Exclusive: Provincial boss ordered crackdown on China’s ‘democracy village’ with eye on national power
WUKAN, China/BEIJING (Reuters) – This month’s crackdown on protests in China’s Wukan village was ordered by the provincial leader under pressure to prove his mettle ahead of a pivotal Communist Party congress next year where he could reach the top tabl…
Poland’s PM says to announce government re-shuffle next week
WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland’s Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said on Friday that she would announce personnel changes in the government next week.
Turkey’s Erdogan says U.S. sent weapons to Kurdish fighters in Syria
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States of supplying more weapons to Kurdish fighters in northern Syria this week, delivering two plane loads of arms to what Ankara says is a terrorist group.
Jets pound rebel-held Aleppo after army offensive declared: rescue worker, monitor
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Warplanes targeted rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo on Friday in a second day of heavy bombardment hours after the army announced the start of a military operation there, rescue workers and activists said.
Japan PM raises North Korea nuclear program with Cuba’s Fidel Castro
HAVANA (Reuters) – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the first Japanese leader to visit Communist-ruled Cuba, called for a strong and unified international response to North Korea’s nuclear program in rare talks with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Thursd…
U.N. aviation agency snubs Taiwan amid impasse with China
TAIPEI/MONTREAL (Reuters) – Taiwan has not been invited to the assembly meeting of a United Nations aviation agency, the latest sign of the pressure China is bringing to bear on the new independence-leaning government of the self-ruled island it views …
Syria announces new offensive, diplomats fail to renew truce
BEIRUT/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Syria announced a new offensive against rebel-held areas of Aleppo on Thursday while diplomats failed to find a way in New York to revive a U.S. and Russian-brokered ceasefire that collapsed this week.
Taiwan asks Google to blur images showing new South China Sea facilities
TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said it was asking Google to blur satellite images showing what experts say appear to be new military installations on Itu Aba, Taipei’s sole holding in the hotly disputed South China Sea.
Nicaragua rejects U.S. bill for loans with strings attached
MANAGUA (Reuters) – Nicaragua on Thursday criticized a proposal by U.S. lawmakers that would require the Central American country, which will hold elections in November, to make political changes in order to receive international loans.
South Korea says time to reconsider North Korea’s U.N. membership
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se accused North Korea on Thursday of “totally ridiculing” the authority of the United Nations through its nuclear and missile tests and said it was time to reconsider whether it was qu…
