Malaysian police use old law to crack down on violent crime
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian police, under pressure to tackle a rise in violent crime, have arrested more than 200 people since the weekend under a little used law that enables them to hold suspects for 72 days without charge.
Son seeks fair trial for disgraced Chinese leader
BEIJING (Reuters) – The son of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has urged authorities to grant his father the opportunity to defend himself when he stands trial later this week, the New York Times said on Tuesday.
Russia’s Putin plans to bring back grey cardinal, newspaper says
MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin plans to bring the creator of Russia’s tightly controlled political system back to the Kremlin less than four months after he left the government, a newspaper said on Tuesday.
Afghanistan’s circus gives children fun with a future
KABUL (Reuters) – Flinging sparkling clubs into the air, the girls showed off their juggling skills as the boys executed dazzling acrobatics and climbed into a four-storey human pyramid.
Spain seeks one-on-one talks with Britain over Gibraltar
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain wants to resume bilateral talks with Britain as soon as possible over the sovereignty of Gibraltar, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
Israeli troops kill Palestinian in West Bank raid
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian and wounded two others during a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank early on Tuesday, Palestinian medical officials said.
Monsoon rains swamp half of Philippine capital, killing seven
MANILA (Reuters) – Monsoon rains reinforced by a tropical storm flooded half the Philippine capital in just 24 hours, triggering landslides and killing at least seven people, officials said on Tuesday.
Australian navy helping stricken refugee boat
CANBERRA (Reuters) – Australia’s navy began rescuing 105 people from a crowded asylum-seeker boat on Tuesday after it ran into difficulties about 120 nautical miles north of Australia’s Christmas Island territory in the Indian Ocean.
Mexico left-leaning party proposes limited energy reform
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s largest left-of-center political party has proposed a plan that would revamp state-oil monopoly Pemex, but without amending the constitution to permit more private investment in the oil, gas and electricity sectors, as …
Colombia’s ELN guerrillas say will release Canadian hostage in days
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s ELN guerrillas said on Monday they would release in the coming days a Canadian geologist they had kidnapped in January, a step the government has set as a pre-condition before it considers inviting the rebel group to peace…
