China urges calm after U.S. says ready to use force against North Korea
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s foreign ministry on Thursday called for all sides to remain calm and exercise restraint after the United States said it was ready to use force, if need be, to halt North Korea’s nuclear missile program.
Malaysian Muslim group joins Indonesian call for Starbucks boycott over LGBT stand
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A prominent Muslim group in Malaysia has joined calls by Islamic conservatives in Indonesia for a boycott of Starbucks to protest against the international coffee chain’s support of gay rights.
‘Welcome to hell’ – protesters vow to disrupt G20 summit
HAMBURG (Reuters) – “Welcome to Hell”. That’s the greeting for U.S. President Donald Trump and other world leaders from anti-capitalist protesters in Hamburg who aim to disrupt the G20 summit, already rife with tensions over trade and climate change.
Trump, in speech to Poles, praises sovereignty, condemns bureaucracy
WARSAW (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday is slated to condemn “the steady creep of government bureaucracy” and praise the sovereignty of nations in a speech taking veiled at the European Union, according to excerpts released by the Wh…
Magnitude 6.9 quake hits Philippines: USGS
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck southwest of the Philippine city of Tacloban on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Turkey rejects proposals to drop EU accession talks in favor of cooperation: minister
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s European Union Affairs Minister Omer Celik said on Thursday that Ankara rejected any proposals to drop EU accession talks in favor of strong cooperation in other areas.
Myanmar mulls change to law seen as violating free speech: Suu Kyi
NAYPYITAW (Reuters) – Myanmar is considering amendments to a law that human rights monitors say violates free speech and has been used to jail journalists and activists, leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Thursday.
Ahead of G20 summit, Putin calls sanctions ‘covert form’ of protectionism
BERLIN (Reuters) – Russia is in favor of an open and rules-based trade order to boost global growth, and sanctions imposed against Moscow are a “covert form” of protectionism, President Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying on Thursday ahead of a G20 sum…
Exclusive: At least 123 Venezuelan soldiers detained since protests – documents
CARACAS (Reuters) – At least 123 members of Venezuela’s armed forces have been detained since anti-government unrest began in April on charges ranging from treason and rebellion to theft and desertion, according to military documents seen by Reuters.
Hong Kong student leaders say they won’t contest Occupy protest charge
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong student leader Joshua Wong, who helped lead the months-long “Umbrella Movement” in 2014 demanding full democracy, said on Thursday he would not fight a charge related to the protests in the spirit of civil disobedience.
