Politics

OTTAWA — An unlikely alliance between Canada's independent grocers and the country's three largest chains is forming amid accusations that grocery stores are to blame for higher food inflation.

AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — The prime ministers of India and Australia on Thursday lent a touch of cricket diplomacy to their ties as they inaugurated a test match between their two teams in the western city of Ahmedabad.

Prague (AP) — A retired army general and former senior NATO official was sworn in Thursday as the Czech Republic's new president, succeeding the controversy-courting Milos Zeman .

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday fired a short-range ballistic missile toward waters off its western coast, South Korea’s military said.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Lawmakers in Nepal elected a new president on Thursday, as the Himalayan nation faces increasing political instability with a fragile coalition government that has been in power for only a few months.

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was arrested Thursday and will be brought to court to face corruption charges, the anti-graft agency said.

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia’s president has rejected accusations that he is stoking anti-Black racism, saying that he has sub-Saharan African friends and that his comments last month targeting migrants were misinterpreted by his enemies.

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Three more Greek rail officials were charged on Thursday in connection with a train crash that killed 57 people, as protests continued and the government promised to overhaul rail safety.

MOSCOW (AP) — Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria, which has close ties to Moscow and hosts Russian troops, claimed Thursday it has thwarted an assassination attempt on its president allegedly organized by Ukraine's national security service.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The leaders of South Korea and Japan will meet next week for a summit on strengthening ties, both governments said Thursday, days after South Korea unveiled a step toward resolving strained ties stemming from Tokyo’s colonia