Exclusive: Indonesia’s new president plans steep fuel price rises next month
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s President-elect Joko Widodo plans to raise subsidised gasoline and diesel prices by around 50 percent next month in a bid to bring down the budget deficit in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, an adviser told Reuters on F…
Nepal blizzard survivors recount ordeal, rescuers hunt for missing
KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Trekkers battling a Himalayan blizzard were left helpless after porters fainted from the cold, a survivor of one of Nepal’s worst mountain disasters said on Friday, as rescue teams resumed a hunt for 10 missing hikers and the deat…
U.S. envoys to Japan, China, South Korea meet in Tokyo, see officials
TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. ambassadors to Japan, China and South Korea are holding a regular meeting in Tokyo this week to discuss regional issues and are meeting a variety of experts and officials including Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, a spokes…
China jails reporter for defaming state-controlled construction firm Zoomlion
BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese investigative journalist who wrote reports critical of a state-controlled construction equipment maker has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of defamation and bribery, according to state media on Friday.
China names new envoy to Iceland after Japan spying report
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping has appointed China’s new ambassador to Iceland, a month after overseas Chinese media reported that the previous envoy had been arrested for passing secrets to Japan.
Brazil’s Rousseff suffers dizzy spell after campaign debate
BRASILIA (Reuters) – President Dilma Rousseff had a dizzy spell that forced her to sit down during an interview on Thursday following a tense television debate in Brazil’s presidential election campaign, but she recovered immediately after drinking som…
With seizures up, Indian gold smuggling loses its shine
MUMBAI (Reuters) – Gold smuggling into India, the world’s second-biggest consumer of the precious metal, is becoming more risky for couriers following a surge in seizures and less profitable for the gangs behind the practice.
Ramped-up air strikes stall Islamic State advance on Syrian town
MURSITPINAR Turkey (Reuters) – Two days of heavy air strikes by U.S. warplanes have slowed an advance by Islamic State militants against Kurdish forces defending the Syrian border town of Kobani.
Libyan Red Crescent calls for Benghazi ceasefire as fighting rages
BENGHAZI Libya (Reuters) – Libya’s Red Crescent called on Thursday for a ceasefire in the eastern city of Benghazi to allow the evacuation of families trapped by street fighting between Islamist militants and pro-government forces supported by local yo…
Hong Kong police clear barricades in Mong Kok area, meet little resistance
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong police carried out a dawn raid to remove barricades and other obstacles erected by pro-democracy protesters around the bustling area of Mong Kok, moving in while many demonstrators were still asleep.
