WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama will tap outgoing Senator Max Baucus to be the next US ambassador to China, a Senate aide said on Wednesday. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Baucus helped craft Obama’s landmark healthcare law, and his experience on the committee makes him well-versed in trade issues, an important portfolio for dealing with the China, the second-largest trading partner.
Seoul to return troop remains
SEOUL: South Korea will repatriate the remains of more than 400 Chinese soldiers killed during the Korean War some 60 years ago, officials said yesterday. President Park Geun-Hye had offered as a goodwill gesture to return the bodies during a visit to Beijing in June.
118 Bangladesh protesters held
DHAKA: Bangladesh security forces arrested about 118 protesters yesterday as they launched a nationwide crackdown on the opposition ahead of the controversial January 5 election. Officials said the protesters were detained in operations by police, the elite Rapid Action Battalion and paramilitary border guards amid transport blockades called by opposition parties which are boycotting the polls.
Delayed Thai poll warning
BANGKOK: Thailand’s Election Commission yesterday warned of potential unrest in upcoming polls, suggesting a postponement as thousands of anti-government protesters marched through the capital. It called for talks between the administration of embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and demonstrators, who have vowed to disrupt the February 2 vote.
Agencies
