In diplomatic breakthrough, Britain says to re-open Iran embassy
LONDON (Reuters) – British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Tuesday Britain plans to re-open its embassy in Iran after it was closed two and a half years ago, saying it would establish a small initial presence in Tehran soon.
Sudden Cambodian worker exodus to hit Thai businesses
BANGKOK/SA KAEW Thailand (Reuters) – Thai officials said on Tuesday that the mass departure of Cambodian labourers would dent the economy as thousands more migrant workers, fearing reprisals from the new military government, poured across the border.
Eight killed in Pakistan clash over Canada-based preacher
LAHORE Pakistan (Reuters) – At least eight people including a policeman were killed and dozens wounded in Pakistan on Tuesday when protesters clashed with police in a standoff over a Canada-based anti-Taliban preacher.
Philippine trial of Chinese fishermen stalls without interpreter
MANILA (Reuters) – A Philippine case against nine Chinese fishermen caught with hundreds of marine turtles in a disputed South China Sea shoal was delayed on Tuesday due to the lack of an interpreter, which one prosecutor said was due to pressure from …
Top China diplomat to visit Vietnam in possible thaw over oil rig
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s top diplomat will visit Vietnam on Wednesday in a sign the two countries want to ease tensions over China’s deployment of an oil rig in the disputed South China Sea, but experts said there were many obstacles to healing the …
South Africa platinum firms, union agree ‘in principle’ offer: Implats
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s platinum producers and union AMCU have agreed on a broad wage offer to end a protracted strike but details such as the timeframe and additional benefits are still outstanding, Impala Platinum said on Tuesday.
Accused South Korea ferry crew say rescue was coastguard’s job
GWANGJU South Korea (Reuters) – The surviving crew of a South Korean ferry that sank in April killing more than 300 people and sparking a nationwide outpouring of grief argued on Tuesday that it was up to the coastguard to rescue the passengers, not th…
Thai rice farmers paid $2.9 billion of arrears, state bank says
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s military government has paid rice farmers all the arrears of 92.4 billion baht ($2.86 billion) owed under a controversial state purchase scheme, a senior official of the bank that funded the program said on Tuesday.
Norway’s Statoil says could boost gas to EU, but cannot replace Russia
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Norway’s Statoil could increase gas supplies to the European Union but would not be able to replace Russian gas, CEO Helge Lund said on Tuesday, a day after Moscow cut off supplies to Ukraine over a price dispute.
Concerns rise over China’s detention of Uighur scholar
BEIJING (Reuters) – Concerns about the prolonged detention in China of prominent Uighur academic Ilham Tohti are rising amid a crackdown by Beijing on Islamist separatists it says are seeking to establish an independent state in the far west.
