SINGAPORE / AP Singapore’s defense minister said on Monday that nine armored personnel carriers that are being held in Hong Kong should be returned immediately under sovereign immunity laws. Customs authorities in Hong Kong, a Chinese territory, seized the eight-wheeled Terrex infantry carriers in November. The vehicles were being shipped back to Singapore following military training exercises in Taiwan. …

  ISLAMABAD / AP Two Pakistani research groups have noted that the country saw a significant drop in militant violence last year, crediting the military for the decrease in attacks. The two Islamabad-based groups say that large-scale military operations in the lawless tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, in the chaotic port city of Karachi and the sparsely populated Baluchistan province are …

  DUBAI / Reuters Egypt’s main stock index corrected on Monday as local traders booked profits and Gulf markets diverged with United Arab Emirates markets outperforming as traders focused on financial shares while a retreat in oil prices weighed on Saudi Arabian petrochemical producers. Cairo’s main index fell 0.9 percent, snapping four straight sessions of gains. Local institutions were net …