Israeli jets strike back after Syria’s Golan attack: Israeli army
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli airforce jets struck Syrian army artillery positions near the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on Wednesday, the military said, in retaliation for rockets launched in the area the previous day.
Obama, Merkel want Russia held accountable for violence in Ukraine
BERLIN (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed their concern about Russia’s role in rising violence in eastern Ukraine in a phone call late on Tuesday and agreed on the need for funds to stabilise the Ukrai…
Indonesia’s search for AirAsia crash victims could end in days
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s search for dozens of victims still unaccounted for from last month’s crash of an AirAsia passenger jet could end within days if no more bodies are found, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
Doubts arise over crucial Philippine autonomy law after rebel clash
MANILA (Reuters) – Work to set up an autonomous Muslim region in the Philippines to end a 45-year insurgency has been suspended and may be abandoned altogether because of a clash in which more than 50 people were killed, legislators said on Wednesday.
Mozambique says death toll rises after heavy flooding
MAPUTO (Reuters) – More than 100 people have been killed and 150,000 displaced by floods in Mozambique, a senior government official said on Wednesday, as southern Africa counts the human and economic costs of this month’s torrential rains.
U.S. to work with allies ‘to increase pressure on Russia’: Treasury Secretary Lew
KIEV (Reuters) – The United States on Wednesday signed an agreement providing war-torn Ukraine with $2 billion in loan guarantees to help it with “near-term social spending” in 2015 and said it was prepared to step up sanctions against Russia if necess…
Military helicopter crash kills 4 in southern Vietnam
HANOI (Reuters) – Four Vietnamese military personnel were killed when an air force helicopter crashed during an exercise on Wednesday, the army said, in the second such accident in seven months.
Thailand warns U.S. to mind its own business over politics
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand warned the United States against meddling in its political affairs on Wednesday, saying many Thais had been hurt by the remarks of a visiting U.S. envoy who took a swipe at the ruling military junta’s undemocratic practices…
Afghans arrest commander of group that claimed killing Swedish journalist
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency said on Wednesday it had arrested a commander of a militant group known as the “Suicide Front”, that claimed responsibility last year for the execution-style killing of a Swedish journalist.
Australian court rules detention of Sri Lanka asylum seekers at sea lawful
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s highest court ruled on Wednesday that the detention of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka on the high seas for almost a month was lawful, a win for the government’s tough immigration policy.




