Kerry urges Pakistan to push harder against groups linked to extremists
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in New Delhi on Wednesday Pakistan must push harder against groups engaged with extremists, as tension between Pakistan and India rises amid an uprising in the disputed region of Kashmir.
Family of murdered government critic Kem Ley flee Cambodia
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – The family of murdered Cambodian government critic Kem Ley have fled abroad fearing for their safety, friends of the family said on Wednesday.
Italy rescues 3,000 migrants from Mediterranean as arrivals surge
ROME (Reuters) – Some 3000 migrants were saved in the Strait of Sicily in 30 separate rescue missions on Tuesday, the Italian coastguard said, bringing the total to almost 10,000 in two days and marking a sharp acceleration in refugee arrivals in Italy…
Three arrested in Malaysia over planned attacks on eve of independence day
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian police said on Wednesday they had arrested three local supporters of the Islamic State militant group who had allegedly been planning several attacks in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, ahead of independence day celebration…
Earthquake measuring 6.8 magnitude strikes off Rabaul in Papua New Guinea: USGS
SYDNEY (Reuters) – A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck off the town of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Australia tells new lawmakers to take cautious view of Chinese investment
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia has urged legislators to take a more cautious approach in backing China’s pursuit of “legitimate interests” and stay alert to the motives guiding its investments, in a briefing book published by the non-partisan parliamenta…
Indonesia’s Widodo masters the politics, but reform agenda fades
JAKARTA (Reuters) – As he heads toward the end of his second year as Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo has never looked stronger: a crowd of political parties backs him, he is riding high in opinion polls and the economy is beginning to bounce off the…
North Korea makes progress on missiles, but no evidence of nuclear weapons yet
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea has made considerable progress this year on weapons technology, including testing a submarine-launched missile for the first time, but it’s still not clear if the isolated nation has developed a nuclear warhead.
Day of the Disappeared: South Asia’s torturous wait for the missing
NEW DELHI/KATHMANDU (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Shova Bhatta vividly remembers the morning 16 years ago, when five men came to her grocery shop on the outskirts of the Nepali capital and took her husband Shyam.
U.N. defends aid work in Syria after accusations of being too close to government
The United Nations defended its aid funding in Syria on Tuesday after an investigation revealed lucrative contracts were awarded to people close to the nation’s President Bashar al-Assad.
