Hong Kong leader reaffirms tough stance on elections
HONG KONG — The Beijing-appointed leader of Hong Kong, Leung Chun-ying, said Monday that allowing his successors to be chosen in open elections based on who won the greatest number of votes was unacceptable in part because it risked giving poorer residents a dominant voice in politics.
Newly detected objects draw searchers for Malaysian plane
SYDNEY, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Thursday that satellite imagery had detected floating objects in the southern Indian Ocean that might be parts of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet that vanished on March 8.
China’s highest court seeks to curtail abuses of justice
HONG KONG — China’s highest court issued demands Thursday that judges bar confessions obtained through torture and avoid applying the death penalty when the evidence is shaky. The directive was unlikely on its own to curb such abuses but reflected a growing official recognition of the need to stop gross injustices, experts said.
Beijing increases security in Xinjiang after two clashes last week
BEIJING — Chinese authorities tightened their grip Tuesday on the far western region of Xinjiang, where two clashes left dozens dead last week, by confiscating knives and offering rewards for information about possible separatist attacks, according to state media.
Vowing reform, China’s leader airs other message in private
HONG KONG — When China’s new leader, Xi Jinping, visited the country’s south to promote himself before the public as an audacious reformer following in the footsteps of Deng Xiaoping, he had another message to deliver to Communist Party officials behind closed doors.