Rio library weaves Harry Potter-style magic

RIO DE JANEIRO - From the outside, it looks like another historic edifice in Rio's rundown city center.

Mars lander sets first quake monitor

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - NASA's new Mars lander has placed a quake monitor on the planet's dusty red surface, just a few weeks after its arrival.

DPRK urges end to US threat

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea said on Thursday that its commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was bound up with a "complete removal of US nuclear threats".

ROK govt sued over wartime labor at Japan firms

SEOUL - Hundreds of Republic of Korea citizens have sued the government for compensation over their forced labor at Japanese firms during World War II, representatives said on Thursday, in a fresh twist to one of several historical disputes between the two sides.

UN reports 'alarming' drug trafficking rise in Africa

UNITED NATIONS - Chief of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, also known as UNODC, said on Wednesday that his agency is registering new, alarming trends in drug trafficking in West and Central Africa.

UK Cabinet minister: Brexit referendum 'plausible' if MPs reject

The UK Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has given the strongest support yet from inside Cabinet for a second referendum, saying it was "plausible" if Parliament rejects British Prime Minister Theresa May's deal with the EU in January.

Japan considers exit from global whaling group to resume commercial hunts

TOKYO - Japan is considering leaving the International Whaling Commission, also known as the IWC, to resume commercial hunts after unsuccessfully campaigning for decades to gain support for the cause.

Putin values China's rapid development

Russian leader pushes economic growth at annual press conference

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Russia builds barracks in disputed area

Moscow said it had built new barracks for troops on a disputed chain of islands near Japan and would build more facilities for armored vehicles, prompting a diplomatic protest from Tokyo.

Myanmar, ASEAN commit to cooperate on repatriation issue

YANGON - Myanmar and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have vowed to cooperate in repatriating displaced persons from Bangladesh, Myanmar News Agency reported on Wednesday.

British Airways to resume flights to Pakistan after decadelong hiatus

ISLAMABAD - British Airways announced on Tuesday it will resume flights to Pakistan next summer, in a major vote of confidence from a Western airline a decade after suspending operations due to security fears.