North Korea test-fires seven surface-to-air missiles: South Korea
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea test-fired seven surface-to-air missiles off its east coast on Thursday and its leader Kim Jong Un appeared to have been an observer, South Korea’s military said on Friday.
Pakistan seizes Qatari prince’s prized falcons for illegal hunting
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (Reuters) – Wildlife officials in Pakistan fined a Qatari prince and seized two of his prized hunting falcons after he was discovered illegally hunting a rare bird species, an official said on Thursday.
China to hold ‘open trial’ for felled domestic security tsar
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will hold an “open trial” for fallen domestic security tsar Zhou Yongkang, the head of China’s top court said, state media reported on Friday, in an attempt to show transparency though the super-sensitive trial will likely be …
Brazil arrests former Italian guerrilla pending deportation
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian police arrested on Thursday an Italian former leftist guerrilla wanted for murder in his country, but released him hours later after an injunction suspended his deportation.
African states want U.N. trust fund for Boko Haram force
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – African states want the United Nations to set up a trust fund to finance a force to fight Boko Haram in Nigeria and called on the international community to supply intelligence and equipment, according to a draft U.N. resolut…
Venezuela’s Maduro says may go to U.S. to challenge Obama
CARACAS (Reuters) – Ridiculing the U.S. qualification of Venezuela as a security threat, President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday he may travel to Washington to challenge American counterpart Barack Obama.
Japan budgets over $15 million for overseas universities in soft power push
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s government has budgeted over $15 million to fund Japan studies at nine overseas universities, including Georgetown and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as part of a “soft power” push to counter the growing influence of C…
China envoy urges Japan to stick to apology script: China Daily
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China will question Japan’s commitment to peace if it adopts an ambiguous or defiant stance regarding its wartime actions, Beijing’s ambassador to Tokyo told the English-language China Daily newspaper in an interview published on F…
Haiti announces dates for presidential, legislative elections
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – Haiti’s electoral council announced dates on Thursday for the Caribbean nation’s long overdue legislative and municipal elections, as well as a presidential vote later this year.
U.S. calls on China to release detained women’s rights activists
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States called on China on Thursday to immediately release five women’s rights activists, who were detained for apparently planning to demonstrate against sexual harassment on public transport.
