IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Ghana

Chinese accused of illegal mining

Under suspicion of illegal mining, 116 Chinese citizens were arrested during the latest law enforcement campaign conducted by Ghana police and are supposed to be returned to China, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. The local Chinese embassy has visited the detainees and required civilized law enforcement and humane treatment to ensure their safety and lawful rights, said Hong Lei, the ministry spokesman, at a regular news conference.

China

Beijing to host UN peace talks

China will host the United Nations International Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Wednesday. The meeting will be held on June 18 and 19 at the request of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Hong said.

Pakistan

Prime Minister Sharif sworn in

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, formally elected by parliament on Wednesday, again called for an end to US drone strikes aimed at militants, which many view as a breach of Pakistan's sovereignty. Ousted in a bloodless military coup in 1999, Sharif won enough seats in the May 11 general elections for his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party to operate without a coalition.

DPRK

New law targets high technology

A new law in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea would create new economic development zones, with high technology particularly targeted, state media reported on Wednesday. "Foreign corporate bodies, individuals and economic organizations and overseas Koreans can invest and set up businesses, branches, offices and conduct free economic activities," the official news agency KCNA quoted from the new law promulgated on May 29.

China Daily-Xinhua-Reuters

(China Daily 06/06/2013 page12)