Typhoon bears down on Japan, will hinder voting in national election
TOKYO (Reuters) – Typhoon Lan with heavy rains and destructive winds is expected to hit southern Japan on Sunday when the nation holds a national election, forcing officials in Okinawa to stage voting a day early on some remote islands.
South Korea survey backs restarting construction of two nuclear reactors
SEOUL (Reuters) – A South Korean government-organized committee is recommending Seoul resume the stalled construction of two new nuclear reactors after an opinion survey it set up found nearly 60 percent of respondents said they were in favor of the mo…
South Korea to stress safety of Pyeongchang Olympics to diplomats, companies
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s foreign ministry will stress the Pyeongchang Olympics will be safe from North Korean provocations in a briefing to diplomats and executives at foreign companies in the country on Friday, as concerns persist over tensions…
NZ Prime Minister-elect Ardern focuses on final touches in coalition deal, NZ dollar sinks
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand Prime Minister-elect Jacinda Ardern said she would spend Friday ironing out issues and ministerial posts with coalition partner New Zealand First, a day after becoming the Pacific nation’s youngest leader in recent ti…
Japan’s Emperor Akihito likely to abdicate at end-March 2019: Asahi
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Emperor Akihito is likely to abdicate at the end of March 2019 and Crown Prince Naruhito is expected to ascend the throne in April, the first abdication by a Japanese monarch in nearly two centuries, the Asahi newspaper report…
Merkel sends positive signal to May on Brexit talks
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a markedly positive response on Friday to an EU summit appeal by Prime Minister Theresa May for help with Brexit, said talks with Britain were moving forward and were unlikely to break down.
Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh in dire state: UNICEF
GENEVA (Reuters) – Nearly 340,000 Rohingya children are living in squalid conditions in Bangladesh camps where they lack enough food, clean water and health care, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
Britain seeks new ways to detect explosives in airports
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain launched a fund on Friday to support new technology to screen hand-luggage in airports in a bid to detect concealed explosives without passengers having to remove electrical items from their bags.
EU leaders want to ‘responsibly’ cut Turkey pre-accession aid: Merkel
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The human rights situation in Turkey is unacceptable, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters on Thursday, adding European Union leaders had asked their executive arm to look at cutting pre-accession aid to Ankara in a “resp…
North Korea warns threats a ‘big miscalculation’ in letter to Australia lawmakers
SYDNEY (Reuters) – North Korea has sent a letter to Australia’s parliament, warning it is a nuclear power and will not be cowed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to destroy it, according to a copy of the letter published in an Australian newspap…
