World Briefs

VIETNAM’s parliament has elected Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan as its chairwoman, making her the first woman to lead the Communist-dominated legislature. The 61-year-old won 95.5 percent of the votes, the National Assembly said on its website.

MYANMAR The party of Aung San Suu Kyi submitted a proposal to parliament yesterday to create a new position for her as “state adviser,” which would allow her to have a powerful hand in running Myanmar. One lawmaker from her party described the position as “the president’s boss,” indicating that Suu Kyi’s party is helping her to achieve a pledge she has repeatedly made to be above the president.

AUSTRALIA-TURKEY The government yesterday warned its citizens against travelling to the Turkish cities of Ankara and Istanbul because of the threat of terrorism. Later yesterday evening another explosion took place near a bus terminal in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir.

INDIA Rescuers in Kolkata dig through large chunks of debris from an overpass that collapsed while under construction, killing at least 15 people and injuring scores of others in trapped cars, tricks and other vehicles.

AFGHANISTAN Senior members of the Afghan Taliban say that a prominent figure within the militant group who had opposed its new leadership has now pledged his allegiance, helping to close internal divisions ahead of possible peace talks with the government.

U.S.-ASIA Working to display a united front, the United States and key Asian countries will seek today [Macau time] to put more pressure on North Korea as world leaders open a nuclear security summit in Washington. U.S. president Barack Obama also has plans to meet with the leaders of China, India, Japan and South Korea to discuss means of countering the threat of nuclear terrorism.

FRANCE Security forces clashed with demonstrators in the cities of Nantes and Rennes while police say around 10 people were arrested in Paris, following anti-labor reform protests. The proposals, which include changes to France’s 35-hour working week, have been bitterly opposed by students and unions.

ARGENTINA’s President Mauricio Macri has won approval for a controversial repayment deal that should put an end to the country’s 15-year battle with holdout creditors. The debt crisis in the country has restricted Argentina’s access to international credit markets and made doing business in the country difficult.