Major Middle East shipping routes secure despite turmoil: U.S.
ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Shipping corridors used by Gulf energy exporters are not at risk from violence and political volatility in Yemen and the seizure of swathes of territory in the region by Islamic State militants, a senior U.S. naval officer said on…
Hong Kong ‘radicals’ up ante in democracy push against China
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Nearly three months after police cleared away the last of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy street protests, lingering anger is stoking a new front of radical activism that has turned shopping malls and university campuses into a fresh ba…
Thailand jails two on royal insult charge over play
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand sentenced two students to jail on Monday for 2-1/2 years for insulting the monarchy in a university play, in a case which drew dozens of activists to a protest outside the court in defiance of a ban on demonstrations.
Japan Crown Prince urges WW2 past not be forgotten as memories fade
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito has made a call to remember Japan’s wartime past and the horrors of World War Two – remarks that come as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to recast his country’s wartime history in a less apologetic tone….
Philippine court enters plea of not guilty for U.S. Marine accused of murder
OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines (Reuters) – A Philippine trial court on Monday entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of a United States Marine accused of killing of a transgender Filipino, in a case that could test the strength of security ties between the…
North Korea, running scared from Ebola, bans foreigners from marathon
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea has banned foreign runners from participating in an international marathon scheduled to be held in the capital in April, citing fears about the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, agencies specializing in North Korea tours s…
Australian PM Abbott announces fresh security crackdown
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Monday announced a national security crackdown that could deny welfare payments to people seen as potential threats, strip the passports of those with dual nationality and curb travel overseas…
Australia begins training on armed U.S. Reaper drones
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian air force personnel have begun training on armed drones in the United States, Australian defense officials said on Monday, less than a week after Washington said it would begin exporting the controversial weapons system.
Tough choice for U.S. in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province
KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (Reuters) – A once bustling military hub at the heart of America’s war in southern Afghanistan, Kandahar Air Field seemed destined to quietly shut down this year as part of a U.S. withdrawal that had already thinned its …
Kerry and Iran’s Zarif meet for two hours in nuclear talks
GENEVA (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif met for two hours in Geneva on Sunday in another round of nuclear talks to try to narrow gaps as they pressed against a March 31 deadline to reach a …
