Laude had apparently been drowned in a toilet bowl.

South Korea

Park's brother questioned

The younger brother of South Korean President Park Geun-hye appeared at a prosecutor's office on Monday for questioning about whether he was involved in the leak of a presidential document. Park Ji-man, 56, appeared as a reference witness for prosecutors, who would reportedly ask him about whether he handed over the leaked document. The internal file written on Jan 6 was first reported by the local Segye Times newspaper in late November.

Mali

4 militants freed in prisoner swap

The government of Mali said it exchanged four prisoners to secure the release of a French hostage held for three years by al-Qaida's North African branch. The liberation of Serge Lazarevic last week revived debate among Western governments over whether to negotiate with hostage-takers. Mali government spokesman Mahamane Baby said on Sunday that al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb demanded the release of six prisoners, "but the government freed only four, including two Malians".

India

370 die in drug clinical trials

At least 370 deaths have been reported during drug clinical trials in India since February 2013, but compensation has been paid in only 21 cases, said local media on Monday. The Times of India quoted government data as saying of the 370 deaths that 222, or 60 percent of the cases, have been examined so far by a regulatory panel on clinical trials, and only 21 were eligible for compensation as the drug under trial confirmed as the cause of death, the report said.

United Kingdom

Inquiry into air traffic failure

Britain will establish an independent inquiry into a technical failure at an air traffic control center that caused widespread disruption to flights in and out of London last week. Hundreds of flights to and from London were disrupted on Friday causing knock-on effects to air travel across Europe, in a technical failure that a senior British government minister called "simply unacceptable".

AP - Xinhua - Reuters

(China Daily 12/16/2014 page12)