Ex-Pentagon chief Laird dies, advocated ‘Vietnamization’ policy
WASHINGTON – Melvin Laird, who as defence secretary under President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973 helped extricate US forces from the morass of the Vietnam War in a policy he…
Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January
MANILA, Philippines – Officials and organisers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition have confirmed the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in January 2017.…
Britain’s Prince William arrives in Vietnam for conservation visit
HANOI – Britain’s Prince William has met Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc after arriving in Hanoi on Wednesday at the start of a two-day trip to promote wildlife protection.…
Indonesia releases 39 Vietnamese fishermen
Indonesia has released 39 Vietnamese fishermen after they were arrested for illegally fishing in its waters, according to various media reports. The fishermen were said to have been repatriated at Indonesia’s Soekarno…
Cuba pardons 787 prisoners after pope’s call for mercy
HAVANA – Cuba has pardoned 787 convicts in response to Pope Francis’ Holy Year call to all heads of state for acts of clemency, the ruling Communist Party newspaper Granma…
Disputed memo says Britain has no Brexit plan
LONDON – Britain has no overall strategy for leaving the European Union and splits in Prime Minister Theresa May‘s cabinet could delay a clear negotiating position for six months, according…
Vietnamese asylum seekers forcibly returned by Australia, jailed – ABC
Vietnamese asylum seekers whose boat was turned back in June by Australian officials have been punished with jail terms in Vietnam. A Melbourne based Vietnamese advocate from the Voice Australia…
New Zealand begins evacuating tourists from quake-hit town
WELLINGTON – New Zealand emergency services and defence personnel have begun evacuating hundreds of tourists and residents from the South Island town of Kaikoura, a day after a powerful earthquake…
Turnbull says asylum seekers to be resettled in US after Trump takes office
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Monday resettlement to the United States of many of the 1,200 asylum seekers held in detention camps on Papua New Guinea and the Pacific island…
Supermoon delights world’s star gazers in full moon, eclipse combination
SYDNEY – From Beijing to Berlin, star gazers around the world admired the supermoon – the largest, brightest full moon in nearly seven decades – as it made its way…