ASEAN, China to adopt communications protocol to ease tensions at sea
MANILA (Reuters) – Southeast Asian countries and China will establish hotlines and adopt communications protocols to avoid potential naval clashes in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, a Philippines foreign ministry official said on Friday.
China pressures Hong Kong to squash independence calls ahead of poll: sources
HONG KONG (Reuters) – China pressured the Hong Kong government to disqualify six candidates who advocated independence from a crucial citywide election, as part of a campaign to bolster its interests and win seats for its allies, two sources with knowl…
Cover up, stay in: Singaporeans wary as Zika spreads
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Many of Singapore’s five million people are covering up and staying indoors to avoid mosquito bites as health experts warned that the outbreak of the Zika virus in the tropical city-state would be difficult to contain.
Putin says oil output freeze would be right decision: Bloomberg
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said an agreement between oil exporters to freeze output would be the right decision for the global market and Iran should compromise to achieve a deal.
At least 12 killed, 52 wounded in attack on Pakistan court: rescue official
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) – At least 12 people were killed and 52 wounded when two bomb blasts were detonated outside a district court in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, a rescue official said.
Japan exhibition puts child prostitution in the limelight
TOKYO (Reuters) – “At that moment, I understood what it means to feel like I’d rather die,” wrote a young Japanese woman, recalling the trauma she suffered as a pre-teen, over having sex with a man to earn funds to repay what she thought was a debt.
U.S. fights Zika mosquitoes with limited arsenal
(Reuters) – Over Wynwood, the Miami neighborhood where Zika gained a foothold in the continental United States, low flying planes have been spraying naled, a tightly controlled pesticide often used as a last resort. It appears to be working, killing at…
Accused of plagiarizing thesis, Mexican president cites methodology flaw
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Widely derided after a report that he plagiarized nearly a third of his university law thesis, President Enrique Pena Nieto conceded on Thursday that he may have made a “methodological error”.
Brazil’s Temer says decision for Rousseff to keep political rights a ‘small’ embarrassment
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Brazil’s newly-installed president Michel Temer said the Senate’s decision to allow former president Dilma Rousseff to maintain her political rights was a “small” embarrassment, and played down its significance to the stability of …
Philippines wants mandatory drug tests for college admissions
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines is stepping up President Rodrigo Duterte’s battle on drugs with incoming college freshmen set to face tests for illegal drug use from next year, an education official said on Friday.
