Afghanistan arrests son of Haqqani militant network’s founder
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan forces have arrested the son of the feared Haqqani network’s founder along with a militant commander in charge of suicide attacks, a blow to the Taliban-linked Islamist group, Afghanistan’s intelligence service said Thursday.
Thai government sets out measures to aid rubber farmers after price slump
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s government announced a series of measures on Thursday to help rubber farmers, who have been hurt by a drop in global prices to five-year lows, but some farmers’ leaders said the policies would do little to support the mar…
China to strengthen auditing of military in battle on graft
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will toughen audits of its military and target older officers to ensure that corrupt individuals are denied promotion and cannot get away with their crimes, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
Philippines steps up army patrols on island where Germans held
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines on Thursday stepped up army patrols in the jungles of the southern island of Jolo where al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants are holding two Germans captive and are threatening to kill one of them.
Majority of Russians say Western sanctions will help economy: poll
MOSCOW (Reuters) – More than half of Russians believe their economy will benefit from Western economic sanctions imposed over the Ukraine crisis and from the countermeasures adopted by Moscow, according to an opinion poll published on Thursday.
After soccer row, Serbia says Albania not mature enough for Europe
BELGRADE (Reuters) – Serbia’s interior minister said on Thursday that Albania was “not mature enough” to join the European community, stepping up a war of words over a drone stunt that forced a soccer match between the Balkan nations to be abandoned.
EU wants smooth evolution of support for Greece after bailout end
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission will work with Greece to ensure there is a smooth evolution of support for the country after its current bailout program ends at the end of this year, the Commission’s spokesman Simon O’Connor said on Thursd…
China says some victims of land clash burned alive
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese villagers kidnapped construction workers, tied them up, doused them in gasoline and set it ablaze when a land dispute turned violent, the government said on Thursday, providing grisly details of the latest bout of rural unre…
Japan’s trade minister apologises over reports political funds misused
TOKYO (Reuters) – In a blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, his newly appointed trade minister was ensnared in controversy on Thursday after reports that her political funds were spent buying theatre tickets for supporters and goods from relatives’ busin…
Rescuers search for dozens of trekkers after deadly Nepal snow
KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Mountain rescue teams in Nepal searched for scores of missing trekkers on Thursday after unseasonal blizzards and avalanches killed at least 20 people along the high altitude Annapurna mountain route popular with backpackers.
