European-train rifleman had links with radical Islam, officials say

The man who boarded a high-speed Amsterdam-to-Paris train with a Kalashnikov rifle before being tackled by passengers was on the radar of authorities in three countries, had ties to radical Islam and may have traveled to Syria, authorities said.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Three US contractors were among 12 people killed by a Kabul bomb that targeted their NATO convoy, the US-led coalition said, making the attack one of the most lethal for US citizens in Afghanistan in recent years.

Coca-Cola to invest $4b in China over three years

Global beverages giant the Coca-Cola Co plans to invest $4 billion over the next three years in China.

Becton Dickinson eyes $600m revenue

Becton Dickinson and Co, a United States-based medical technology company, is targeting a 17 percent growth in sales from China this year to about $600 million, its chairman said.

Equities fall as economic woes trigger sell-offs

Disappointing economic data aggravated investor concerns about downside risks to the economy and triggered a sharp decline in the capital market barometer on Friday.

Corporate tax cuts to ease burden for small enterprises

A series of new corporate tax cuts are expected to reduce the tax burden on small businesses by more than 100 billion yuan ($15.64 billion), the Ministry of Finance said on Friday.

IN BRIEF (Page 9)

IS claims responsibility for car bombing

Islamic State's Egyptian affiliate said it was behind a car bombing that wounded 29 people near a state security building and courthouse in a Cairo suburb early on Thursday.

7 men detained for trying to join militants

Authorities have detained seven young Australian men as they were attempting to fly to the Middle East, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Thursday, over suspicions they wanted to join militant Islamist groups.

Govt says global terrorists 'not suspected' of bombing attack

International terrorists are not suspected of a bomb attack in Bangkok this week that killed 20 people and China was not the target, Thai authorities said on Thursday as the investigation shifted to a "big network" of plotters.

UN says nation on the edge of famine

The war in Yemen has pushed the country to the brink of famine, with both commercial food imports and aid deliveries held up by the fighting and millions of hungry women and children facing possible starvation, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

DPRK, ROK trade artillery, rocket fire at border

The Republic of Korea fired dozens of shells on Thursday at the Democratic People's Republic of Korea after the DPRK lobbed a single rocket round at a ROK town near the world's most heavily armed border, the ROK's Defense Ministry said.