Japan kindergarten apologizes after possible hate-speech comment
TOKYO (Reuters) – A Japanese kindergarten that has ties to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife, Akie, has apologized over online comments that domestic media described as possible hate speech against Koreans and Chinese people.
Region in China’s restive Xinjiang to track vehicles as anti-terror measure
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities have ordered all motor vehicles in Bayingol prefecture in far-western Xinjiang to be installed with mandatory satellite tracking devices, the latest tough anti-terror measure targeting the ethnically divided regi…
Australia to vet infrastructure investment for geopolitical risks
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia will weigh long-term geopolitical considerations when it vets proposals by foreigners to buy critical infrastructure assets such as power grids and ports, the government said on Tuesday.
Colombia FARC rebels to start disarmament process
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s Marxist FARC rebels can begin surrendering their weapons to the United Nations now that almost 7,000 of them have reached designated demobilization zones around the country, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Monday.
Islamic State linked group expands foothold in southern Syria near Israel
AMMAN (Reuters) – Islamic State-linked Syrian militant groups on Monday launched a surprise attack on moderate rebels in southwestern Syria near the Golan Heights near where the Jordanian and Israeli borders converge, seizing several villages and a lar…
Russia’s U.N. envoy Churkin dies suddenly in New York
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s combative ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, died suddenly in New York on Monday after being taken ill at work, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
UK defends Trump state visit offer despite protest
LONDON (Reuters) – The British government on Monday defended its decision to offer U.S. President Donald Trump a lavish state visit and an audience with the queen this year, defying protests outside parliament and dissent from lawmakers.
Ski resort razed by the Taliban lifts Pakistan’s domestic tourism
MALAM JABBA, Pakistan (Reuters) – Atop the piste of Malam Jabba in Pakistan’s once dangerous Swat Valley skiers schuss downhill, a new Chinese-built chairlift ferries tourists to the peak, and a luxury hotel is under construction to replace one torched…
Ecuador leftist leads presidential vote but may face runoff
QUITO (Reuters) – Ecuador’s leftist government candidate Lenin Moreno looked set for victory on Monday in a presidential election, but slow results meant it may take days to know if he will face a runoff with former banker Guillermo Lasso.
Vatican and Rome Jewish community to host landmark menorah exhibition
ROME (Reuters) – The Vatican and Rome’s Jewish museum will jointly host an unprecedented exhibition on the menorah, the ancient symbol of Judaism, and try to put to rest legends on the fate of one candelabra missing for 15 centuries.
