Israel says it seized Gaza-bound rocket shipment from Iran
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Israeli navy seized a ship in the Red Sea on Wednesday that was carrying dozens of advanced Iranian-supplied rockets made in Syria and intended for Palestinian guerrillas in the Gaza Strip, the military said.
Iran to get second tranche of payment under nuclear deal: IRNA
ANKARA (Reuters) – Iran will soon receive a second installment of previously frozen assets which are being returned to it under an interim nuclear agreement with world powers, the official IRNA news agency quoted its central bank chief as saying.
Graft-hit China province says has only a few ‘bad apples’
BEIJING (Reuters) – The leader of China’s scandal-plagued southwestern province of Sichuan said on Thursday that a few “bad apple” corrupt officials should not negate the hard work of the vast majority of party members, despite spiraling graft allegati…
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.
