Top Chinese military officer to visit India, Pakistan
BEIJING (Reuters) – One of China’s most senior military officers will visit Pakistan and India next month, China’s defense ministry said on Thursday, making trips to neighboring rivals which have very different relations with Beijing.
China calls on Japan to stop ‘hampering’ military flights
BEIJING (Reuters) – China on Thursday called on Japan to stop “hampering” flights by Chinese military aircraft, after Japan said its scrambled fighter jets to prevent possible incursions by Chinese planes a record high number of times in the summer.
Myanmar media stack the deck for ‘Mother’ Suu Kyi ahead of polls
YANGON (Reuters) – Anyone reading Myanmar’s independent media ahead of next month’s historic election might be unaware over 90 political parties are competing, as online platforms and newspapers are plastered with the image of one candidate – Nobel lau…
China’s president to visit Vietnam amid South China Sea tension
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Vietnam next week amid heightened tension in the South China Sea that has weighed on ties between the neighbors.
Iran considered nuclear weapons during 1980s Iraq war, ex-president says
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran considered pursuing a nuclear deterrent when it began its nuclear program in the 1980s, during an eight-year war with Iraq, a former president has been quoted as saying.
Two more Japanese being held in China, says Chinese official
TOKYO – (Reuters) – China is holding two Japanese in addition to two arrested earlier this year for spying, a Chinese official in Tokyo said on Thursday, but did not give further details, including whether they were also suspected of espionage.
India’s Modi pitches ‘partnership of prosperity’ to Africa
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned on the charm for African leaders on Thursday, promising $10 billion in credit to back a “partnership of prosperity” and pitching a broad alliance for global reform.
Greece should show determination in implementing reforms: Germany’s Steinmeier
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece should stick to reforms it has agreed with its lenders as part of a third bailout, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a newspaper interview released on Thursday.
Botswana grants 10 Eritrean soccer players asylum
GABORONE (Reuters) – Botswana has granted asylum to a group of 10 Eritrean soccer players who sought refuge after playing in a World Cup qualifying match earlier this month, their lawyer said on Thursday.
North Korea’s black market becoming the new normal
PYONGYANG (Reuters) – When North Korea’s late “Dear Leader” Kim Jong Il opened the Pothonggang Department Store in December 2010, he called on it to play “a big role” in improving living standards in the capital Pyongyang, official media said.
