World Briefs

USA-CHINA Republican Scott Walker says President Barack Obama needs to have some “backbone” and cancel a planned official state visit next month by the president of China. The Wisconsin governor and 2016 presidential candidate said yesterday the planned visit of Xi Jinping should be canceled in light of the U.S. stock market’s tumble, which Walker says was driven by China’s manipulation of their economy.

USA-CHINA National Security Adviser Susan Rice is headed for China to help lay the groundwork for President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington next month. The White House said yesterday that Rice will meet with senior Chinese officials including State Councilor Yang Jeichi on a range of issues that affect the two nations, regional dynamics and global matters.

JAPAN A powerful typhoon damages buildings, tosses around cars and floods streets in southwestern Japan before heading out to the Sea of Japan. No deaths were reported, but at least 26 people were injured.

THAILAND Bangkok city hall rejects criticism from the national police chief, who said the probe into last week’s deadly bombing was hindered by broken security cameras. It insists only one camera was out of order.

AFGHANISTAN An Afghan health official says 11 people, mostly children, died when a truck transporting gas canisters exploded outside the western city of Herat.

CAMBODIA Police have confiscated nearly 1.5 tons of marijuana in what they say is their biggest seizure of the drug since they started cracking down on it 15 years ago.

BANGLADESH’s High Court imposes a six-month ban on the screening of a movie about a garment worker who was rescued from the rubble 17 days after a five-story factory complex collapsed more than two years ago, killing more than 1,000 people.

LEBANON Ministers of the Hezbollah group and its allies walked out of a Lebanese Cabinet meeting yesterday meant to discuss the country’s worsening garbage crisis, reflecting the government’s lingering dysfunction despite mass protests. Prime Minister Tammam Salam had called for the emergency meeting after a weekend of clashes between security forces and demonstrators protesting against corruption and poor public services.

HUNGARY  The latest surge of migrants crossing the Balkans has brought a record number to Hungary despite government efforts to quickly build a 4-meter high fence on the Serbian border to stop them. According to police data, 2,093 migrants were detained Monday, the highest figure so far this year. Over the past week, the daily average was of 1,493 migrants.