Voters in Madagascar want end to crisis sparked by coup
ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) – Madagascar’s voters cast ballots on Friday in a run-off presidential election, but many expect old political rifts to persist and see no quick fix for their battered economy after a coup five years ago drove away investors and …
Spanish police raid ruling party HQ in graft probe
MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish police searched the headquarters of the ruling People’s Party (PP) for 14 hours as part of a corruption investigation that earlier this year threatened to destabilize the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
China vents anger over Dalai Lama’s planned Norway visit
BEIJING/OSLO (Reuters) – China’s Foreign Ministry expressed anger on Friday at plans by the Dalai Lama to visit Norway, a country with which China already has strained ties following the awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to prominent Chinese dissi…
Thai protesters march to oust PM, postpone election
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Anti-government protesters resumed marches in Bangkok on Friday, trying to energies supporters in the centre of the Thai capital before a planned mass rally at the weekend to put pressure on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to ste…
France’s Hollande flags need to cut labor costs
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – President Francois Hollande said on Friday France needed to cut the high cost of labor in France to bring down stubbornly high unemployment in the euro zone’s second-biggest economy.
China investigates top Guangdong official over ‘discipline’
HONG KONG (Reuters) – A top official in China’s prosperous Guangdong province is being investigated for “serious discipline violations”, which is often a euphemism for corruption, state media said on Friday.
China behavior in South China Sea ship encounter ‘irresponsible’: U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China’s behavior in a narrowly averted naval collision in the South China Sea was both “unhelpful” and “irresponsible,” U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday, warning against incidents that could escalate U.S.-Chine…
Kazakhstan to join U.N. peacekeeping for first time
ASTANA (Reuters) – Kazakhstan, seeking a more prominent role on the world stage, decided on Friday to send officers to aid United Nations peacekeeping missions next year for the first time since independence in 1991.
India begins training Afghan commandos as ties deepen ahead of 2014
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – – India is training a group of Afghan special forces in the deserts of Rajasthan, army officials said on Friday, deepening its involvement with Afghanistan as its military prepares to secure the country after NATO’s withdrawal in …
Suicide bombers kill 36 Shi’ite pilgrims in Iraq: police
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Suicide bombings in Iraq killed at least 36 people on Thursday in attacks targeting Shi’ite pilgrims ahead of a major holy day next week, police said.
