Exiled Chinese tycoon Guo seeking asylum in U.S.: NYT
BEIJING (Reuters) – Guo Wengui, an exiled Chinese billionaire who has accused some of the most senior officials of China’s Communist Party of corruption, has applied for political asylum in the United States, the New York Times reported on Thursday.
Hurricane Irma kills eight on Saint Martin as it pounds Caribbean
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Reuters) – Hurricane Irma killed eight people on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin and also caused devastation on other islands on Thursday as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century took aim at Florida.
U.S. charges former Turkish minister with Iran sanctions evasion
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – U.S. prosecutors have charged a former Turkish economy minister and the ex-head of a state-owned bank with conspiring to violate Iran sanctions by illegally moving hundreds of millions of dollars through the U.S. financial system o…
Israel hits Syria target reportedly tied to chemical weapons
BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Syrian army said Israel targeted a military site in Hama province early on Thursday which a war monitor said could be linked to chemical weapons production.
France’s Macron urges continued EU ties with Turkey
PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron said Turkey remained a vital partner of the European Union and ties should be maintained even if the country had strayed from the EU path, according to a newspaper interview published on Thursday.
NZ’s Labour widens lead versus National in latest poll
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand’s newly invigorated Labour Party has widened its lead over the governing National Party, further threatening its decade-long hold on power in a Sept. 23 general election, according to a poll on Thursday.
Syrian army says Israel planes strike its positions in Hama province
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Israeli warplanes targeted a Syrian military position in Hama province early on Thursday from Lebanese airspace, killing two people and causing material damage, the Syrian army general command said in a statement.
Philippine president’s son denies links to $125-million drug shipment
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s son on Thursday told a Senate inquiry he had no links to a seized shipment of $125 million worth of narcotics from China, dismissing as “baseless” the allegations of his involvement in the drugs…
Australia’s High Court rejects challenge to vote on same-sex marriage
Melbourne (Reuters) – Australia’s High Court rejected two legal challenges on Thursday against a proposed postal ballot on whether to legalize same-sex marriage, clearing the way for a vote on an issue that has wide support but which has also threatene…
U.S. charges former Turkish minister in Iran sanctions probe
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – U.S. prosecutors have charged a former Turkish economy minister and a former general manager of a Turkish state bank with conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran, a U.S. attorney’s office said in a filing.




