Afghan forces battle for control of symbolic Kunduz province
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan security forces are battling the Taliban for control of the northern province of Kunduz, where insurgents are threatening to overrun the capital and terrorizing residents who have fled to nearby districts.
India’s Modi slams whispering campaign against top minister
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday denied reports that the son of a top minister was involved in influence peddling, seeking to staunch the type of corruption allegations that sent the country’s last government to el…
Malaysia police arrest 42 foreigners after riot at export factory
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian police have arrested 42 men after a riot by up to 1,000 mostly Nepalese workers sparked fires and destroyed parts of an electronics export factory, highlighting accusations of poor conditions for many of the estimated…
Top Chinese former planning official ‘under investigation’
BEIJING (Reuters) – A former director at China’s powerful economic planning agency who oversaw pricing is being investigated, financial news magazine Caixin reported on Wednesday, the latest high-level official from the department to be probed.
Japan PM Abe sent condolences to memorial for convicted war criminals
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a condolence message to a ceremony honoring “martyrs” convicted as war criminals after World War Two, his top spokesman said on Wednesday, news that could snarl efforts to thaw chilly ties with …
U.S. suspect in Bali suitcase murder of mother appoints new lawyer
JAKARTA (Reuters) – A U.S. teenager detained in Bali in connection with the grisly death of her mother has hired a new Indonesian lawyer on the advice of her U.S.-based legal team, her police-appointed attorney said.
Silva surges in Brazil election race, threatens Rousseff
BRASILIA (Reuters) – A surging Marina Silva has narrowed President Dilma Rousseff’s lead in Brazil’s presidential race, a new opinion poll showed on Tuesday, paving the way for a likely second-round runoff in which the popular environmentalist looks we…
Libyan raids could herald bolder Arab action as U.S. wavers
DUBAI (Reuters) – Air strikes against Libyan Islamist militants that U.S. officials had said were staged by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates could mark an escalation of a regional struggle over the future of the Arab world.
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar’s chief assassin freed from jail
BOGOTA (Reuters) – One of Colombia’s most feared drug cartel assassins walked free on Tuesday after serving 22 years in jail for scores of murders ordered by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar during the cocaine trafficking heyday of the 1980s, police s…
China rejects Taiwan’s complaint about breach of airspace
BEIJING (Reuters) – China has rejected Taiwan’s claim that two Chinese military aircraft had breached Taiwan’s airspace four times, saying it was a “routine flight”.
