South Korea rejects North’s call to halt drills with U.S.
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea on Friday rejected a call from the reclusive North to halt “provocative” military drills with the United States, saying that as a democracy it did not launch preemptive strikes.
Israel summons European envoys in settlement dispute
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel has summoned envoys from four European states to protest their “one-sided” stand in favor of the Palestinians, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Friday, escalating a quarrel over Israeli settlements.
China decries foreign interference in detained academic case
BEIJING (Reuters) – China decried what it said was interference in its internal affairs on Friday after both the United States and European Union voiced concern over the detention of a high-profile ethnic Uighur academic from the restive western region…
China calls on Manila to meet it halfway on fishing rules
BEIJING (Reuters) – China called on the Philippines on Friday to meet it halfway on new Chinese fishing rules in the disputed South China Sea, adding that Beijing was always willing to make efforts to resolve such issues via talks.
China questions officials linked to ex-strongman in graft probe: sources
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese investigators have questioned more than a dozen senior officials, including the country’s top prosecutor, about links to retired domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang, who is the subject of a corruption probe, sources said.
Nippon Steel Nagoya plant shut after flames, smoke seen
TOKYO (Reuters) – Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp’s entire Nagoya steel plant in central Japan was shut after smoke and flames were seen billing out of one of the plant’s units earlier on Friday.
Pussy Riot duo “pay tribute” to Russia government for award nomination
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Pussy Riot’s nomination for an arts award in Singapore should be extended to the Russian government for giving prominence to the protest collective by jailing members over their “Punk Prayer” video, two of the women said with heav…
Honeymoon threatens to be brief for India’s anti-graft party
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – From a rally that nearly ended in a stampede, to a rebellious lawmaker and a minister openly dueling police over drug gangs, the honeymoon could be short-lived for an anti-corruption party that shook up India’s politics last month…
China rules out promotion for officials with family overseas
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese officials whose spouses and children have emigrated will not be considered for promotion, state media reported, in the latest move to crack down on pervasive corruption.
Bodies of 14 kidnapped Sunni tribesmen found in Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The bodies of 14 Sunni Muslim tribesmen were found in date palm groves north of Baghdad on Thursday, a day after they were kidnapped by uniformed men in security forces vehicles, Iraqi police and medics said.
