China parliament head warns of western-style democracy for Hong Kong
HONG KONG (Reuters) – The head of China’s parliament warned on Thursday that importing western-style democracy for a planned direct election in Hong Kong in 2017 could lead to “disastrous” results, a delegate who attended the closed-door meeting said.
World food prices jump in February
ROME (Reuters) – Global food prices rose in February in the sharpest climb since mid-2012, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday, due to higher prices in all commodity groups except meat.
Russia amnesties former defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov: Ifax
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian investigators have amnestied former defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Interfax news agency reported on Thursday, citing a source with knowledge of the situation.
Afghan president’s brother withdraws from election, backs ex-minister
KABUL (Reuters) – The Afghan president’s older brother, Qayum Karzai, announced on Wednesday he was withdrawing from next month’s presidential election and would back former foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul.
Malaysia’s Anwar faces sodomy ruling as rights groups question court motive
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian prosecutors began their appeal on Thursday against the acquittal of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on a charge of sodomy, a case that international human rights groups have condemned as politically motivated.
China says Germans fine if their war atonement is compared to Japan
BEIJING (Reuters) – China won’t make World War Two a key part of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Germany this month, Beijing’s envoy to Berlin said on Thursday, but added that Germans were fine for China to use their contrition over the war against Jap…
Flights into Abu Dhabi diverted by technical failure
ABU DHABI (Reuters) – All flights into Abu Dhabi’s international airport are being diverted to other airports in the region on Thursday morning because of a technical failure, Abu Dhabi’s state-owned carrier Etihad Airways said in a statement.
Sweden suspends some aid to Uganda over anti-gay law
KAMPALA (Reuters) – Sweden has suspended some of its financial aid to Uganda over a law that toughened punishment for gays, becoming the fourth donor to do so.
Singapore police probe suspected suicide of digital currency exchange CEO
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore police are investigating the apparent suicide of a 28-year-old American woman who ran a small exchange in the Asian city state trading virtual currencies.
Bahrain says two children injured as bomb explodes
MANAMA (Reuters) – Bahrain’s interior ministry said on Thursday two children were injured after they were instructed to plant a bomb in the same village where a bomb killed two local policemen and an officer from the United Arab Emirates earlier this w…
