Turkey’s Erdogan positions himself for more powerful presidential role
ANKARA (Reuters) – Tayyip Erdogan declared his candidacy on Tuesday for a more powerful presidency which rivals fear may entrench authoritarian rule and supporters, especially conservative Muslims, see as the crowning prize in his drive to reshape NATO…
Nigeria arrests businessman in connection with girls’ abductions
MAIDUGURI Nigeria (Reuters) – Nigerian troops have arrested a businessman suspected of being at the head of a Boko Haram intelligence network that helped plan the abduction of more than 200 school girls in the northeast, the military said on Tuesday.
Truck by truck, Israel builds trade gateway to Arab world
HAIFA Israel (Reuters) – The hydraulic ramp of a Turkish freighter taps down on the eastern Mediterranean port of Haifa and, under a full moon, 37 trucks roll off onto an otherwise empty pier.
China’s Xi heads to Seoul with North Korea on his mind
SEOUL (Reuters) – The president of China, North Korea’s only major ally, visits South Korea this week where the leaders of the two countries are expected to call on Pyongyang to end its pursuit of nuclear weapons, although Beijing will make sure it is …
New Zealand wants Malaysia to act against diplomat over sex charge
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand pressed the Malaysian government on Tuesday to take action against a diplomat who claimed immunity and left the country after being charged with committing a sexual assault in the capital, Wellington, in May.
Conflict minerals law starts working despite poor industry response
LONDON (Reuters) – A U.S. law on conflict minerals is curbing African warlords’ presence around mines in Congo, campaigners say, but its full impact remains unclear, with most firms failing to pinpoint the origin of their metals by a June deadline.
Israel bombs Gaza sites hours after bodies of Israeli teens found
GAZA (Reuters) – Israeli aircraft bombed dozens of sites in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the military said, and troops opened fire and killed a Palestinian during an arrest raid in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian medics said.
China’s top Taiwan official plays down violent protests on trip
BEIJING (Reuters) – Violent protests which forced China’s top official in charge of relations with Taiwan to cancel several meetings while visiting last week do not represent mainstream opinion, said the official concerned, who was also confident about…
North Korean daughter of Japanese abductee could visit Japan this year
SEOUL (Reuters) – The North Korean daughter of a Japanese woman abducted by Pyongyang agents as a schoolgirl can visit Japan later this year, signaling a potential improvement in bilateral ties even as the two nations meet for talks in Beijing.
China’s military calls for unity after top level graft bust
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s military called on Tuesday for unity and loyalty to the ruling Communist Party after one of its most senior former officers was accused of corruption, the highest-ranking official to date felled in a battle against pervasive…
