Australia and Japan agree to pursue closer military technology ties
TOKYO (Reuters) – Australia and Japan will create a framework pact to cooperate on military technology, the two countries said on Wednesday, a move that could pave the way for Japan to supply stealth submarine designs and components to Australia.
Afghanistan economy under the gun as bank blacklist looms
KABUL (Reuters) – The most pressing challenge awaiting Afghanistan’s new leader may not be the worsening violence, fractured U.S. relationship or declining aid, but an international blacklist hanging over the country’s banks.
Thai army delegation visits China amid Western reproach of coup
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A delegation of Thai military commanders travelled to China on Wednesday for talks on regional security and joint training amid Western reproach of the army’s seizure of power in a coup last month.
Iraq says to work with Kurdish forces to retake Mosul
ATHENS (Reuters) – Baghdad will cooperate with Kurdish forces to try to drive militant out of Mosul, Iraq’s foreign minister said on Wednesday, a day after an al Qaeda splinter group seized the country’s second biggest city.
Japan protests China fighter jets’ close brush over East China Sea
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan protested after Chinese fighter jets flew “abnormally close” to Japanese military aircraft over the East China Sea on Wednesday, Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said.
Vietnam says China moving rig; China denies sending warships
HANOI/BEIJING (Reuters) – Vietnam said on Wednesday a Chinese oil rig at the centre of an increasingly bitter territorial dispute appeared to be on the move again, as China denied Vietnamese accusations that it had sent warships to the scene.
Autopsy for Palestinian killed in alleged Israeli war crime
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – An autopsy was due to be performed on Wednesday on the body of a Palestinian teenager killed last month in an incident that a human rights group said might constitute an Israeli war crime.
Mosul falls to militants, Iraqi forces flee northern city
MOSUL Iraq (Reuters) – An al Qaeda splinter group seized control of the Iraqi city of Mosul on Tuesday, putting security forces to flight in a spectacular show of strength against the Shi’ite-led Baghdad government.
China downplays visit of Taiwan African ally that upsets Taipei
BEIJING (Reuters) – China shrugged off Taiwan’s concern over the visit of the president of Taiwan diplomatic ally Sao Tome and Principe on Wednesday, saying it was a private visit and that not too much should be read into it.
Philippines captures top al Qaeda-linked militant
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine security forces captured on Wednesday a top al Qaeda-linked Islamist wanted by the United States and involved in the kidnapping of Western tourists, and hailed the arrest as a major blow to his militant network.
