AMBASSADOR TO CHINA DIES TWO WEEKS INTO NEW POSTING

Germany's ambassador to China died suddenly, less than two weeks after taking up his post, the country's foreign office said on Monday. Jan Hecker, 54, a foreign policy adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel, had presented his credentials at China's foreign ministry on Aug. 24, the embassy in the Chinese capital told Reuters. The cause of death had yet to be confirmed. Hecker had appeared “happy and all right” when he hosted an event about German artist Joseph Beuys at his Beijing home last Friday, a guest at the event said.