Indonesia steps up threats in Australia row
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s diplomatic rift with Australia over phone bugging accusations threatened to widen on Tuesday after the trade minister said Southeast Asia’s biggest economy was looking elsewhere for food imports.
Honduras ruling party hope wins presidency on vow to tame gangs
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) – Honduras’ conservative ruling party candidate, Juan Hernandez, has won Sunday’s presidential election after campaigning on a promise to tame rampant drug gang violence that has given the struggling nation the world’s highest mur…
Xinjiang college says approved political views needed to graduate
BEIJING (Reuters) – College students in China’s restive western Xinjiang region will not graduate unless their political views are approved, a university official said, as the country wages what school administrators called an ideological war against s…
China aims to harness religious beliefs to promote harmony
BEIJING (Reuters) – China should harness the positive influence of moderate religious believers, including their traditions of benevolence and tolerance, and recognize their contributions to society, the country’s top religious affairs official wrote o…
Malaysia summons Singapore envoy over spying reports
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s government summoned Singapore’s high commissioner for talks on Tuesday, saying it was “extremely concerned” by media reports that the city-state helps Western intelligence agencies spy on its Southeast Asian neighbor…
China gears up to build Serbia-Hungary rail link
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – China will be involved in building a railway link between Serbia and European Union member Hungary, Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday, after meeting the Hungarian and Serbian prime ministers in the Romanian capital.
Police detain nine after Qingdao oil blasts: media
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Chinese police have detained nine people in connection with oil pipeline explosions last week that killed 55 people in the eastern port city of Qingdao, state media reported on Tuesday.
Syria peace talks set for January 22 in Geneva
GENEVA (Reuters) – An international peace conference for Syria will begin on January 22, the first direct talks between President Bashar al-Assad’s government and rebels seeking to overthrow him, the United Nations said on Monday.
U.S. says concerned with Egyptian law that restricts protests
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Monday expressed concern over a new law in Egypt that restricts demonstrations and said it agrees with groups that argue the law does not meet international standards and hampers the country’s move toward dem…
Central African Republic says France to boost troops
PARIS/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – France will triple the number of its soldiers in the Central African Republic to 1,200 to bolster security after months of violence, the war-torn nation’s prime minister said on Monday.
