Philippines defense minister says China arms on islands worrying
MANILA (Reuters) – China’s recent installation of weapons on artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea was “very troubling”, the Philippines’ defense minister said on Tuesday, after Manila quietly protested Beijing’s activities.
Russia turns to Libya with show of support for eastern commander
TUNIS (Reuters) – A visit to a Russian aircraft carrier by Libya’s Khalifa Haftar has given the eastern–based commander a symbolic boost while also signaling Moscow’s interest in a greater role in the region following its intervention in Syria.
Samsung chief faces long day as South Korean court weighs arrest warrant
SEOUL (Reuters) – The head of South Korea’s giant Samsung Group faces a long day in court on Wednesday as a judge decides whether he should be arrested for bribery in a corruption scandal that has engulfed President Park Geun-hye’s administration.
China tightens party loyalty requirements in sensitive year
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese public sector managers in education and media must adhere to new rules of party loyalty and “socialist statesmanship” to keep their jobs, the latest move to limit dissent in a sensitive leadership transition year.
Electricity outage disrupts train services in Amsterdam and surroundings
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Officials warned of potential gridlock around Amsterdam on Tuesday after an electricity outage in much of the city and the surrounding area hit trains, trams and metros.
Kazakhstan says ready for Syria talks in Astana on January 23: RIA
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Kazakhstan is fully ready to hold talks on Syria in its capital Astana on Jan. 23, Russia’s RIA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov.
Top Chinese official to meet Philippines’ Duterte
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte will meet on Tuesday with China’s Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin, the most high-profile Chinese visitor since he took power last year and launched surprise moves to engage with historic rival …
Elite North Korean defector says more diplomats waiting to defect to Seoul: Yonhap
SEOUL (Reuters) – More high-level North Korean diplomats are waiting to defect to South Korea from their overseas posts in Europe, Pyongyang’s former deputy ambassador to London said on Tuesday, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
Chinese official fired after calling Mao ‘a devil’
BEIJING (Reuters) – An official in northern China has been fired after he called the founder of modern China Mao Zedong a “devil” on social media and called the annual commemoration of Mao’s birthday “the world’s largest cult activity”.
Former U.S. officials urge Trump to talk with Iranian MEK group
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Nearly two dozen former U.S. officials have urged President-elect Donald Trump to enter into discussions with an exiled Iranian opposition group that until 2012 was listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department….
