China navy confirms carrier conducted drills in South China Sea
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s sole aircraft carrier conducted drills in the South China Sea, the navy said, days after neighboring Taiwan said the carrier and accompanying ships had passed 90 nautical miles south of the island amid renewed tension betwe…
Moscow seeks naval drills as Russian warships visit Manila
MANILA (Reuters) – Russia wants to hold maritime drills with the Philippines to help combat terrorism and piracy, sending two warships to Manila for the first official navy-to-navy contact, as President Rodrigo Duterte pivots to United States’ traditio…
Indonesian boat captain to be prosecuted for negligence after deadly fire
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia plans to prosecute the captain of a tourist boat for negligence after a fire ripped through the vessel on New Year’s Day, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozens, police said on Tuesday.
Hong Kong’s ‘bow tie Tsang’ denies graft related to China penthouse
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang, the highest-ranking ex-official to be charged in the city’s history, on Tuesday denied bribery related to the decoration of a luxury penthouse in the neighbouring Chinese city of Shenzhen.
At least 100 homes burned as fire erupts in Valparaiso, Chile
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – A large fire broke out in the coastal Chilean city of Valparaiso on Monday evening, burning at least 100 homes, prompting the evacuation of about 400 people and sending plumes of smoke high into the air.
Brazil drug gangs spark prison riot, 56 dead
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Drug gangs sparked a prison riot that killed 56 people, with decapitated bodies thrown over prison walls in the bloodiest violence in more than two decades in Brazil’s overcrowded penitentiary system, officials said on Monday.
Cuba puts on show of strength as Trump inauguration nears
HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba paraded troops and hundreds of thousands of citizens through its emblematic Revolution Square on Monday in a traditional show of nationalist fighting spirit in the face of steep economic and diplomatic challenges.
Peru demands cash payment from Odebrecht in plea deal talks
LIMA (Reuters) – The office of Peru’s attorney general announced on Monday that it has asked Odebrecht for a “significant sum” of money as part of talks toward a plea deal, after the Brazilian company acknowledged distributing bribes to unnamed Peruvia…
Syrian rebels say they froze talks on Russian-backed peace conference due to ceasefire violations
AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian rebel groups said on Monday they had decided to freeze any talks about their possible participation in Syrian peace negotiations being prepared by Moscow in Kazakhstan unless the Syrian government and its Iran-backed allies end…
U.S. general sees Islamic State’s capability waning in east Mosul
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – The declining effectiveness of Islamic State attacks against Iraqi forces in eastern Mosul suggests the militants are starting to run out of resources with the campaign in its third month, a U.S. general told Reuters.
