China steps up appeal to West in Japan propaganda battle
SHENYANG, China (Reuters) – China took reporters on Thursday on an unusual trip to a camp which housed Western prisoners of the Japanese in World War Two, a further sign of Beijing broadening efforts to drive a wedge between the West and Japan over its…
Critic of France’s Hollande says it with dung
PARIS (Reuters) – A critic of President Francois Hollande and France’s ruling elite dumped tonnes of horse manure in front of the national parliament building in Paris on Thursday in a pungent protest against French politics.
Catalonia defies Madrid with push for independence vote
MADRID (Reuters) – Local lawmakers in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia voted to seek a referendum on breaking away from Spain on Thursday, setting themselves up for a battle with an implacably opposed central government in Madrid.
North Korea hawkish and dovish ahead of South-U.S. drills
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea demanded that South Korea and the United States halt annual military drills due in February and March, saying they were a direct provocation, a statement that suggested a re-run of a sharp escalation in tension last year.
Thai graft body to probe rice subsidies, adding to PM’s woes amid protests
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A Thai anti-corruption agency said on Thursday it would investigate a money-guzzling rice subsidy program that has fuelled opposition to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, as protesters marched through the capital demanding she res…
Main Turkish opposition rejects constitutional reform proposal
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s largest opposition party said on Thursday it had rejected plans for constitutional changes to resolve a row over the judiciary, paving the way for the government to press ahead with its own moves to assert greater control ov…
Kabul’s new female police chief aware of danger, hopes to inspire others
KABUL (Reuters) – An Afghan policewoman took charge of a district in the capital Kabul this week, such an unusual and dangerous appointment in a country where women have few rights that her bosses gave her four bodyguards.
Main Turkish opposition rejects constitutional reform proposal
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s largest opposition party said on Thursday it had rejected plans for constitutional changes to resolve a row over the judiciary, paving the way for the government to press ahead with its own plans to assert greater control ov…
Serbia to hold snap election in March: report
BELGRADE (Reuters) – Serbia will hold a snap parliamentary election in March as the co-ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) seeks to cash in on rising poll numbers, the Politika daily reported on Thursday.
Netanyahu hardens settlement demands in peace talks: report
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s prime minister has increased the amount of occupied territory he wants to keep after any peace deal with the Palestinians, state media reported on Thursday, a move that could complicate U.S.-backed efforts to reach an acc…
