Australia seizes record cocaine haul on cruise ship, arrests three Canadians
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian customs officers seized a record 95 kg (210 lb) of cocaine from a cruise ship docked in Sydney Harbour following a joint operation at the weekend and leading to the arrest of three Canadians, they said on Monday.
Pakistan Supreme Court dismisses civilian appeals against military convictions
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Monday upheld verdicts and death sentences in the cases of 16 civilians convicted of terrorism-related offences by military courts, the first time the highest court has ruled on the legality of cases tr…
Options sought as Merkel’s radio silence complicates path to soft Brexit landing
BERLIN (Reuters) – Triggering the procedure for Britain to exit the European Union is like turning off the engines on an airplane, a top European diplomat says: best only do it if you can see a landing strip. Otherwise, all parties risk a messy outcome…
China wants a successful G20 but suspects West may derail agenda
BEIJING (Reuters) – China is hoping to cement its standing as a global power when it hosts leaders from the world’s biggest economies this weekend, but suspects the West and its allies will try to deny Beijing what it sees as its rightful place on the …
High toll for Libyan troops battling Islamic State in Sirte
SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) – At least 34 Libyan fighters were killed and more than 180 wounded on Sunday as they closed in on the last Islamic State militant holdouts in the coastal city of Sirte, according to field hospitals.
German minister sees progress on lawmaker visits to Turkey air base
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany and Turkey have made progress in resolving a dispute over Turkey’s refusal to allow German lawmakers to visit 250 troops stationed at Incirlik Air Base, European Affairs Minister Michael Roth told broadcaster Suedwestrundfunk…
Australian aid worker kidnapped in Afghanistan freed
SYDNEY/KABUL (Reuters) – An Australian aid worker kidnapped in Afghanistan four months ago was freed following a raid by Afghan special forces near the eastern city of Jalalabad, officials said on Monday.
China’s Xi reshuffles key party posts ahead of congress
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping has reshuffled three top provincial-level Communist Party posts as he seeks to place his men in key positions ahead of a once-every-five-years congress next year, and more new appointments are likely soo…
Indonesian church attacker ‘obsessed’ with Islamic State leader: senior minister
JAKARTA (Reuters) – A knife-wielding Indonesian teen who tried to attack a priest at a church during a Sunday service was “obsessed” with extremist group Islamic State, a senior minister said on Monday.
Majority want Japan PM Abe to stay on until Tokyo 2020 Olympics: poll
TOKYO (Reuters) – Support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe edged above 60 percent for the first time in almost two years, and nearly the same percentage want him to stay in the top job until Tokyo hosts the Summer Games in 2020, a media survey sh…
