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By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she met her Solomon Islands counterpart Jeremiah Manele for the first time since his government signed a controversial security pact with China, and agreed Australia remained security partner of choice. Australia, the United States and New Zealand have expressed concern about the security …

Australia, Solomon Island’s Foreign Minister meet for first time since pact signed Read More »

By Sudip Kar-Gupta and Elizabeth Pineau PARIS (Reuters) -The de facto leader of a rare pact between France’s left wing parties said on Friday he was targeting a 50% share of seats in June’s parliamentary elections, as he seeks to derail recently re-elected President Emmanuel Macron’s reform programme. Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon also said in …

New French left-wing pact’s leader targets 50% of parliamentary seats Read More »

By Soo-hyang Choi and Joori Roh SEOUL (Reuters) -China’s Vice President Wang Qishan plans to attend the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol next week, Yoon’s team announced on Friday, as Beijing tries to expand its influence in the region. Wang’s planned attendance comes as Yoon has vowed to strengthen South Korea’s alliance with …

China to send vice president to S.Korea president’s inauguration Read More »

(Reuters) -A Belarusian court on Friday sentenced Sofia Sapega, the girlfriend of a dissident detained after their commercial flight was forced to land in Belarus last year, to six years in prison for inciting social hatred, the Vyasna rights group said. The 24-year-old Russian citizen was flying with her boyfriend Roman Protasevich, a dissident blogger …

Belarus hands six-year jail sentence to dissident’s girlfriend after forced plane landing Read More »

By Karen Lema MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine voters head to the polls on Monday in a presidential election shaping up as a rematch between the son and namesake of the country’s late dictator and the human rights lawyer who narrowly beat him in the 2016 vice presidential contest. Opinion polls in the days ahead of …

Philippines election a rematch of late dictator’s son and rights lawyer Read More »

By Francesco Guarascio BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Europe is increasingly becoming a hub for production and trans-shipment of cocaine to other regions of the world, in addition to being a major consumption market, EU agencies said on Friday, warning also about the expanding methamphetamine industry. After cannabis, cocaine is the most consumed drug in Europe, with …

Europe turns into cocaine hub as multi-billion-euro market expands, EU says Read More »

By Eduardo Baptista and David Stanway BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Residents of Beijing fretted on Friday over dozens of new COVID-19 cases reported daily and over the possibility of more restrictions on movements as China’s leaders threatened action against critics of their zero-COVID policy. Incurring a heavy economic cost and facing rare public criticism on its tightly …

As Beijing outbreak persists, China hits back at ‘zero COVID’ doubters Read More »