AFP, Yangon
Myanmar’s president has urged the creation of a new ministry for Aung San Suu Kyi’s state advisor position, official media reported on Friday, a move that will deepen her influence and likely rile the powerful army.
Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency by the military-drafted constitution despite having led her pro-democracy party to a landslide victory in November.
Abe to meet Putin in a bid to bolster ties
AFP, Sochi
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin today in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in a bid to bolster ties and seek to resolve a decades-long territorial dispute.
Tokyo-Moscow relations have been hamstrung by the row dating back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the four southernmost islands in the Pacific Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan.
Nepalese PM’s govt survives
PTI, Nepal
Nepal’s embattled Prime Minister KP Oli today rejected calls by Madhesis to re-write the new Constitution, hours after surviving a threat to his government following a U-turn by Prachanda-led Maoists who decided not to withdraw support to him.
Addressing the Parliament, Oli refuted reports that he was planning to dissolve the House in the wake of possible withdrawal of support to the seven-month-old coalition government by UCPN-Maoist.
Saudi police officer shot dead
AFP, Riyadh
A Saudi police officer has been shot dead in the Mecca region, the interior ministry said on Friday, after four suspected jihadists died during a raid in the same area. Corporal Khalaf al-Harithi was on duty at a station in the western region on Thursday evening when he was hit by gunfire from an unknown source, the ministry said in a statement.
An investigation is under way into the incident.
It occurred several hours after officers shot dead two “terrorists” during an exchange of fire at their hideout between the holy city of Mecca and the mountain resort of Taif.
