Anwar's daughter urges US to pressure Najib

WASHINGTON• The daughter of detained Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has called on the Obama administration to put pressure on her country's prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to release her father and abandon authoritarian policies.

In an interview in Washington during a visit to lobby US officials and politicians last Friday, Ms Nurul Izzah Anwar said it was important that Mr Najib was not able to use a visit to Malaysia in November by President Barack Obama to bolster his position.

REUTERS

Japan foreign minister to visit Moscow

TOKYO • Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov this week to discuss bilateral relations, frayed recently by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's visit to a disputed island claimed by both countries.

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Mr Kishida will meet Mr Lavrov in Moscow tomorrow.

REUTERS

Foreign media welcome in China, says Xi Jinping

BEIJING • Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Mr Rupert Murdoch that Western media organisations are "welcome" in China, despite the continued blocking of numerous foreign websites for their reporting on the country.

"(We) welcome foreign media and correspondents to cover China stories, introducing China's development to the world and helping the world grasp the opportunities (afforded by) China's development," Mr Xi said last Friday in a meeting with Mr Murdoch in Beijing, the Xinhua state news agency reported.

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE