U.S., Iran seek common ground against militants, but doubts persist
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Whether Washington likes it or not, Shi’ite Iran, a key ally of the governments of Iraq and Syria, is all but certain to be a major player in the fight against the Sunni militants of Islamic State.
Chinese court jails Uighur scholar for life for separatism
BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese court on Tuesday jailed for life the country’s most prominent advocate for the rights of Muslim Uighur people, a sentence that rights advocates said sent a clear signal that the government is determined to suppress dissent…
Former Hong Kong chief secretary says he accepted secret payoff from Beijing
HONG KONG (Reuters) – A former top Hong Kong civil servant told a court on Tuesday that he had received a secret payment of HK$11 million ($1.4 million) “from Beijing” in 2007 through a businessman intermediary, local media reported.
New Laos web decree bans criticism of government policy: media
(Reuters) – Communist Laos has issued a decree outlawing online criticism of policies of the ruling party or government, state media reported, the latest Southeast Asian country to enact strict internet controls.
Bulgaria’s center-right GERB holds strong lead before October 5 election
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria’s center-right GERB party holds a strong lead over the Socialists, whose government collapsed after a year in office, ahead of the early election on Oct. 5, a Gallup International poll showed.
China increasingly producing ‘tools of torture’ for export: Amnesty
BEIJING (Reuters) – Dozens of Chinese firms are producing and exporting “tools of torture”, from electric stun guns to metal spiked batons, to countries with bad human rights records, rights group Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
North Korea seizes Chinese fishing boat, demands fine: media
BEIJING (Reuters) – North Korea detained a Chinese fishing boat and demanded a fine for its release, Chinese media reported on Tuesday, apparently the first such move in more than a year, risking further straining ties between North Korea and its only …
Landslides and floods kill 22 in India’s northeast
GUWAHATI India (Reuters) – At least 22 people have died in flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains in remote northeastern India, officials said on Tuesday, in the second flood tragedy to hit the subcontinent this month.
Islamic State posts video apparently of UK hostage criticizing war buildup
DUBAI (Reuters) – Islamic State militants fighting in Iraq and Syria released a video on Tuesday that appears to show British journalist John Cantlie criticizing preparations for U.S-led attacks on the militant group, the SITE monitoring service report…
Sultan seen setting risky precedent in Malaysia opposition crisis
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – The end of a long-running political crisis for Malaysia’s opposition has opened up new wounds after a royal sultan took the unprecedented step of choosing a candidate who was not proposed by the majority alliance in the nation’…
