BRUSSELS (AFP) - NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday warned Russia not take any action over Crimea that could stoke tensions or misunderstandings in the Ukraine crisis."I'm concerned about developments in Crimea," Rasmussen said in a tweeted message."I urge Russia not to take any action that can escalate tension or create misunderstanding," he said.Rasmussen's comments were made as the Ukraine interim government called in Moscow's representative in Kiev to warn that Russia must respect i

TOKYO (AP) – Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama said Thursday that the landmark 1995 war apology carrying his name is an international pledge that Japan must not change, amid speculation that the current conservative leaders want to revise it.Murayama said that Japan should also keep another apology over forced prostitution before and during World War II, and urged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to stand by both statements. ``Nobody can deny the Murayama statement,'' he said during his

A top Pentagon official assured South Koreans Wednesday that the size and operation of American forces on the peninsula will remain intact despite plans to make deep cuts in the number of U.S. ground troops."The importance of our relationship with Korea and the importance of our commitment to South Korea and the troops on the peninsula is not affected by our plans," Christine Fox, acting deputy secretary of defense, said at a forum here hosted by American Economic Institute.It is a matter of Was

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula amid ongoing diplomacy involving the U.S. that is seeking to revive the long-suspended six-party talks aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.   Xi made the remarks at a meeting with a South Korean parliamentary delegation, led by Rep. Chung Mong-joon of the ruling Saenuri Party, at the Great Hall of the People.    "The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the basic stanc

As thick black smoke rose from the barricades encircling the protest camp in central Kiev, a tense calm descended Wednesday over the capital and the European Union threatened sanctions against Ukraine following deadly violence between riot police and protesters in which at least 25 people died and 241 were injured.Thousands of defiant protesters faced rows of riot police who have squeezed them deeper into the Kiev's Independence Square, known as the Maidan, which has been a bastion and symbol fo

China's vice foreign minister has told North Korea's top diplomats that Beijing "will never allow war or chaos" on the Korean Peninsula, in a clear warning against Pyongyang's defiant continuation of its nuclear programs and provocations.Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin, who began a four-day visit to North Korea on Monday, made the remarks during a meeting with senior North Korean officials, including Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun, Liu's ministry said in a statement.The remarks by Liu we

 HANOI -- A South Korean tourist was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the northern Philippine city of Angeles, the South Korean Embassy in Manila said Wednesday.The 65-year-old South Korean man, surnamed Hur, was hit by several bullets shot by two gunmen riding a motorcycle at around 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday (Philippine time), according to the embassy. He died at the scene.He was returning to a hotel with three other fellow travelers when the gunmen approached them, the embassy said. The other th

BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, who helped make his name smashing a valuable vase in the name of art, said Wednesday that he was miffed about another artist destroying one of his vases in Florida.Maximo Caminero was charged with criminal mischief after destroying a vase valued at $1 million that was part of Ai's exhibit at the Perez Art Museum Miami. The Florida artist said he smashed the vase Sunday to protest the institution's lack of displays of local artists.Ai said Wedne

China has agreed to build a new site at one of its state cemeteries to bury the remains of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War that are to be repatriated from South Korea late next month, a diplomatic source said Monday.The Chinese decision, which came after a meeting in Beijing with South Korean officials last month, is aimed at avoiding a potential controversy over the planned burial at the Chinese state cemetery in the northeastern city of Shenyang. The cemetery officially describes

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has provided a much-needed boost to the Barack Obama administration's rebalancing toward Asia, as he wraps up a whistle-stop tour of three key regional countries.Some questioned his role in the U.S. policy on Asia. He spent much of his time and energy in grappling with Syria, Iran and other Middle East issues over the first 10 months as Washington's top diplomat.Throughout the five-day Asia swing, the Vietnam War veteran endeavored to show his commitment to the

A former regulator says a 2013 shooting which nearly knocked out Silicon Valley's power supply was a terror attack, possibly testing for a bigger strike, but others cast doubt on the claim.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Friday it could not rule anything out, but that the attack on an electricity substation near San Jose was more likely a criminal matter, rather than terrorism-related.Shooters using semi-automatic weapons caused extensive damage to 17 transformers in the attack in

BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese manufacturing contracted for the first time in six months in January, HSBC confirmed Thursday, raising questions over growth prospects for the world's second-largest economy this year.The British banking giant's final reading of China's purchasing managers' index (PMI), which tracks manufacturing activity in factories and workshops, fell to 49.5 this month.It was its lowest figure since July and fractionally below the preliminary 49.6 HSBC announced last week.The index is

South Korea said Thursday it plans to donate a sculpture to the Peace Palace in the Netherlands by the end of this year, a move Seoul hopes will help forge cooperative ties with the International Court of Justice.The Palace, located in The Hague, is home to the International Court of Justice, U.N.'s main judicial body, as well as the Permanent Court of Arbitration.South Korea's Foreign Ministry said it has completed consultations with the Carnegie Foundation, which owns the Palace, on the issue.