Dozens die as Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines battered by storms
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia, southern Thailand and parts of the Philippines have been battered by heavy rain and flash floods in recent days, killing dozens, officials said on Tuesday.
Migrant ship off Greece says armed people on board: reports
ATHENS (Reuters) – A cargo ship believed to be carrying hundreds of migrants near the Greek island of Corfu sent out a distress signal saying armed people were on board on Tuesday, Greek television reported.
Exclusive: Former China president Hu approved probe against aide – sources
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping secured the blessing of his still influential predecessor, Hu Jintao, before launching a corruption probe against a former senior aide to Hu – a sign that internal Communist Party harmony and respect for…
India’s Modi aide acquitted of triple murder charges
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The head of India’s ruling party was acquitted of three murder charges on Tuesday in a trial that had undermined the government’s promise to usher in a new era of clean politics.Amit Shah, the closest aide of Prime Minister Narend…
Bangladesh Islamist politician sentenced to death for war crimes
DHAKA (Reuters) – A Bangladesh war crimes tribunal sentenced an Islamist party leader to death on Tuesday after convicting him of atrocities committed during a 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.
Low-risk ‘worm’ removed at hacked South Korea nuclear operator
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean authorities have found evidence that a low-risk computer “worm” had been removed from devices connected to some nuclear plant control systems, but no harmful virus was found in reactor controls threatened by a hacker.
Malaysia flood response denounced anew as nearly quarter million flee
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s worst flooding in a decade has forced nearly a quarter of a million people from their homes, officials said on Tuesday, with the government coming under renewed fire for its perceived slow response.
Chinese authorities tear down cross on Christian nursing home
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities have dismantled a cross in a Christian nursing home a week before Christmas, an employee said on Tuesday, the latest example of a growing crackdown on Christianity.
Political accord in Haiti seeks to avert crisis
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – The president of Haiti and heads of the country’s two houses of parliament reached a tentative agreement on Monday to avert a political crisis that has sparked nationwide protests.
China to step up free trade talks with Middle East
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will speed up free trade talks with six countries on the Arabian peninsula and begin trade negotiations with Israel next year, state media said on Tuesday, as Beijing accelerates efforts to sign such agreements.