Indonesian Islamic minority protests mosque closure, fears growing intolerance
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Members of an Indonesian minority Islamic sect protested on Thursday against the forced closure of one of their mosques amid concerns over rising religious intolerance in a country which is home to world’s largest Muslim population….
China angrily rebuffs U.N. criticism of new security law
BEIJING (Reuters) – China accused the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights of being unprofessional and making baseless criticisms on Thursday after he said a new national security law was too vague and potentially harmful to civil liberties.
Pope lauds Bolivia’s social reforms as relations thaw
LA PAZ, Bolivia (Reuters) – Pope Francis on Wednesday praised Bolivia’s social reforms to spread wealth under leftist President Evo Morales and urged the world not to view prosperity as material wealth, which he warned only breeds corruption and confli…
Ugandan police arrest presidential aspirants on way to meetings
KAMPALA (Reuters) – Ugandan police arrested on Thursday a former prime minister who wants to challenge to President Yoweri Museveni for the ruling party’s candidacy ahead of 2016 elections, while he was on his way to meet supporters at a town near Keny…
Military helps cut Honduras murder rate, but abuses spike
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) – The militarization of Central America’s violent Honduras has helped to stem gang bloodshed in a land known for the world’s highest murder rate, but it has created another problem – an apparent spike in abuses blamed on soldiers….
Nigerian troops arrest ‘mastermind’ of Jos, Zaria bombings
ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigerian troops have arrested the mastermind of bombings in the central cities of Jos and Zaria this week that killed at least 69 people, the defense ministry said on Thursday.
Syria’s neighbors now host four million of its refugees, U.N. says
GENEVA (Reuters) – The number of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries has passed 4 million, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on Thursday, adding that the total was on course to reach 4.27 million by the end of 2015.
Chinese premier again blasts lazy officials as corrupt
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has again expressed his frustration with officials who are ignoring orders to reduce bureaucracy amid an economic slowdown, blasting them for being little better than the corrupt cadres the government is t…
Exclusive: U.S. upgrades Malaysia in annual human trafficking report – sources
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is upgrading Malaysia from the lowest tier on its list of worst human trafficking centers, U.S. sources said on Wednesday, a move that could smooth the way for an ambitious U.S.-led free-trade deal with the Sout…
Japan’s Abe: will work with G7, other countries on Greece crisis
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday he will work with Group of Seven countries and other Asian countries to ensure economic and finance market stability as the euro zone grapples with Greece’s debt crisis.
