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The United States could soon freeze preparations for delivering F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, officials told Reuters, in what would be the strongest signal yet by Washington that Ankara cannot have both the advanced aircraft and Russia's S-400 air defense system. The United States is nearing an inflection point in a years-long standoff with Turkey, a NATO ally, after so far failing to sway President Tayyip Erdogan that buying a Russian air defense system would compromise the security of F-35 aircraft. While no decision has been made yet, U.S. officials confirmed that Washington was considering halting steps now underway to ready Turkey to receive the F-35, which is built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

Japan's 24-hour convenience stores are struggling to stay open around the clock as an industry that has continually expanded now finds itself at the sharp end of a labour shortage. Franchise owners, some of whom were forced to work amid massive snowstorms or in the wake of a family death, have launched a campaign to persuade industry leader 7-Eleven to allow stores to close earlier. Although the debate has focussed on their plight, it has also raised doubts over the future of a $100 billion industry that faces an ageing population, slow economic growth and new competitors such as Amazon Prime.

Norway's capital Oslo will become the first city in the world to install wireless charging systems for electric taxis, hoping to make recharging quick and efficient enough to speed the takeup of non-polluting cabs. The project will use induction technology, with charging plates installed in the road at taxi ranks linking to receivers installed in the vehicle, Finnish utility Fortum said on Thursday. From 2023 onward all taxis in Oslo will have to be zero emission and Norway wants all new cars to be zero emission by 2025.

Taiwan's still the happiest country in all of Asia. This article, Singapore retains 34th spot in World Happiness Index; still the happiest country in Southeast Asia, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!

Travel could be about to get a lot quicker

Reports are emerging of the death of a Malaysian-born woman with US citizenship at the alleged hands of her American husband yesterday on Penang island. Police responded to an emergency call to their family’s Island Glades, Jelutong-neighborhood house at 4:20am Tuesday, where they found 60-year-old Chin Geok Heong in critical condition. She later died on her ...This article, Malaysian-born US citizen allegedly suffocates wife in Penang on morning before they were meant to return, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!

The town of Hillsborough, Calif., is suing Florence Fang in California Superior Court in order to get the whimsical details removed from the yard of her home, alleging that she didn't obtain the necessary permits and approvals.