Parade marks Thai PM’s transition to civilian, army keeps grip on power
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s army chief prime minister, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, hands over command of the army this week to a trusted ally and steps into civilian politics as head of a government likely to soon face pressure to turn around a sputt…
German captives plead to be set free in southern Philippines
MANILA (Reuters) – Two Germans being held by an Islamist group in the southern Philippines appealed to the Philippine and German governments to secure their release through a message on local radio on Monday, days after the militants threatened to kill…
Four arrested in French opposition party funding probe
PARIS (Reuters) – Four people were arrested and placed in custody on Monday as part of a fraud investigation into an events firm employed by France’s conservative UMP party during Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2012 election campaign, police and legal sources said….
Bangladesh arrests Briton for suspected Islamic State recruitment
DHAKA (Reuters) – A 24-year-old British citizen has been arrested in Bangladesh on suspicion of recruiting people to fight alongside Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, police said on Monday.
U.S-led raids hit grain silos in Syria, kill workers: monitor
BEIRUT (Reuters) – U.S.-led air strikes hit grain silos and other targets in Islamic State-controlled territory in northern and eastern Syria overnight, killing civilians and wounding militants, a group monitoring the war said on Monday.
Philippines, U.S. begin military exercises near disputed seas
MANILA (Reuters) – Thousands of Philippine and American soldiers began annual war games on Monday near disputed waters in the South China Sea, testing the readiness of the two oldest security allies in the southeast Asian region to respond to any emerg…
At least 36 feared dead on Japanese volcano, search called off
TOKYO (Reuters) – At least 36 people are feared to have died after a Japanese volcano erupted without warning at the weekend, raining ash and stones on hikers, but the search for victims was abandoned on Monday due to fears of rising levels of toxic ga…
Radical Myanmar monk joins hands with Sri Lankan Buddhists
COLOMBO (Reuters) – A radical monk who heads a movement accused of stirring violence against Muslims in Myanmar has announced a partnership with a hardline Buddhist group in Sri Lanka to defend their religion.
Blast near airport in Afghan capital, some casualties – Reuters witness
KABUL (Reuters) – A suicide bomber attacked a security checkpoint near the airport in Afghanistan’s capital on Monday, minutes before new President Ashraf Ghani was sworn in, a member of the security forces said.
Hong Kong protesters defy tear gas and batons to renew democracy call
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong democracy protesters defied volleys of tear gas and police baton-charges to stand firm in the center of the global financial hub on Monday, one of the biggest political challenges for Beijing since the Tiananmen Square c…
