Amman / AFP Human Rights Watch urged Jordan on Monday to lift recent “restrictions” on transit through its territory of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, but the authorities in Amman denied any policy change. Since August 2015, “Palestinians from Gaza have found it increasingly difficult to get permission to transit through Jordan to travel abroad, without any explanation for the …

  Yangon / AFP Myanmar police on Monday said they have begun legal action against five protesters over a weekend rally intended to promote religious tolerance. The move came as rights groups raise concerns about efforts by the new pro-democracy government to amend draconian laws on demonstrations. Dozens of activists and students marched through Yangon in a rare gesture of religious …

  Davao / AFP Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte vowed on Monday to introduce executions by hanging as part of a ruthless law-and-order crackdown that would also include ordering military snipers to kill suspected criminals. In back-to-back press conferences since his landslide victory in May 9 elections, the tough-talking mayor of southern Davao city said security forces would be given “shoot-to-kill” …