Australia PM says Indonesia welcome in TPP as frictions ease
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Australia would welcome Indonesia into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Thursday, as the two countries set aside past friction to focus on building closer economic ties.
Around 25 dead in Boko Haram raid in Niger and clashes with army
NIAMEY (Reuters) – Around 25 people were killed on Wednesday in a Boko Haram attack on a village in southern Niger and subsequent clashes between the Islamist militants and the army, Niger military officials said.
EU countries are willing to do a deal on UK : Swedish PM
LONDON (Reuters) – European Union leaders are willing to find a way to reform Britain’s ties with the bloc but there are limits to what can be done, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said on Thursday.
Indonesia asks China to clarify South China Sea claims
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia has asked China to clarify its claims over the South China Sea but has yet to receive a response, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, a day after Indonesia’s security chief said Jakarta could take Beijing to court over …
Malaysia PM to give statement about transferred funds ‘soon’
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Thursday he will give a statement to the anti-graft agency soon over funds worth 2.6 billion ringgit ($595.58 million) that were transferred into his bank accounts.
Uzbekistan frees jailed dissident after Kerry visit
TASHKENT (Reuters) – Uzbekistan on Thursday freed one of its longest-serving political prisoners, a local human rights group said, shortly after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited the country.
Turkish election board confirms AKP won election with 317 seats
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s ruling AK Party won the Nov. 1 parliamentary election with 317 seats in the 550-seat assembly, High Election Board Chairman Sadi Guven told a news conference on Thursday to announce the official results.
Senior U.S. Congressional delegation makes rare Tibet trip
BEIJING (Reuters) – China allowed a senior U.S. Congressional delegation to visit Tibet, including Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, a long time critic of China’s human rights record there, a top Chinese leader said on Thursday.
Afghanistan aims to choke Taliban smuggling funds with gemstone bourse
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Afghanistan aims to deprive Taliban militants of funds from smuggled exports of the prized blue gemstone, lapis lazuli, by creating its own bourse to sell the stone, which has been traded for thousands of years in the Hindu Kush m…
Russian border guards’ return to Tajikistan ‘not on agenda’: official
ASTANA (Reuters) – Russia is worried by “terrorists” massing along the borders of the post-Soviet CIS group of states, but re-establishing Moscow’s control over the border with Afghanistan “is not on the agenda”, a senior official said on Thursday.
