End of oil boom threatens Norway’s welfare model
OSLO (Reuters) – Norway’s energy boom is tailing off years ahead of expectations, exposing an economy unprepared for life after oil and threatening the long-term viability of the world’s most generous welfare model.
China-Vietnam sea incident not ‘clash’: China vice foreign minister
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping said on Thursday that China and Vietnam could resolve disputes at sea peacefully and that an incident between the countries earlier this week in a part of the disputed South China Sea was …
South Africa’s ruling ANC takes clear election lead
PRETORIA (Reuters) – The ruling African National Congress (ANC) took a clear lead on Thursday in South Africa’s first “Born Free” election, featuring voters with no memory of the white-minority rule that ended in 1994.
Saudi Arabia finds another 18 MERS cases as disease spreads
RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has identified 18 new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), it said late on Wednesday, pushing the total number of infections in the country so far to 449.
Hong Kong property tycoons stand trial in city’s biggest graft case
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Thomas and Raymond Kwok, the billionaire co-chairmen of Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd, Asia’s largest developer, went on trial on Thursday in Hong Kong’s biggest corruption case since the city’s anti-graft agency was formed nearly 4…
Crashed drones programmed to fly from North Korea and back: South Korea
SEOUL (Reuters) – Three drones that crashed in South Korea had onboard flight programming that showed they were launched from North Korea and were meant to return after flying over military installations in the South, the defense ministry in Seoul said…
China detains journalist on charges of leaking state secrets
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities have detained an outspoken journalist and political activist accused of providing state secrets to foreign contacts, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Thursday, and state television aired images of her maki…
Colombian broadcaster offered peace talks info by hacker, opposition figure
BOGOTA (Reuters) – A Colombian broadcaster said on Wednesday it was offered information on peace talks with leftist rebels by an opposition campaign official and a hacker arrested for spying on the negotiators.
Cuba arrests four Miami-based exiles suspected of attack plot
HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba has arrested four Miami-based exiles suspected of planning attacks on military installations with the goal of promoting anti-government violence on the communist-run island, the Interior Ministry said.
Rebels evacuated from Homs, the cradle of Syrian uprising
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Hundreds of Syrian rebels on Wednesday abandoned their last stronghold in the heart of Homs city, an epicenter of the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, handing him a symbolic victory weeks before his likely re-election.
