U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in South Korea on Friday on an unusual diplomatic journey, traveling directly into a region bracing for a possible North Korean missile test and risking that his presence alone could spur Pyongyang into another headline-seeking provocation.Kerry was kicking off four days of talks in East Asia amid speculation that the North's unpredictable regime would launch a mid-range missile designed to reach as far as the U.S. territory of Guam. Kerry also planned

Invitations to Margaret Thatcher's funeral are going out to more than 2,000 celebrities, dignitaries, colleagues and friends of the late British leader _ from former U.S. presidents to composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.The government says invitations are being printed Thursday and will be mailed out on Friday. Some invitees may not attend. The list includes all surviving U.S. presidents, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as British poli

North Korea's provocations are escalating a tense situation and this ``war rhetoric needs to end,'' Germany's foreign minister said Thursday.Speaking on the sidelines of the G-8 foreign ministers' meeting in London, Guido Westerwelle said all of the group's ministers shared his conviction.“This war rhetoric is not in any way acceptable and the G-8 has a united position on this,'' he said.The two-day talks among eight world powers are expected to focus on North Korea and the civil war in Syria. T

SHANGHAI (AFP) ― China has detained at least a dozen people for spreading false rumors about bird flu, police statements showed Wednesday, with authorities seeking to control “panic” as the number of cases rose to 33.There have been nine deaths since China announced over a week ago that the H7N9 strain of avian influenza had been found in humans for the first time.Local governments announced five new cases, but state media also reported a four-year-old boy in Shanghai had been released from hosp

TAIPEI (AFP) ― Taiwan and Japan Wednesday signed a fishing rights accord for waters near islands at the centre of a territorial row that has soured ties between Beijing and Tokyo, officials said, with China expressing serious concern about the deal.Under the agreement, Taiwanese trawlers will be permitted to fish in waters off East China Sea islands controlled by Japan as the Senkakus, but also claimed by China and Taiwan as the Diaoyus.“Under an equity and mutual benefit principle, the agreemen

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Senators struck a hard-fought compromise Wednesday that could expand U.S. background checks to all commercial firearms sales, which may result in the most ambitious change to gun laws since 1994.The deal comes four months after a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, which left 20 young children and six adults dead and took America’s epidemic of gun violence to an alarming new level.“We have an agreement... on an amendment to prevent criminals and the mental

Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has sprung yet another leak of radioactive water, its operator said on Thursday, the latest in an increasingly long line of mishaps to rattle public confidence.Tokyo Electric Power Co said around 22 liters of highly radioactive waste water leaked from a pipe as work crews were trying to empty a reservoir that itself had already sprung leaks.The company said it has not seen any evidence that the leaked water had gone beyond the confines of the plant."We ar

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AFP) ―Malawi has launched a stinging attack on U.S. pop icon Madonna, accusing her of expecting “gratitude” and VIP treatment during a visit last week to her charity work in the southern African country.It was “strange and depressing” that the singer seemed to want “Malawi to be forever chained to the obligation of gratitude” for having adopted two Malawian children, said President Joyce Banda’s government on Wednesday.“Kindness, as far as its ordinary meaning is concerned, is

Up to 3.39 million vehicles made by major Japanese manufacturers will be recalled worldwide because of possible problems with airbags, the companies said Thursday.   Four carmakers -- Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazda -- separately said they would recall a combined 3.39 million vehicles globally in accordance with local regulations, all citing the same malfunction of passenger-side airbags.   Japan's transport ministry, which received recall reports from the manufacturers, said the number of vehic

Uruguay's lawmakers were debating Wednesday night whether to legalize gay marriage.Their vote would make Uruguay the third country in the Americas after Canada and Argentina to eliminate laws making marriage, adoption and other family rights exclusive to heterosexuals. In all, 11 other nations around the world have already taken this step. The “marriage equality project” was already approved by ample majorities in both houses, but senators made some changes requiring a final vote by the deputies

KUALA LUMPUR (AP) ― Malaysia’s Election Commission says national polls will be held May 5. The general elections will determine whether Prime Minister Najib Razak’s governing coalition can extend nearly 56 years of uninterrupted rule and prevail over an opposition alliance that accuses it of corruption and authoritarianism. Najib has promised regular cash allowances for the poor as one of numerous incentives for voters to hand his National Front coalition another five-year mandate. The Election

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The U.S. Senate’s top Democrat set first showdown vote in Congress on President Barack Obama’s gun control drive for Thursday as a small but mounting number of Republicans appear willing to buck a conservative effort to prevent debate from even beginning. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized Republicans anew Tuesday for trying to prevent a gun control debate. Conservatives say they will use procedural tactics to prevent the Senate from even debating firearms restriction