Drunk passenger triggers hijack alert on Australian flight to Bali
JAKARTA (Reuters) – A drunk passenger triggered a hijack scare on Friday when he tried to break into the cockpit of a Virgin Australia plane flying from Brisbane to the Indonesian holiday island of Bali, transport officials said.
Russia says Syria not using chemical arms, claims ‘fabricated’
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Allegations that Syrian government forces have used toxic chemicals are false, Russia said on Friday, and accused President Bashar al-Assad’s foes of fabricating such claims to provoke foreign military intervention.
China offers rewards for tip-offs in troubled Xinjiang region
BEIJING (Reuters) – Authorities in China are offering cash rewards for everything from “violent terrorism training” to growing long beards, the latest security regulations in the Xinjiang region that critics say target Muslims.
Exclusive: Obama plans to call EU leaders in Russia sanctions push – sources
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to speak to several European leaders on Friday to try to nudge the EU toward fresh sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, sources familiar with the matter said.
Empty spaces mark Korean school tribute for missing ferry victims
ANSAN, South Korea/SEOUL (Reuters) – A floral tribute to the children who drowned in a sinking South Korean ferry displays photographs of the victims in their school uniforms, while lines of empty spaces wait to be filled with photos once those still m…
Slovenia government fate uncertain ahead of party vote
LJUBLJANA (Reuters) – The fate of Slovenia’s coalition government, which saved the country from an international bailout last year, hung in the balance on Friday ahead of a leadership battle in the main party due later in the day.
Ukraine forces kill up to five rebels; Russia starts drill near border
SLAVIANSK, Ukraine/ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) – Ukrainian forces killed up to five pro-Moscow rebels on Thursday as they closed in on the separatists’ military stronghold in the east, and Russia launched army drills near the border in response, ra…
South Korea says six-party talks at risk if North conducts new nuclear test
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Park Geun-hye said a fourth nuclear test by reclusive North Korea would render the six-party talks, aimed at reining in the North’s nuclear ambitions, meaningless.
China believes arms firm did not violate rules in Syria
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that it did not believe that the country’s biggest arms maker had violated any international conventions, after a canister bearing its name was shown in footage believed to document a gas atta…
Top Turkish court chairman slams government criticism of judiciary
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s Constitutional Court Chairman Hasim Kilic denounced “excessive” political criticism of his tribunal on Friday, in a defiant challenge of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan who has criticized recent court rulings.
