Thailand aims for upgrade from U.S. trafficking blacklist next year: PM
BANGKOK/CHIANG MAI, Thailand (Reuters) – Thailand is working flat out to combat human trafficking, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday, adding he hoped Thailand would be lifted from a U.S. list of worst human trafficking centers next year….
China says not planning military bases in the Maldives
BEIJING (Reuters) – China is not planning to build military bases on the Maldives, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after the Maldives allowed foreigners to own land despite opposition concern the reform could be used for military expansion by Chi…
El Salvador bus drivers go on strike as gang violence surges
SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) – El Salvador’s bus drivers went on strike on Monday, demanding better security in the wake of escalating gang attacks and leaving thousands of commuters stranded on the streets of the Central American capital.
Libyan city Benghazi plunges into darkness as fighting hits power plants
BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi has been plunged into darkness as clashes between pro-government forces and Islamist fighters have knocked out three of five power stations serving the city, the country’s second largest, off…
Nine killed in day-long Indian gun battle near Pakistani border
DINANAGAR, India (Reuters) – Indian police overcame a group of gunmen dressed in military fatigues on Monday after a 12-hour battle that ended in a small-town police station near the border with Pakistan, and at least nine people were killed.
Houthis, foes fight on as Yemen ceasefire quickly unravels
SANAA/ADEN (Reuters) – Yemen’s Houthi group carried on fighting across Yemen on Monday despite a ceasefire announcement by its Saudi-led foes, and media controlled by the Iran-allied movement acknowledged that its forces had shelled targets inside Saud…
Magnitude 7.0 quake hits Irian Jaya, Indonesia: USGS
(Reuters) – A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Irian Jaya, Indonesia, on Tuesday the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Turkey, U.S. aim for zone cleared of Islamic State in northern Syria
ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Turkey and the United States are working on plans to provide air cover for Syrian rebels and jointly sweep Islamic State fighters from a strip of land along the Turkish border, bolstering the NATO member’s security and p…
Top officials from anti-ISIS coalition to meet in Canada: sources
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Senior officials from the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State forces will meet in Canada this week to discuss how to improve the effectiveness of the campaign, two sources with knowledge of the meeting said on Monday.
Singapore’s ruling party contends with new voting majority
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – When Singapore celebrates its 50th year of independence on Aug. 9 and its older citizens eulogize the country’s economic feats, its ruling party founded by the late Lee Kuan Yew faces an unprecedented wave of young voters who may not be as nostalgic.
