Iran welcomes dialogue with Gulf neighbors: foreign minister tweets
Iran welcomes dialogue with its Gulf neighbors, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday, amid heightened tension in the Middle East.
Japan should ban confiscation of foreign employees’ passports, lawyer says
The Japanese government should forbid employers from retaining the passports of their foreign workers, a lawyer said on Thursday after a Filipino woman sued her former employer for refusing to return her personal documents.
Ukraine PM in Davos: government and prime minister do not plan to resign
Ukraine’s government and Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk do not plan to resign and have good relations with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Honcharuk said on Thursday.
IHG to waive fees for China hotel stay cancellations amid viral outbreak
InternContinental Hotels Group will allow customers to change or cancel stays scheduled up to Feb. 3 across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan at no additional cost, the company said on its official WeChat account on Thursday.
Germany bans neo-Nazi group Combat 18, launches raids
Germany has banned the neo-Nazi group Combat 18 and raided the homes of its leading members across the country, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.
China’s latest virus outbreak exposes perils of exotic wildlife trade
A new coronavirus spreading from the city of Wuhan has put a spotlight on China’s poorly regulated wild animal trade – driven by relentless demand for exotic delicacies and ingredients for traditional medicine.
Taiwan says Chinese air force passes to island’s south in drills
Chinese air force planes passed through the narrow Bashi Channel to the south of Taiwan on a long-range exercise on Thursday, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said, the first such drills near the island publicized since Taiwan held elections this month.
Turkey says it won’t send more advisers to Libya while ceasefire is observed: RIA
Turkey does not plan to send more military advisers to Libya while a ceasefire is being observed, Russia’s RIA news agency cited Turkey’s foreign minister as saying on Thursday.
Canadian air tanker fighting Australia bushfires crashes, killing three
A Canadian-owned C-130 Hercules air tanker crashed while fighting bushfires in Australia’s alpine region on Thursday, killing all three of its crew, authorities said.
Factbox: C-130 Hercules aircraft used as water bombers to fight fires around the world
A Lockheed C-130 Hercules tanker fighting bushfires in Australia’s alpine region crashed after losing contact with ground control on Thursday, authorities said. Modified versions of the aircraft are used around the world to dump large quantities of fla…
