UAE says it’s surprised by laptop ban but will cooperate
ABU DHABI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates, one of the world’s top aviation hubs, has said it was surprised by the ban on laptops in plane cabins bound for the United States because UAE security was already tight, but it pledged to cooperate with U…
Hong Kong prosecutes captain, shipper in Singapore troop carriers case
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong authorities have launched a prosecution against the captain of the ship and shipping agent involved in transporting nine Singaporean armored vehicles seized in the city last November.
Poll finds unprecedented uncertainty among French voters before presidential election
PARIS (Reuters) – A month before the first round of France’s presidential election, 43 percent of voters are hesitant about who to vote for, a poll said on Friday, underlining the uncertainty surrounding the volatile election campaign.
Adrenalin-fueled TV drama to spur on China’s war on graft
BEIJING (Reuters) – Helicopter chases, fridges full of cash and officials caught in bed with their foreign mistresses are all in a day’s work for China’s anti-graft prosecutors, according to a new state-backed TV drama aimed at bolstering China’s graft…
Hong Kong likely to choose Beijing’s pick for leader amid tension, economic malaise
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong on Sunday will likely select Beijing’s favored candidate for its next leader who some say will further divide a city where middle class families have become increasingly disaffected by political tension and economic hard…
Japan PM Abe denies he or wife made donations to principal of scandal-hit school
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe repeated denials on Friday that he or his wife had made donations to the head of a Japanese nationalist school at the heart of a political scandal that is chipping away at Abe’s support.
North Korea maintains readiness for nuclear test at any time: South Korea
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea has maintained readiness to conduct a new nuclear test at any time, a South Korean military official said on Friday, amid a report of a possible test within days as Pyongyang defies international pressure.
Venezuela to withdraw troops after Colombia border crossing
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will withdraw troops from Colombia’s side of the two countries’ border, after his soldiers set up camp in the neighboring country, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Thursday.
China is not militarizing South China Sea, Premier Li says
SYDNEY (Reuters) – China is not militarizing the South China Sea, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday, although he acknowledged that defense equipment on islands in the disputed waterway had been placed there to maintain “freedom of navigation”.
Germany’s Merkel does not expect more EU departures after Brexit
BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel does not fear that more countries will leave the European Union, she told a German newspaper as the bloc’s leaders prepare to celebrate 60 years of union on Saturday days before Britain files for divorce.
