Kazakh leader may drop the ‘stan’ in Kazakhstan
ALMATY (Reuters) – President Nursultan Nazarbayev may drop the ‘stan’ from Kazakhstan to distinguish his booming oil-rich nation from the rest of Central Asia, where the other so-called stans are mostly mired in poverty.
India’s top court halts potential blackout in Delhi power row
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s Supreme Court on Friday ordered state-run power producer NTPC Ltd to continue supplying power to distribution companies in the capital, New Delhi, until March 26, in a move that averts a blackout next week.
Some 200 civilians expected to leave besieged part of Syria’s Homs: governor
BEIRUT (Reuters) – About 200 people are expected to leave a besieged area of the Syrian city of Homs on Friday in the first stage of a humanitarian deal to evacuate civilians and allow aid to be delivered, a regional official said.
Earthquake of 6.7 magnitude strikes off Vanuatu – USGS
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – An earthquake of 6.7 magnitude struck off the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
South Korea to widen safety probe on certificates for nuclear reactor parts
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s nuclear watchdog said on Friday it will expand its investigation of reactor parts manufactured or certified by foreign companies since 2008 to see if it can find more instances of forged safety certificates.
South Africa’s Harmony Gold stops operations after accidents
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s Harmony Gold stopped all its operations for a 24-hour safety shift on Friday after at least eight workers were killed in a rock-fall and fire, the worst accident in South Africa’s mines in nearly five years.
China’s Xi visits Russia, says Sochi Games to be splendid
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s President Xi Jinping said Russia’s Winter Olympics would be splendid, state media reported, a show of support during a meeting with his Russian counterpart before Friday’s official opening of the Games in Sochi.
India’s top court halts potential power blackout in Delhi
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s Supreme Court ordered state-run power producer NTPC Ltd on Friday not to disconnect power supplies to distribution companies in the capital New Delhi until March 26, averting a potential blackout next week.
Airport riot mars end of China’s new year holiday
BEIJING (Reuters) – A riot at a major airport in China by passengers angry about delays caused by heavy snow has marred the end of the traditional week-long lunar new year holiday, state media said on Friday, as millions rush to return to work.
Japan’s Abe backs Putin with visit, in contrast to China, Korea ties
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe headed to Russia on Friday in a show of support for President Vladimir Putin at the Sochi Olympics, just hours after headlining a rally demanding that Moscow return islands seized from Japan.
