China defense minister Li Shangfu is missing as corruption probe reports swirl

News Snapshot:

Mystery deepened Friday over the fate of China's defense minister, who has not been seen in more than two weeks — an unexplained absence that comes two months after the disappearance and then replacement of the country's foreign minister. As is the norm in China’s opaque system of government, little is known about why Li Shangfu, 65, has not been seen in public since Aug. 29. But a rush of reports in the Western media, as well as public comments by a top U.S. diplomat, have fueled growing speculation. His future is of great interest in the West, which will...