China teaching troops folk dances to make friends in Xinjiang
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s military has been teaching its soldiers in the unruly region of Xinjiang folk dances and songs as part of efforts to improve relations with the minority people who live there, it said on Wednesday.
Japan protesters rally as contentious security bills near passage
TOKYO (Reuters) – Crowds of protesters rallied on Wednesday as Japan’s parliament moved close to passing bills for a defense policy change that could allow troops to fight abroad for the first time since World War Two, despite opposition by many ordina…
Obama to host China’s Xi for state visit on Sept. 25
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will host Chinese President Xi Jingping for a state visit on Sept. 25, the White House said on Tuesday.
China’s finance minister wants better corruption fighting mechanisms
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s finance ministry must make better use of corruption inspections and take the work of inspections to a new level, the ruling Communist Party’s top anti-graft watchdog quoted finance minister Lou Jiwei as saying on Wednesday….
Venezuela was saved from a ‘Pinochet,’ leader says after opponent jailed
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela has been spared a Pinochet-like figure, president Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday, in an apparent defense of a near 14-year jail sentence handed to opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez after deadly protests last year.
U.S. urges ‘engagement’ by Russia against Islamic State
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Tuesday the United States would like to see Russia engage constructively with the international coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Syria, rather than build up its own military presence there.
Libya peace talks hit snag over proposed deal amendments
BENGHAZI/SKHIRAT, Morocco (Reuters) – Delegates for Libya’s internationally recognized government said on Tuesday it was recalling its team from U.N.-backed peace talks with rivals, complaining about amendments to a draft agreement meant to end their c…
China continued South China Sea reclamation despite halt claim: expert
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China was carrying out land reclamation in contested waters of the South China Sea this month, more than four weeks after saying it had stopped such activity, a U.S. expert said on Tuesday, citing recent satellite images.
U.S. urges ‘engagement’ by Russia against Islamic State
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Tuesday the United States would like to see Russia engage constructively with the international coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Syria, rather than build up its own military presence there.
U.S., Russian top diplomats talk amid Syria buildup
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by telephone on Tuesday with his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and the conflict in Syria was on Kerry’s agenda for the discussions, the U.S. State Department …
