Thousands rally in Taiwan, call for referendum on independence from China
Several thousand pro-independence demonstrators rallied in Taiwan’s capital on Saturday to protest against Beijing’s “bullying” and called for a referendum on whether the self-ruled island should formally declare independence from China.
Six Sweida hostages freed from Islamic State: Syrian state media, Observatory
Six hostages were freed on Saturday from Islamic State, which has held several women and children captive since it attacked Syria’s Sweida city three months ago, state media and a monitor said.
U.S., China, others tentatively agree to multilateral air encounter code
Several countries including the United States and China agreed “in principle” on Saturday to multilateral guidelines to manage unexpected encounters between their military aircraft, joining 10 Southeast Asian nations already in the pact.
Slovakia threatens to freeze relations with Vietnam over kidnapping case
Slovakia has threatened to freeze relations with Vietnam over the case of a Vietnamese businessman who Germany says was kidnapped by Vietnamese agents and smuggled back home through Slovakia, the Slovak foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Greek PM says Macedonian vote opens ways for an ‘historic’ name deal
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Saturday that the approval by Macedonia’s parliament of a proposal to change the country’s name on Friday opens the way for the implementation of an “historic” deal between the two countries.
Afghanistan extends election to Sunday due to chaos at polling stations
Voting in Afghanistan’s parliamentary election will be extended to Sunday in some constituencies after technical and organizational problems stopped voters casting their ballot in some polling centers on Saturday, government officials said.
Indian officials exchange blame for train plowing into festival crowd
India’s railway officials and local community leaders traded blame on Saturday over an accident in which a train ran over scores of people gathered on the railway tracks for a festival in the northern city of Amritsar.
India’s Punjab state chief minister says train accident killed 59
India’s northern state of Punjab’s chief minister said 59 people were killed and 57 injured in a railway accident on Friday in which a train ran over scores of people gathered on the railway tracks for a festival in the city of Amritsar.
Migrants camp on bridge between Guatemala and Mexico as U.S. pressure mounts
Hundreds of Central American migrants bedded down overnight on a bridge separating Guatemala and Mexico, many squeezed against a metal border gate, as efforts to halt a trek north by a caravan of thousands of people gathered pace under U.S. pressure.
Exclusive: U.S. weighs new warship passage through Taiwan Strait
The United States is considering a new operation to send warships through the Taiwan Strait, U.S. officials tell Reuters, a mission aimed at ensuring free passage through the strategic waterway but which risks heightening tensions with China.
