China fires shot across U.S. bow ahead of Obama’s Asia trip
BEIJING (Reuters) – In one of the many frank exchanges U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had in China this week, General Fan Changlong told him how one of his uncles died as a slave in a Japanese mine during World War Two.
Election board rejects Turkish opposition call for Ankara re-run
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s opposition failed on Thursday to have the results of a local election in Ankara canceled in an attempt to salvage some victory from nationwide polls that proved a triumph for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey’s humbled secular opposition seeks to shed elitist image
ANKARA (Reuters) – Chastened by its failure to dent Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s domination at the ballot box, Turkey’s main opposition is looking to the conservative religious heartland it long shunned and trying to shed its image as bastion of an …
France’s Hollande names European expert his chief of staff
PARIS (Reuters) – French President Francois Hollande appointed a close friend and former European affairs minister to the strategic post of his chief of staff on Wednesday and reshuffled his private office to tighten the country’s relations with Brusse…
Cuba says U.S. hunger striker has ‘dignified’ treatment in prison
HAVANA (Reuters) – A U.S. contractor who has launched a hunger strike while serving a long prison term in Cuba is receiving “dignified and decent treatment” in a hospital ward, where he is in normal and stable health, Cuba said on Wednesday.
British PM Cameron’s authority dented as minister resigns
LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron suffered a blow to his authority on Wednesday when a scandal-hit minister he had been doggedly defending resigned, exposing him to charges of weak leadership and poor judgment.
G7 ministers to meet Thursday on economy, Ukraine
(Reuters) – Finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations will meet on Thursday in Washington to discuss the global economy and the situation in Ukraine, sources said.
Afghan commander: cross-border Taliban alliance growing stronger
CAMP THUNDER, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Taliban militants in Pakistan have established an increasingly close relationship with insurgents from across the border in Afghanistan, supplying them with explosives and well-trained fighters, a senior Afghan arm…
Japan, U.S. make progress in trade talks; key gaps remain
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese and U.S. trade officials made progress on Wednesday in negotiations meant to spur a broad Pacific trade pact and prepare for a visit by President Barack Obama, but they remain apart on some major issues, both sides said.
Indonesia election count suggests tougher ride for presidential hopeful Jokowi
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s likely next leader may have a bumpier-than-expected route to the presidential palace after early counting in Wednesday’s parliamentary vote suggested his party will have to cut a deal with other parties to get him there …
