Three jailed as Thai police launch sweeping royal defamation probe
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A Thai military court jailed three people on Wednesday, including an aide to the crown prince, as part of a major probe into a group of people who allegedly falsely claimed links to the monarchy.
Iraq’s ruling alliance, militias urge PM to seek Russian strikes
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq’s ruling alliance and powerful Shi’ite militias have urged Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to request Russian air strikes on Islamic State militants, who control large parts of the country, members of the coalition and militias …
Russia, Belarus to create joint defense mechanism within two years: RIA
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia and Belarus plan to create a joint military defense mechanism within two years, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying by RIA news agency on Wednesday.
Iran’s Rouhani to visit Italy, Vatican next month: source
ROME (Reuters) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will visit Italy next month, his first trip to a European Union capital, and also meet Pope Francis, a diplomatic source said on Wednesday.
Large majority of CDU members happy with Merkel as leader
BERLIN (Reuters) – An overwhelming majority of conservative CDU members are happy with Angela Merkel as their party leader and want her to stand as chancellor again in the 2017 federal elections, a poll showed on Wednesday.
Migrants come ashore on British RAF base in Cyprus
(Reuters) – Four boatloads of migrants came ashore at a British military base on Cyprus on Wednesday, authorities said, the first time since the migrant crisis began that migrants have landed directly on what is considered British sovereign soil.
Singapore megachurch leaders hit a sour note in pop music fraud case
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The co-founder of a Singapore church and five other leaders were convicted of multi-million dollar fraud on Wednesday for diverting money to support his wife’s pop singing career, a rare fall from grace in the tightly regulated ci…
Indonesia to use chemical castration to punish pedophiles: Attorney General
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s president will soon sign a decree authorizing the use of chemical castration to punish pedophiles, the attorney general said, following a string of headline-grabbing child sex crimes.
Nine missing in east China factory blast
BEIJING (Reuters) – Nine people were missing and two injured in a blast at an east China factory on Wednesday, state media said, the latest in a string of warehouse and plant explosions.
China investigates senior military logistics officer
BEIJING (Reuters) – A senior Chinese army logistics officer is being investigated for corruption, state media said on Wednesday, the latest military official to be probed in an ongoing anti-graft campaign.
