Fewer babies born in Singapore last year despite incentives
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Fewer babies were born in Singapore last year, according to statistics announced on Wednesday, despite generous government incentives to boost fertility in the city-state.
Half of Filipinos don’t believe police accounts of drugs war deaths: poll
MANILA (Reuters) – Around half of Filipinos believe many people killed in the country’s war on drugs were neither drug dealers nor violently resisted arrest as police maintain, according to an opinion poll released on Wednesday.
In Japan, new party challenges Abe with populist slogans; but little policy gap
TOKYO (Reuters) – A new political party led by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is floating populist slogans such as ending nuclear power and freezing a sales tax hike ahead of a general election next month, but voters may find few other big policy gaps wit…
Thai former PM Yingluck gets five-year jail term for negligence
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s ousted former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was handed a five-year prison sentence on Wednesday after the country’s highest court found her guilty of negligence in the management of a rice subsidy scheme.
Rockets explode at Kabul airport after Mattis arrives in Afghanistan; no casualties: police
KABUL (Reuters) – Several rockets exploded in and around Kabul airport on Wednesday hours after U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis arrived in the Afghan capital on an unannounced visit, police said.
Islamic State attacks Iraqi forces west of Baghdad, killing at least 7, security sources say
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Islamic State militants attacked on Wednesday several positions held by Iraqi forces in Anbar province, west of Baghdad, killing at least 7 soldiers and wounding 16, according to a preliminary toll from security sources.
Government will take over burned Myanmar land: minister
YANGON, Septa 27 (Reuters) – Myanmar’s government will manage the redevelopment of villages torched during violence in Rakhine state that has sent nearly half a million Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh, a minister was reported on Wednesday as say…
German FDP demands policy change as price for coalition with Merkel
BERLIN (Reuters) – The leader of Germany’s liberal Free Democrats (FDP) said his party will only join an alliance with Chancellor Angela Merkel if there is a change in the direction of government policy.
Thousands evacuated in Ukraine as ammunition depot explodes
KIEV (Reuters) – Massive explosions and a blaze at a military ammunition depot in central Ukraine forced authorities to evacuate 24,000 people and close airspace over the region, officials said on Wednesday.
U.S. Commerce Secretary says market access, protectionism top China issues
HONG KONG (Reuters) – U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Wednesday the U.S. relationship with China was too lopsided and listed market access, protectionism and intellectual property as the biggest problems amid trade tensions between the two …
