Syrian opposition still not committed to peace talks: Iran
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Iran believes an international peace conference on Syria can be held soon but that Syrian opposition groups have yet to commit fully to the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Tuesday.
Myanmar turns to Japan, Thailand to kick-start stalled Dawei
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar is set to wrest control of its Dawei industrial complex from Thai company Italian Thai Development over its failure to attract investors to a strategically located, multi-billion dollar project tipped as a game-changer for re…
Indonesian, Australia leaders trade jabs over spying allegations
JAKARTA/SYDNEY (Reuters) – The leaders of Indonesia and Australia traded punches on Tuesday in a row over alleged spying by Canberra, with both sides refusing to back down in a growing rift between the two often uneasy neighbors.
Thousands of Afghan elders to decide if U.S. troops stay or go
KABUL (Reuters) – Thousands of Afghan tribal and political leaders will gather in the Afghan capital this week to decide whether to allow U.S. troops to stay after the 2014 drawdown of foreign forces.
Philippines says typhoon rebuilding cost may be up to $5.8 billion
MANILA (Reuters) – The cost of rebuilding houses, schools, roads and bridges in typhoon-devastated central Philippines could reach 250 billion pesos ($5.8 billion), making it likely that the government will seek cheap loans from development agencies, a…
Al Shabaab claims attack on police station in central Somalia
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Somalian Islamist militant group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Tuesday on a police station north of the capital Mogadishu.
China on path to further reform one-child policy-spokesman
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will further ease its family planning laws after announcing last week that it would allow millions of families to have two children, a senior official from the government’s family planning commission said on Tuesday.
Russian court bails three of 30 Greenpeace protesters
ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) – Three Russians who were among 30 people arrested for a Greenpeace protest against offshore Arctic drilling were granted bail on Monday in a case that has drawn fierce criticism from abroad.
Egypt’s interim leader says won’t run for presidency: paper
DUBAI (Reuters) – Egypt’s interim head of state Adly Mansour will not run for president in elections slated for next year, a Kuwaiti newspaper on Tuesday quoted him as saying.
Nepalis give politicians another chance, vote to end gridlock
KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Nepalis voted on Tuesday for an assembly that will draft a constitution aimed at ending years of instability but the election may not produce a conclusive result and could leave the country facing more turmoil.
