■ United States
Chinese couple given asylum
A federal appeals court ruled that a Chinese woman who suffered through a rape-like gynecological exam in China met US Congress' definition of persecution, opening that door for her and others to qualify for political asylum after resisting population control policies. Li Xuming and her boyfriend, Yu Xinkui, who live in the Sacramento area, fled China in 1998 after a series of run-ins with Chinese authorities because of their relationship and applied for asylum in the US. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled their treatment under the Chinese government clearly qualifies as persecution and therefore the couple should be allowed given asylum.
■ South Korea
Security aides reshuffled
President Roh Moo-hyun replaced his national security aides yesterday in a reshuffle triggered by a rift over his administration's ties with the US, South Korea's biggest ally. Kwon Chin-ho, a former deputy head of the National Intelligence Service, replaced Ra Jong-yil, who coordinates all security-related issues for Roh. Roh also appointed a new national defense secretary, replacing Kim Hee-sang with Yoon Kwang-ung, a retired navy commander. The secretary post focuses mainly on military affairs. The president's office said there will be no change in the government's foreign affairs and security policy.
■ India
Suspected killers detained
Indian police have detained three people in connection with the death of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's grand nephew, who was thrown off a moving train, newspapers reported yesterday. Railways police officer V.K. Bhalla was quoted as saying three men from the northern town of Mathura had been detained. Manish Mishra, 21, grandson of Vajpayee's sister Vimla Mishra, was hurled from a train last Saturday after he tried to stop a group of men from harassing women passengers.
■ Japan
Teachers sue government
Hundreds of public school teachers sued the Tokyo government yesterday, arguing that forcing them to stand before the Rising Sun flag and sing the national anthem at school ceremonies violates the constitutional right to freedom of speech. The move comes after the Tokyo Board of Education in October ordered schools to make sure the flag was hung at school assemblies such as graduation and called for penalties for teachers and staff who refuse to stand at attention and sing.
■ Australia
Dinky's trivial pursuit
A howling success in outback Australia, Dinky, a singing and piano-playing dingo, is about to be immortalized in a board game. The three-year-old native wild dog has won a nationwide competition to identify the Australian with the most trivial feat, to star in a question in a 20th anniversary edition of the local version of the board game Trivial Pursuit. The dingo was saved from a wild dog-culling program as a six-week-old pup by Jim Cotterill, the owner of a roadhouse in central Australia, who soon discovered his new pet had talent. Dinky began impromptu performances whenever Jim's two daughters played the piano and, with a little encouragement, would also strut across the keyboard.
■ United States
Judge rues rape jibe
A Florida judge who made disparaging comments about a rape victim apologized and withdrew from the case. Judge Gene Stephenson said on Thursday he hoped that the victim accepted his apology. "The remarks were inappropriate," he
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