New Pakistan PM consults ousted boss Sharif on cabinet picks
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi began his first full day in office on Wednesday by meeting his ousted former boss Nawaz Sharif, a signal the ex-premier would continue to wield influence after the Supreme Court d…
Trump factor weighs as Vietnam intensifies crackdown on dissidents
(Reuters) – A crackdown on communist Vietnam’s increasingly vocal dissidents has become the biggest in years and activists say authorities have been emboldened by the Trump administration’s lack of emphasis on human rights.
Indonesia jails man who grew marijuana to treat cancer-stricken wife
JAKARTA (Reuters) – An Indonesian court on Borneo island on Wednesday jailed a man for eight months after he grew medicinal marijuana to help ease the pain being suffered by his cancer-stricken wife, who died shortly after his arrest, his lawyer said.
China says restrained in face of India ‘concocting’ excuses over border
BEIJING (Reuters) – China accused India on Wednesday of “concocting” excuses over the illegal entry of the South Asian nation’s military into Chinese territory on their disputed border, adding that China had shown great restraint.
Baby plans, not policy, first hurdle for New Zealand Labour’s new female leader
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand’s charismatic new Labour leader, who took over in a desperate gamble to revive her struggling party seven weeks out from an election, spent her first 24 hours in the job fielding questions about babies rather than her…
Case thrown out against former Thai PM Somchai in rare win for anti-junta camp
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A Thai court on Wednesday dismissed a case against former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, a brother-in-law of deposed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in a rare victory for the pro-Thaksin, anti-junta movement.
Exclusive: Russian losses in Syria jump in 2017, Reuters estimates show
BELORECHENSK, Russia (Reuters) – Ten Russian servicemen have been killed fighting in Syria so far this year, according to statements from the Defence Ministry.
Malaysia seizes nearly $1 million in trafficked wildlife at airport
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian authorities seized trafficked ivory tusks and pangolin scales worth nearly $1 million over the weekend, airport customs officials said on Wednesday, the latest in a series of seizures in Asia of products made from end…
UAE says measures against Qatar do not violate WTO agreements
DUBAI (Reuters) – Economic sanctions imposed on Qatar by three fellow Gulf states do not violate World Trade Organisation agreements, a United Arab Emirates official said, after Doha launched a wide-ranging legal complaint at the Geneva-based body this…
Exclusive: Venezuelan vote data casts doubt on turnout at Sunday poll
CARACAS (Reuters) – Only 3.7 million people had voted by 5.30 p.m. in Venezuela’s controversial Constitutional Assembly election on Sunday, according to internal electoral council data reviewed by Reuters, casting doubt on the 8.1 million people author…
