nation

World/nation briefs

• Updated: December 13, 2012 - 8:50 PM

ISRAEL Lieberman charged with breach of trust Israel's powerful foreign minister was charged Thursday with breach of trust for actions that allegedly compromised a criminal investigation into his business dealings, throwing the country's election campaign into disarray just weeks before the vote. While Avigdor Lieberman was cleared of more serious allegations against him, the indictment sparked immediate calls for the controversial politician to step down. He declined to do so during a news conference with cheering supporters, but said he would consult with his lawyers on what to do next. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also rallied behind his close ally. VENEZUELA Chavez recovering despite complications President Hugo Chavez is recovering favorably despite suffering bleeding complications during cancer surgery in Cuba, his vice president said Thursday amid uncertainty over the Venezuelan leader's health and the country's political future. Dr. Julian Molina, a cancer expert from the Mayo Clinic in the United States, said bleeding is not uncommon when doctors operate in the same place multiple times to remove cancerous tissue, as is the case with Chavez. NORTH KOREA U.S. citizen believed to be detained A 44-year-old U.S. citizen has been held in North Korea for a month, a human rights activist in Seoul said Thursday, addressing unconfirmed reports that had circulated in the South Korean media for several days. Kenneth Bae, who runs a company that specializes in taking tourists and prospective investors to North Korea, had visited the North several times without incident before being detained in early November, according to Do Hee-youn, who heads the Citizens' Coalition for the Human Rights of North Korean Refugees, based in Seoul. The State Department has said little about the matter. JAPAN Military jets scramble in dispute with China