Iran’s foreign minister hopes for nuclear accord ‘in short time left’ till deadline
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran hoped to reach a “positive result” in talks with world powers on its nuclear programme ahead of a November deadline, thanks in part to support from Russia.
U.N. says 43 Golan peacekeepers seized by Syria militants, 81 trapped
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Militants fighting the Syrian army have detained 43 U.N. peacekeepers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and trapped another 81 in the region, and the world body is working to secure their release, the United Nations said …
North Korean leader’s money manager defects in Russia: South Korea newspaper
SEOUL (Reuters) – A senior North Korean banking official who managed money for leader Kim Jong Un has defected in Russia and was seeking asylum in a third country, a South Korean newspaper reported on Friday, citing an unidentified source.
Hong Kong media mogul unbowed by raid as democracy battle boils
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s most powerful critic of Beijing, a brash media tycoon whose home was raided by anti-corruption officers, said on Friday he won’t be cowed by efforts to silence him ahead of a crunch decision this weekend on the city’s …
Captain of doomed South Korea ferry says lack of checks was customary: Yonhap
SEOUL (Reuters) – The captain of a ferry that capsized in April in South Korea’s worst maritime accident in decades told a court on Friday he was just following established practice in not making safety checks before the vessel set off, Yonhap news age…
Three admit to murder of prominent Tibetan religious leader in China: lawyer
BEIJING (Reuters) – Three Tibetans in China have pleaded guilty to involvement in the death of a prominent religious leader and two other people, a lawyer representing the victims’ families said on Friday, in Tibet’s most closely watched murder case in…
Scotland’s pro-independence campaign gains on final TV debate: poll
LONDON (Reuters) – Support for Scottish independence has risen by 4 percent after the final TV debate before a breakaway referendum in less than three weeks’ time, one opinion poll showed on Friday, halving the anti-independence campaign’s lead.
Australia seeks Thai help for Aussie couples, surrogate babies
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Australia urged Thailand on Friday to allow Australian couples with babies born by Thai surrogate mothers to return home with their children following a crackdown on commercial surrogacy that has left many couples in limbo.
Somalia takes Kenya to U.N. court in oil rights row
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Somalia filed a suit against Kenya at the U.N.’s highest court, seeking to resolve a long-running dispute over lucrative oil reserves in the Indian Ocean.
Macau to ‘re-elect’ leader as democratic rumblings, mirroring Hong Kong, are stifled
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Macau chief executive Fernando Chui is widely expected to be “re-elected” on Sunday after the pro-China government stifled an unofficial referendum on democracy, taking a much harder line on the gambling hub than leaders have in n…
