China, Russia, Iran to hold joint naval drills starting Friday
China, Iran and Russia will hold joint naval drills starting on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, China’s defense ministry said on Thursday，amid heightened tension in the region between Iran and the United States.
Moscow to take retaliatory action against British media: Russian news agencies
Russia will take retaliatory measures against British media operating on Russian territory over what it regards as unfriendly action taken by British authorities against its own journalists, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday.
Netanyahu faces party leadership challenge ahead of March election
Israel’s embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a fresh challenge to his power on Thursday as his Likud party held leadership primaries in the run-up to a national election, the country’s third in under a year.
Erdogan says Turkey will send troops to Libya
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Turkey will send troops to Libya now that Tripoli has requested it, and he will present legislation to parliament in January for deployment to the north African country.
China sails carrier group through Taiwan Strait as election nears
China has sailed its new aircraft carrier into the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Thursday, as a presidential election campaigning was in full swing on the island amid heighten tension with Beijing.
Explainer: Bribery scandal casts shadow on Japan’s big casino gamble
Japanese prosecutors have arrested a ruling-party lawmaker previously in charge of casino policy on suspicion he accepted bribes from a company seeking to build a casino.
Factbox: Tsinghua-backed 500.com identified by media as involved in Japan casino bribery case
China’s 500.com Ltd, an online gambling firm, was identified by media as the company accused by Tokyo prosecutors of bribing Japanese lawmakers in the hope of building a casino in Japan.
Russia and Turkey extended talks on Syria-Libya in quest for compromise: Vedomosti
Talks in Moscow between a Turkish government delegation and Russian diplomats lasted for three days, much longer than expected, as the two sides tried to find compromises on Syria and Libya, the Vedomosti daily reported on Thursday.
Japan probe into casino bribery case widens, pachinko operator raided
Japanese authorities raided the headquarters of a pachinko operator on Thursday as part of a bribery investigation centered on a ruling party lawmaker, media reported, widening a scandal that could undermine government efforts to develop casinos.
‘I’m still scared’ – Asia remembers tsunami that killed 230,000
Communities across Asia commemorated the more than 230,000 victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami on Thursday, the 15th anniversary of one of the world’s most deadly disasters.
