China appoints special envoy for Afghanistan
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it had appointed a special envoy for Afghanistan, underscoring Beijing’s concerns that the withdrawal of NATO troops will leave a hotbed of militancy on its doorstep.
Bulgaria identifies airport bus bomber as Lebanese-French national
SOFIA (Reuters) – The man who blew up a bus in a Bulgarian Black Sea resort two years ago, killing five Israeli tourists as well as himself, has been identified as a dual Lebanese-French citizen, Bulgarian authorities said on Friday.
IMF sees decision on $1.4 billion tranche to Ukraine in weeks
KIEV (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund expects to decide within weeks on issuing the second tranche of a $17-billion bailout to Ukraine, whose economy is likely to contract by 6.5 percent this year, its Kiev mission chief said on Friday.
Sri Lanka court sentences four for murder of Briton, rape of fiancée
COLOMBO (Reuters) – A Sri Lankan court convicted on Friday four men, including a ruling party town council member, of the murder of a British aid worker and the rape of his Russian fiancée and sentenced them to jail with hard labor for 20 years.
China starts criminal probe into three more former senior officials
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities began criminal investigations on Friday into three more former high-ranking officials over corruption allegations, all of them allies of powerful, retired domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang.
Ousted Thai PM Yingluck rejects charge of negligence on graft
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra spoke to the media on Friday for the first time since her government was ousted in a May coup, rejecting charges she was negligent in stemming corruption.
Manila urges unity for South East Asian nations in China sea dispute
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines is pushing for a meeting among four Southeast Asian nations with conflicting claims to waters in the South China Sea so that they can hammer out a common stand in dealings with China, Manila’s foreign minister said on…
Germany’s Schaeuble says doesn’t oppose France’s Moscovici for EU post
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Friday he had nothing against his former French colleague Pierre Moscovici for the top economic job at the European Commission but believed France must get its finances in order with…
Japan PM’s policy shift risks dangerous path: Veteran politician Ozawa
TOKYO (Reuters) – When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe loosened the limits of Japan’s pacifist constitution to drop a ban on its military fighting overseas, many experts said it was a step toward becoming a “normal country” able to do more in its own defense…
South Korea military chiefs endorse $8.2 billion development plan for home-built fighters
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff endorsed a plan on Friday for the country to design its own mid-level fighter jet, which a state think tank estimated will cost up to 8.5 trillion won ($8.24 billion) to develop.
