SEOUL, South Korea - CARDINAL Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, South Korea's first cardinal and a tireless advocate for democracy who stood up to a string of military dictators, died on Monday. He was 86.

Kim was ordained as cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1969. He passed away at Seoul's St. Mary's Hospital, said Lee Hee-yeon, an official with the Archdiocese of Seoul.

TOKYO - SECRETARY of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in Tokyo to begin her first trip abroad as President Barack Obama's chief diplomat, said Washington's alliance with Japan is a cornerstone for the US and warned North Korea to live up to its commitments to dismantle its nuclear programs.

BEIJING - CHINA has announced a nationwide crackdown on unlicensed taxis in a bid to stem cab strikes that have paralysed cities in the past year.