BEIJING / AP China’s Defense Ministry says the commander of US forces in the Pacific smeared China while seeking additional defense funding from Congress. Ministry spokesman Col. Wu Qian on Thursday strongly criticized Adm. Harry Harris Jr.’s testimony before Congress this week, in which Harris said China was militarizing the South China Sea. Wu said he understood Harris was seeking …

Brussels / AFP NATO on Thursday overcame sharp differences between long-time rivals Greece and Turkey to finalise an unprecedented mission to tackle migrant smugglers in the Aegean Sea. US-led NATO launched the operation two weeks ago, aiming to help the EU cope with its worst migrant crisis since World War II, but longstanding disputes between Athens and Ankara over Aegean …

Bloomberg With no wins to show after the first four contests in the Republican presidential primary, Marco Rubio’s supporters are growing nervous that their candidate’s chances of becoming the party’s nominee may already be slipping way. “He’s got to do something, he’s got to stir up the mix a bit,” said Steve Hosheinz, a 55-year-old accountant from Houston who was …