World briefs

CHINA The top anti-graft body of China’s Communist Party says more than 100,000 officials have been reprimanded since late 2012 for violating policies mandating more austere working practices.

AFGHANISTAN  A suicide bomber attacks a police station in the provincial capital of southern Helmand province, killing three people, a doctor says.

SOUTH KOREA’s oceans ministry says it is ready to begin salvaging a ferry that sank last year, killing more than 300 people, after it gets formal approval.

AUSTRALIA-CAMBODIA  Five asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Iran have agreed to be among the first to leave the Pacific island nation of Nauru for Cambodia under a deal that allows refugees rejected by Australia to be resettled in the Southeast Asian country, a refugee advocate says.

AUSTRALIA-UK British police have arrested a 14-year-old boy in connection with an alleged plot to attack a war memorial ceremony in Australia. Greater Manchester Police says the boy was detained in Blackburn, northwestern England, on Saturday on suspicion of involvement in the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism.

USA The Secret Service has arrested a person for attempting to scale the White House fence.
USA Authorities in Minnesota have charged six men they say attempted to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group.

SOUTH AFRICA’s president says a total of seven people have died in ongoing attacks on immigrants here and he postponed a key ceremony because of the crisis. The office of President Jacob Zuma said yesterday that the ceremony scheduled for next week bestows the country’s highest official honor on South Africans and foreigners who have contributed to South Africa. His office said it must be postponed so South Africa can mourn the victims of anti-immigrant violence.

GREECE  Leaders of Greece’s third-largest political party, the extreme right Golden Dawn, went on trial yesterday on charges of operating as a criminal organization that allegedly carried out a campaign of violence against immigrants and left-wing opponents. Party leader Nikos Michaloliakos and senior officials are among 69 defendants in the case.

FINLAND The opposition Center Party has won Finland’s parliamentary election but its new leader faces tough talks on forming a government following the success of the populist, anti-establishment Finns Party that placed ahead of the main government partners, the conservatives and Social Democrats. Center Party leader Juha Sipila declared victory in Sunday’s election and will take on the role of forming the new ruling coalition.