China’s anti-graft watchdog carries out inspections at five state enterprises
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s top anti-graft watchdog said on Friday it had carried out inspections at five major state-owned enterprises in industries ranging from mining to energy, as the ruling Communist Party expands its anti-corruption dragnet.
China rights activists drop lawyers, halt subversion trial
BEIJING (Reuters) – Three Chinese rights activists on trial for distributing books advocating a peaceful end to dictatorships on Friday dismissed their lawyers, bringing a halt to the proceedings.
Italian police block 410 websites selling high-fashion fakes
ROME (Reuters) – Italian authorities have closed down 410 websites selling fake luxury goods including Prada handbags and Patek Philippe watches and launched raids against counterfeiters nationwide, finance police said on Friday.
U.N. needs $1.6 billion for Yemen aid, warns of ‘looming catastrophe’
GENEVA (Reuters) – The United Nations said on Friday that $1.6 billion was now needed to face a “looming catastrophe” in Yemen where a Saudi-led coalition has been launching air strikes against Houthi fighters in a campaign to restore the government in…
Body found in London street “fell from BA plane”
LONDON (Reuters) – British police were investigating newspaper reports on Friday that a body found on the roof of a building in southwest London was that of a stowaway who had fallen from the undercarriage of a plane as it came in to land from South Af…
Islamic State seen overtaking al Qaeda in South Asia social media war
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Islamist militant propaganda websites and social media accounts in South Asia are promoting Islamic State at the expense of al Qaeda, analysts said on Friday, highlighting the rivalry between the two global militant groups.
Al Qaeda denies reports of militant commander Belmokhtar’s death
CAIRO (Reuters) – Al Qaeda’s North Africa branch has denied reports that Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a major figure in insurgencies across North Africa and the Saharan border region, was killed in a U.S. air strike in Libya.
Toyota in damage control mode after American exec arrested
TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp moved into damage control mode on Friday after its new communications chief Julie Hamp, an American and its first senior woman executive, was arrested on suspicion of illegally bringing pain killers into Japan just t…
Hong Kong leader extends economic olive branch after veto
HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s leader extended an olive branch of economic stimulus to the city a day after lawmakers vetoed a Beijing-backed electoral reform package, a move economists warned could undermine business in the Asian financial …
Closed circle, oversized ambition fueled Erdogan miscalculation
ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) – Hovering in his helicopter over a packed parade ground, its perimeter fences brought down to let in thousands more supporters, Tayyip Erdogan seemed at the height of his powers ahead of his election as Turkey’s president las…
