HANOI (AFP) – An internationally-recognized writer who is a prominent dissident went on trial in Vietnam Friday, adding to what the United States says is a ‘’spike’’ in human rights issues in the country. Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, born in 1960, is charged alongside her husband with assault but both testified they were innocent and had themselves been beaten. After Thuy’s arrest in October, the United States embassy said it was concerned that she ‘’was beaten and arrested’’ after she publicly expressed support for a group of activists. That group was tried and convicted in October for ‘’propaganda against the state’’ related to the hanging of democracy banners and other calls for political reform.

U.N. UNCERTAIN ON GAZA PROBES
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Thursday he could not determine whether Israel and the Palestinians have met UN demands to carry out credible, independent probes of alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip. He made the assessment in a report to the General Assembly which had given both sides until Friday to conduct independent probes after a UN inquiry panel accused both Israel and Palestinian militants of war crimes during the 22-day conflict in the Gaza Strip more than a year ago.

PRIVATE JET FLIGHT TO CHINA OKAYED
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan has cleared the first direct flight by a private aircraft to military rival China, officials said on Friday, continuing a thaw in ties. Approval for the Taiwan-registered business jet comes despite increased friction between China and the United States over a US proposal to sell $6.4 billion in advanced weapons to the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own. The aircraft belonged to Terry Gou, one of Taiwan’s richest people and chairman of the Hon Hai group involved in electronics, a source close to Gou said. After decades of requiring flights to stop in third regions such as Hong Kong or take lengthy detours for security reasons, Taiwan and China have agreed over the past two years to allow direct passenger and cargo flights.