China, Vietnam trade accusations over boats in disputed waters
BEIJING/HANOI (Reuters) – China said on Wednesday that its forces had boarded a Vietnamese trawler last month in disputed waters in the South China Sea and confiscated explosives used for fishing, rejecting accusations from Vietnam that its ships had b…
China tells Dalai Lama again to respect reincarnation
BEIJING (Reuters) – China repeated a call on the Dalai Lama on Wednesday to respect what it said was the historic practice of reincarnation, after the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader implied in a newspaper interview he may be the last to hold the posit…
Trouble in paradise? Sweden risks deadlock in tight election race
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden, seen for years as a beacon of stability and reforms in a crisis-ridden Europe, may be heading for political deadlock after Sunday’s general election, with polls suggesting that both right and left might be unable to form a…
Exclusive: Japan, U.S. discussing offensive military capability for Tokyo – Japan officials
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan and the United States are exploring the possibility of Tokyo acquiring offensive weapons that would allow Japan to project power far beyond its borders, Japanese officials said, a move that would likely infuriate China.
Ukraine president signs law paving way for sanctions against Russia: Interfax
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a law paving the way for the imposition of economic sanctions against companies and individuals, Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday.
Japanese regulator approves restart of first nuclear reactors
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s nuclear regulator gave the go-ahead on Wednesday for the restart of a nuclear power station, the first step to reopening an industry that was mothballed after the Fukushima disaster and which may involve the definitive closure…
Fiji says 45 peacekeepers held by Syrian rebels to be released soon
SUVA (Reuters) – The head of Fiji’s army said on Wednesday that he expected 45 Fijian U.N. peacekeepers seized two weeks ago on the Golan Heights by an al Qaeda-backed militant group, the Nusra Front, to be released within days.
Saudi Arabia’s clerics condemn IS but preach intolerance
DUBAI (Reuters) – When Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh described Islamic State and al Qaeda as “kharijites” last month, he was casting them as the ultimate heretics of Muslim history, a sect that caused the faith’s first and mo…
U.S., China security leaders spar over jet maneuvers
BEIJING (Reuters) – Top U.S. and China security officials disagreed this week over what the United States said was China’s intercept of a U.S. Navy patrol plane near the southern island province of Hainan.
Philippines’ Aquino asks Congress to enact Muslim autonomy law
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Wednesday asked Congress to swiftly enact a law creating a Muslim autonomous area in the south of the mainly Roman Catholic state, a crucial step in ending nearly five decades of conflict.
