Zambian president gives death row inmates life sentences
LUSAKA (Reuters) – Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu on Thursday reduced the sentence of 332 prisoners awaiting death by hanging to life imprisonment to ease maximum security prison congestion.
Top China official visits Hanoi as Vietnam, U.S. get cozy
HANOI (Reuters) – Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli held talks with top Vietnamese leaders during a visit on Thursday that comes hot on the heels of a landmark United States trip by Vietnam’s communist party chief.
Putin says calls for U.N. tribunal on downing of airliner premature
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday calls for a U.N. tribunal to be set up to prosecute suspects in the downing of a Malaysian airliner in a rebel-held part of Ukraine were counterproductive and premature.
Ukraine passes draft bill to grant east regions more autonomy
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s parliament approved a draft law on Thursday to grant two separatist regions greater autonomy, a first step towards meeting the demands of a ceasefire agreement on the status of the pro-Russian self-styled “people’s republics”…
China says Japan, China preparing for ‘high-level’ talks
BEIJING (Reuters) – China is preparing for “high-level political dialogue” with Japan, China’s top diplomat told the head of Japan’s National Security Council on Thursday, fuelling speculation of a leaders’ summit as early as September.
Militants clash with Egyptian coastguard, setting boat on fire
CAIRO (Reuters) – Militants exchanged shots with an Egyptian coastguard vessel in the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday, causing it to catch fire, the military said in a statement.
Thai police say ex-PetroSaudi official admits to blackmail attempt
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A Swiss national detained over allegations of attempted extortion involving a Saudi Arabia-based oil and gas company has admitted to committing blackmail, Thai police said on Thursday.
U.N. human rights experts say China must end crackdown on lawyers
GENEVA (Reuters) – U.N. human rights investigators demanded an end to a Chinese crackdown on lawyers on Thursday after more than 100 people were detained, intimidated or went missing over the past week.
Switzerland extradites first official to U.S. in FIFA case
ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss authorities said on Thursday they had extradited to the United States an official detained in a U.S. corruption investigation into world soccer’s governing body FIFA.
Gunmen kill two soldiers in Thai south, independence banners found
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Unidentified gunmen shot dead two soldiers in an ambush in Thailand’s south on Thursday, police said, and dozens of banners calling for independence have been found in the insurgency-plagued region.
