Indonesia’s leader races to save direct elections and his legacy
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s outgoing president returned home early on Tuesday, cutting short an overseas farewell tour to try and overturn legislation ending direct elections for local leaders.
Thai tourism minister wants wristbands for tourists, party curfews
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s tourism minister said on Tuesday that identification wristbands would be distributed to tourists following the murder of two British backpackers earlier this month that has raised fresh concerns over tourist safety.
Australian police charge man over funding ‘terrorist organization’ after raids
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian police raided homes in Melbourne on Tuesday and charged one man with funding a terrorist organization in a crackdown on radical Islamists who authorities believe are supporting Middle East militants or planning attacks at …
Israel PM tries to shift focus from Islamic State to Iran at U.N
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday tried to shift the spotlight away from the Islamic State militant group and back to Iran, warning the United Nations that a nuclear-armed Tehran would pose a far greater th…
U.S., Kurds strike at Islamic State in Syria
BEIRUT/MURSITPINAR Turkey (Reuters) – U.S. warplanes attacked Islamic State targets in Syria overnight, in raids that a group monitoring the war said killed civilians as well as jihadist fighters.
Brazil’s Rousseff extends lead over Silva in election poll
BRASILIA (Reuters) – President Dilma Rousseff’s expected victory margin over closest rival Marina Silva has surged to 9 percentage points in a second-round runoff in Brazil’s presidential election, an opinion poll showed on Monday, causing stocks and t…
Australian counter-terrorism police raid Melbourne properties
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian police said they had raided a number of properties around the southern city of Melbourne on Tuesday, part of a security crackdown on radical Islamists authorities believe are planning attacks in the country.
Protesters stay out on Hong Kong streets, defying Beijing
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters blocked Hong Kong streets in the early hours on Tuesday, maintaining pressure on China as it faces one of its biggest political challenges since the Tiananmen Square crackdown 25 years…
India’s Modi promises U.S. CEOs a return to market reforms
(Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told nearly a dozen U.S. company chiefs on Monday that he is committed to liberalizing his country’s economy, which has underperformed other emerging markets recently after years of breakneck growth.
Italy’s Renzi wins party vote on labor reform
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Monday overcame fierce opposition from the old guard of his center-left Democratic Party (PD) and got backing for plans to make it easier to fire workers at big companies although he offered littl…