PM Abe’s ruling party eyes big gains in low-voltage Japan vote
TOKYO (Reuters) – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s party looks set for a huge win on Sunday in a low-voltage election that will allow the conservative leader to claim a fresh mandate for his reflationary policies to revive Japan’s long-stagnant economy.
Liberia court rejects petition to halt Senate vote over Ebola
MONROVIA (Reuters) – Liberia’s Supreme Court on Saturday ruled that Senate elections in the West African nation should go ahead, rejecting a petition to suspend the vote until an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus is brought under control.
Computer fault identified as UK flight chaos abates
LONDON (Reuters) – A system failure affecting air traffic control workstations was to blame for disruption to thousands of passengers coming in and out of Britain’s biggest airports, officials said, as services returned to normal on Saturday.
Korean Air chief steward in nut row says insulted, forced to kneel
SEOUL (Reuters) – The head of cabin crew who was kicked off a Korean Air Lines flight after a company executive raged over the way she was served macadamia nuts said he was insulted and forced to kneel down to apologize to the executive.
Greek opposition leader accuses government of fear-mongering
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s radical leftist opposition leader, Alexis Tsipras, accused Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Saturday of sowing fear in the country to win support for a presidential vote the government must win to avoid a snap election.
Sudan’s Bashir claims victory over ICC after court shelves Darfur probe
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir claimed victory over the International Criminal Court on Saturday after it shelved further investigation of war crimes in Darfur, and reaffirmed his hard line on the rebel region.
UK to send hundreds of troops to Iraq: newspaper
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will send hundreds of troops to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces in Iraq, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told The Daily Telegraph newspaper on Saturday, in a bid to step up the battle against Islamic State fighters.
Kerry, Russia’s Lavrov discuss Middle East, including Israel
BOGOTA (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday, a senior State Department official said.
Islamic State storms town in western Iraq, kills 19 police: officials
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Islamic State fighters stormed a town in Iraq’s western Anbar province on Saturday, killing at least 19 policemen and trapping others inside their headquarters, in the latest attack in the desert region where it controls large amoun…
Scottish Labour picks new leader as UK election battle looms
LONDON (Reuters) – The opposition Labour party has chosen former cabinet minister Jim Murphy as its leader in Scotland where he will have the job of trying to hold on to the seats the party needs to win a British national election due in May.
