Activists outraged as Myanmar jails writer for Buddhist insults
YANGON (Reuters) – A Myanmar court sentenced a writer to two years in jail and hard labor on Tuesday for insulting Buddhism, his lawyer said, a verdict derided by activists as a blow to free speech and religious tolerance.
Bomb blast hits market in Nigeria’s Maiduguri, 50 killed: medics
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – A bomb blast at a busy meat market in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Tuesday killed about 50 people, an eyewitness and hospital sources said, in an attack that bore the hallmarks of Islamist Boko Haram mil…
Vietnam receives Russian-design missile boats amid maritime tension
HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam took delivery of two new missile boats on Tuesday made locally and modeled on Russian vessels, the latest move by its military to strengthen maritime defenses as tensions simmer over sovereignty in the South China Sea.
Egypt rights activist says banned from traveling to Germany
CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian rights activist said on Tuesday security officials had confiscated his passport and prevented him traveling to Germany where he was due to speak at a parliament roundtable on the human rights situation in Egypt.
Cyprus may have foiled major attack after ammonia find: source
NICOSIA (Reuters) – Cyprus believes it may have foiled a major explosives attack, a security source said, in seizing nearly five tonnes of chemical fertilizer for a planned action Israel says bears the hallmarks of the Hezbollah guerrilla group.
Missile maker says Russia did not shoot down Malaysian plane over Ukraine
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Russian company that makes the BUK air defense system that was used to shoot down a Malaysian airliner in east Ukraine said on Tuesday the plane was hit by a missile deployed by Ukraine and not widely used by Russia’s military.
Sink or sell? Russia spat leaves France with warships to spare
PARIS (Reuters) – For sale: two French-built helicopter carriers, tested by Russians. Buy now for only 1.2 billion euros($1.33 billion). Shipping extra.
Boko Haram multinational force ready soon: Niger president
PARIS (Reuters) – A multinational force being set up to combat Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamist insurgency in the Lake Chad region will be operational in the coming weeks, Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou said on Tuesday.
Yemen tribesmen kill 18 Houthi fighters in ambush: residents
SANAA (Reuters) – Armed tribesmen killed 18 Houthi fighters in an ambush in Yemen’s central province of Ibb on Tuesday, residents said, in one of the deadliest ground attacks in over two months of war.
U.S.-led troops launch 15 air strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and its allies launched 10 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and five in Syria since Monday morning, the U.S. military said.
