Ethiopia’s ruling party sweeps parliament: early election results
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s ruling party and its allies won a large majority in parliament, the country’s election board said on Wednesday, based on an early vote count in a weekend election in which opponents complained their supporters were ha…
Woman accused of witchcraft axed to death in PNG: missionary
BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Police in Papua New Guinea vowed to find the men who axed to death a woman accused of using witchcraft to spark a measles outbreak in the country’s remote jungle highlands, a missionary said on Wednesday after mee…
Pakistan seeks FBI help to investigate firm accused of faking diplomas
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan has asked U.S. authorities to help it investigate Axact, a software firm accused of earning millions of dollars from the international sale of bogus university degrees online, officials said on Wednesday.
Malaysia detains 12 police in people-smuggling camps probe
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Twelve Malaysian police officials have been held on suspicion of links to people-smuggling camps where authorities have uncovered nearly 140 graves believed to hold the bodies of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh, a governme…
Germany lobbies India to buy Eurofighters, submarines
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Germany’s defense minister held out the prospect of more talks on a possible sale of Eurofighter jets to India and, on a visit to New Delhi, said Berlin stood ready to back a multi-billion-dollar Indian submarine project.
Niger says arrested more than 600 people for Boko Haram links since February
NIAMEY (Reuters) – Niger has detained and charged 643 people since February for their links to the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, Security Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou told parliament.
China investigates former top healthcare official for bribery
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China is investigating the former head of a healthcare ministry unit responsible for drug trials and leading implementation of healthcare policy for bribery, a prosecutor said on Tuesday.
Breather for Greenpeace in battle with Indian government
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – An Indian court on Wednesday allowed Greenpeace to gather domestic donations in two accounts frozen by the government, extending a lifeline to the environmental group that says it is facing the first forced shutdown of one of its …
Japan, Philippines to deepen ties as China asserts sea claims
TOKYO/MANILA (Reuters) – Japan and the Philippines are set to bolster security ties when President Benigno Aquino visits Tokyo next week, the latest move by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to beef up cooperation with Southeast Asian nations facing China’s gr…
Britain to host state visit of Chinese President Xi in October
LONDON (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Britain for a state visit in October, Buckingham Palace said on Wednesday, 10 years after the last such visit by a Chinese president.
