World Briefs

CHINA Two men were detained in Shenzhen for spreading a rumor that hundreds of terrorists have arrived in the city, police say, just days before a new law banning false terror information goes into effect. More on p10

CHINA will include another six destinations in its tax rebate scheme for overseas visitors to boost inbound tourism and consumption. Foreign tourists visiting Liaoning, Anhui, Fujian and Sichuan provinces, Tianjin Municipality and Xiamen City can enjoy value-added tax refunds on their purchases in specific shops starting from January.

SKOREA-JAPAN There’s relief among South Korean and Japanese diplomats after the two countries announced an “irreversible” settlement of a decades-long standoff over Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan’s World War II military.

MYANMAR Hundreds of people have staged a fifth day of protests against death sentences issued by a Thai court to two Myanmar men convicted of murdering a pair of British backpackers, but who are seen by many as scapegoats in the high-profile case.

SINGAPORE A total of 377 dengue cases were reported in the week ending Dec. 26, the highest weekly number reported in 2015 so far. The figure is considered unusually high for this time of year.

SAUDI ARABIA A Filipino murder convict was publicly beheaded in Saudi Arabia after failing to meet the demand of the Sudanese victim’s family for payment of USD1 million to save him from the death penalty, officials say.

AFGHANISTAN Police are refusing to return to the streets of a volatile southern district under Taliban attack, claiming that promised government help has not yet arrived.

UK Husband and wife Mohammed Rehman and Sana Ahmed Khan have been found guilty of preparing terrorist acts in London, Sky news reported. Rehman, planed a massive terror attack under the Twitter username “Silent Bomber.” Chemicals for bomb making were found at his home.

USA  The attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo made France the second deadliest country for journalists in 2015, while 69 journalists worldwide were killed for their work during the year, the Committee to Protect Journalists says in its latest annual report.

USA The storm system that spawned deadly tornadoes in Texas over the weekend brings heavy snow, ice and blustery winds to several states in the nation’s midsection, as well as heavy rain in already water-logged areas

CANADA Relatives of a Syrian boy whose lifeless body washed up on a Turkish beach, sparking worldwide concern for the refugee crisis, have landed in Canada.

COSTA RICA Central American nations have reached a deal to let the first of thousands of stranded Cuban migrants continue their journey north toward the United States next month, officials said.