Russia, ahead of planned protest, bans Kremlin critic’s foundation
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia said on Wednesday it had banned a pro-democracy movement founded by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky which has called for big anti-government protests on Saturday ahead of a presidential election next year.
Ugandan court sends jailed Museveni critic back to prison
KAMPALA (Reuters) – Uganda’s high court sent a jailed academic and critic of veteran President Yoweri Museveni back to prison on Wednesday and cleared the way for a compulsory mental examination, her lawyer told Reuters.
U.S. admiral sees new South China Sea freedom of navigation operations
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States will likely carry out new freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea soon, top U.S. commander in the Asia Pacific region, Admiral Harry Harris, said on Wednesday, without offering details.
Injured Venezuela protesters face another woe: finding medicine
CARACAS (Reuters) – Demonstrators injured in Venezuela’s often violent street protests are facing additional hardship: how to get treatment in a crisis-hit country where basics like antibiotics and painkillers are running short.
Nearly half of Russians want PM Medvedev to quit, says poll
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Nearly half of Russians want Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to quit, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday, suggesting corruption allegations leveled against him by political opponents have taken a toll.
Ex Knights of Malta head defies pope order, plans Rome return
ROME (Reuters) – The ousted Grand Master of the Knights of Malta Catholic charity will attend a meeting that could elect his successor, the group said on Wednesday, in a direct defiance of Pope Francis’ order for him to stay away.
Israel’s ‘Checkpoint Q’: a daily hurdle for Palestinians
QALANDIYA, West Bank (Reuters) – To one side loom towers manned by Israeli soldiers who keep watch from behind bulletproof glass. To the other stand concrete walls charred by fire bombs, pitted with bullet holes and scrawled with Palestinian graffiti. …
Islamic State developing new weapons despite losses: arms monitor
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – Islamic State militants have developed an improvised explosive device (IED) that can be launched from rifles or dropped from an aerial drone, an arms monitoring group said on Wednesday.
Israel, White House discussing Trump visit: Israeli official
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel and the White House are in preliminary discussions about a visit to Israel by U.S. President Donald Trump as early as next month, an Israeli government official said on Wednesday.
French presidential foes take spin battle to tumble-drier factory
AMIENS/ARRAS, France (Reuters) – Marine Le Pen set a public relations trap for rival presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday when she showed up among striking French workers at a closing factory the day he was meeting their union representa…
