South Korea considers approval of North Korea tuberculosis aid despite sanctions
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea is considering allowing a shipment tuberculosis medication to North Korea, a government official said on Thursday, despite newly imposed sanctions against the reclusive state for its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.
China set to introduce charity law though some unlikely to benefit
BEIJING (Reuters) – China is set to pass its first law regulating charities to shore up public confidence in a scandal-hit sector, though critics say it is unlikely to offer any protection to rights groups whose work is deemed politically sensitive.
China expresses alarm at Philippines-Japan aircraft deal
BEIJING (Reuters) – China expressed alarm on Thursday about an agreement in which the Philippines will lease five aircraft from Japan to help patrol the disputed South China Sea.
Two missing booksellers return to China hours after re-appearing in HK: report
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Two Hong Kong booksellers released from mainland Chinese custody after going missing went straight back to China after returning home to ask police to drop their missing persons cases, a Hong Kong newspaper reported.
ISIS commander still alive, badly wounded: Syria Observatory
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday that Islamic State’s military commander was badly wounded but still alive, appearing to contradict U.S. officials who said he was likely killed in a U.S. air strike.
Venezuela withdraws top diplomat in United States
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s top diplomat in Washington was called back to Caracas on Wednesday after U.S. President Barack Obama renewed a decree imposing sanctions on several top Venezuelan officials.
Fukushima’s ground zero: No place for man or robot
(Reuters) – The robots sent in to find highly radioactive fuel at Fukushima’s nuclear reactors have “died”; a subterranean “ice wall” around the crippled plant meant to stop groundwater from becoming contaminated has yet to be finished. And authorities still don’t how to dispose of highly radioactive water stored in an ever mounting number of tanks around the site.
U.S. hopes to preserve two-state outcome for Israel, Palestinians
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Having twice failed to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, the Obama administration is discussing ways to help preserve the prospect of an increasingly threatened two-state solution, U.S. officials said.
Austria says closure of Balkan route is ‘permanent’: ‘Welt’ newspaper
BERLIN (Reuters) – South-eastern Europe’s “Balkan route”, the main passage for migrants to reach more affluent countries to the north, will remain closed permanently, Austria’s Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner told German newspaper “Die Welt” on …
No Obama meeting with Fidel Castro, dissident talks on track: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House has ruled out an encounter between President Barack Obama and revolutionary leader Fidel Castro in Cuba this month and is confident the Cuban government will not create obstacles to a meeting between Obama and dis…
