Vietnam calls for ‘self-restraint’ in disputed South China Sea
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Vietnam and Australia called on Wednesday for “self-restraint” in the South China Sea and warned against the unilateral use of force, an obvious reference to China’s increasingly aggressive presence that has stirred concerns across t…
U.S. seeks negotiated settlement in Syria that excludes Assad: envoy
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – The United States still wants a negotiated political settlement in Syria that excludes President Bashar al-Assad, and its position on the Syrian leader has not changed, top U.S. envoy John Allen told Turkish officials late on Tuesd…
Pakistan death row convict’s family makes emotional plea for mercy
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) – The family of a Pakistani man charged as a child with murder and due to be hanged made heartrending appeals to the government on Wednesday, complaining of a flawed justice system that allowed months of torture to extr…
Thai lawyers call for investigation of bomb suspects’ complaints
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A group of Thai lawyers called on Wednesday for an investigation into allegations that four suspects held over a Bangkok bomb attack were tortured while in police custody.
Seven killed in Helmand blast amid Afghan forces offensive
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Seven people were killed and 20 wounded on Wednesday when a truck exploded outside the governor’s compound in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, officials said, amid a major operation by Afghan forces to clear…
U.S. loses drone over Syria, which claims to have brought it down
WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) – The United States lost one of its Predator drone aircraft over northwest Syria on Tuesday, U.S. officials said, as Syrian state media reported its air defenses brought down the spy plane in the government-controlled Lataki…
Ex-Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew’s health deteriorates
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The health of Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of modern Singapore, has deteriorated further and he remains critically ill in intensive care, the prime minister’s office said on Wednesday.
Malaysian move toward harsher Islamic law divides opposition
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Calls by Malaysia’s Islamist opposition party for strict Islamic law that includes amputations and stonings is symptomatic of a drift to more conservative Islam in politics and could further strain relations in the multi-ethnic…
Somali Islamists kill four in cross-border attack on Kenyan town
ISIOLO, Kenya (Reuters) – Somali Islamist militants killed at least four people during a raid on a Kenyan town near the border with Somalia, police said on Wednesday.
Food concerns mount in Vanuatu after monster cyclone
PORT VILA (Reuters) – International aid agencies ramped up appeals for cyclone-hit Vanuatu on Wednesday, warning that the powerful storm that affected more than two-thirds of the South Pacific island nation had wiped out crops and destroyed fishing fle…
