Amnesty says torture, rights abuses persist in Bahrain despite reforms
DUBAI (Reuters) – Torture and other forms of ill-treatment persist in Bahrain despite reforms introduced by the Gulf Arab kingdom to address alleged human rights abuses after a 2011 uprising, Amnesty International said on Monday.
Sweden raises alert level as bird flu spreads to neighboring Denmark
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden has raised the alert level for poultry to the second highest following an outbreak of bird flu in neighboring Denmark, the Swedish board of Agriculture said on Monday.
Saudi-led forces say Yemen truce won’t be renewed: Al-Arabiya TV
DUBAI (Reuters) – The Saudi-led coalition said on Monday that a two-day truce in Yemen has ended and will not be renewed, following what it said were repeated violations by the dominant Houthi group, Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television reported.
Turkish police detain veteran Kurdish politician in southeast: sources
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkish police on Monday detained a veteran Kurdish politician and a mayor in the southeastern province of Mardin, security sources said, the latest Kurds to be held as part of a wider crackdown on government opponents si…
Japan ex-minister warns resolving isles row with Russia not easy
TOKYO (Reuters) – A potential ruling party rival to Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned on Monday against excessive optimism over a breakthrough in a decades-old territorial row with Moscow when Abe meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Japan …
Thailand to begin building late king’s funeral pyre next year
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand will begin building the funeral pyre for late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died last month at the age of 88, next year, the government said on Monday, adding 8,000 people will be involved in the cremation ceremony.
India rail crash raises concerns of underinvestment as toll hits 142
PUKHRAYAN, India/NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian rescue workers concluded their search of the mangled carriages of a derailed train on Monday, bringing the number of passengers killed in the disaster to at least 142 and the injured to more than 200.
Taiwan says sees exchange with China’s leader in APEC as positive
TAIPEI (Reuters) – A brief exchange between representatives from Taiwan and China at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting is a “positive” development for relations across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan’s Presidential Office said on …
Obama, Putin talk about Syria and Ukraine in quick summit meet
LIMA (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke for around four minutes on Sunday at the APEC summit about Syria and Ukraine, in what is likely to be their last in-person meeting before Obama leaves office….
South Korea’s opposition parties move toward President Park impeachment
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s opposition People’s Party will start collecting signatures for an impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye, while the main opposition Democratic Party will review the conditions for impeachment, party spokesmen…
