Afghan election set for Abdullah-Ghani run-off
KABUL (Reuters) – The Afghanistan election is set to go to a second round run-off between former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani after none of the candidates won an absolute majority, preliminary results show…
China’s president warns against growing threats to national security
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Saturday that China faces increasing threats to national security and warned of the dangers of terrorism in a speech indicating that Beijing could impose tougher controls on its ethnic minorities…
Al Qaeda chief urges Westerner kidnappings
DUBAI (Reuters) – Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has called on Muslims to kidnap Westerners, particularly Americans, who could then be exchanged for jailed jihadists including a blind Egyptian cleric convicted in 1995 of conspiring to attack the Unit…
Australian mistook cockpit for toilet, triggering hijack scare
JAKARTA/PERTH (Reuters) – An Australian passenger mistook the cockpit door for the toilet, triggering Friday’s hijack scare on a Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to the Indonesian holiday island of Bali, police said.
China aims to build over 7 million public homes this year
BEIJING (Reuters) – China aims to start building more than 7 million units of public housing this year, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said on Saturday, signaling the latest government move to counter high property prices.
Obama reminds North Korea of U.S. ‘military might’
SEOUL (Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Saturday the United States did not use its military might to “impose things” on others, but that it would use that might if necessary to defend South Korea from any attack by the reclusive North.
Tokyo governor passes on Japan PM’s goodwill on China visit
BEIJING (Reuters) – Tokyo’s governor said on Saturday that he had passed on a message from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Chinese leaders that Abe wants relations to improve, during a rare high-level visit as bilateral ties continue to sour.
Boy who raised alarm on doomed Korean ferry had no time to call parents
SEOUL (Reuters) – The frightened boy who first raised the alarm that a South Korean ferry with hundreds on board was sinking did not have time to call his parents, his father said, and was found dead not wearing a life jacket.
Indian Ocean undersea hunt for MH370 set to be extended
PERTH, Australia (Reuters) – The undersea search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is to be extended beyond the small area identified as its most likely resting place as the quest for any sign of the missing plane enters its 50th day on Saturd…
Most workers trapped in Nepal tunnel rescued, three still missing
KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Thirteen of the workers including a Chinese national trapped by a landslide inside the tunnel of a hydroelectric power project in Nepal were rescued on Saturday, a project official said.
