After London fire, 600 tower blocks must be tested for flammable cladding
LONDON (Reuters) – The government is urgently conducting safety checks on an estimated 600 high-rise buildings in England which have exterior cladding panels after at least 79 people died when fire consumed a London tower block last week, officials sai…
U.S. will take weapons from Kurds after Islamic State defeat: Turkey
ANKARA (Reuters) – The United States has told Turkey it will take back weapons supplied to the Kurdish YPG militia in northern Syria after the defeat of Islamic State, Ankara said on Thursday, seeking to address Turkish concerns about arming Kurds on i…
Scandal clouds outlook for Japan’s Abe, Tokyo poll may give clues
TOKYO (Reuters) – Just a few months ago, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looked to be cruising to a third term that would make him Japan’s longest serving leader and put him on track to achieving his dream of revising its post-war, pacifist constitution.
Thai parliament approves bill which critics say will prolong military role
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s parliament on Thursday approved national strategy legislation which critics say will ensure the military has a say in the country’s politics for at least 20 years, long after a general election tentatively set for next ye…
Dozens killed in Afghanistan as car bomb hits bank branch
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) – A car bomb exploded outside a bank in Lashkar Gah, capital of the southern Afghan province of Helmand on Thursday, killing and wounding dozens of civilians and members of the security forces waiting to collect their…
Ahead of Modi visit, U.S. sees no threat to Pakistan from arms deal with India
NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – With the United States expected to authorize India’s purchase of naval drones, a senior White House official cautioned on Friday that any U.S. military transfer to India would not represent a threat to its rival neighbo…
Belgium detains four people linked to failed bomb attack
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgian authorities investigating Tuesday’s attempted bomb attack on Brussels’ Central Station said they had detained four people after a series of house searches in the Belgian capital late on Wednesday.
Britain’s May still to be PM at year end: finance minister Hammond
LONDON (Reuters) – Theresa May will still be British leader at the end of this year, finance minister Philip Hammond said on Thursday.
Three killed as suspected Rohingya insurgent camp found in Myanmar: newspaper
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar security forces killed three people while clearing a suspected Rohingya insurgent training camp in the mountains in the troubled northwestern state of Rakhine, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar daily said on Thursday….
South Africa’s top court okays secret no-confidence Zuma ballot, but won’t order one
JOHANNESBURG/CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – South Africa’s top court ruled on Thursday that secret ballots may be held for motions of no confidence in parliament, a potential blow to the tenure of beleaguered President Jacob Zuma who said such a vote would be u…
