Closing of Egypt’s Rafah crossing leaves thousands of Gazans stranded
RAFAH Gaza Strip (Reuters) – Egypt’s decision to shut its border with the Gaza Strip has stranded thousands of Palestinians on the Egyptian side of the border while around a thousand people in Gaza are desperate to get out for medical treatment in Egyp…
Duchess of Alba, the world’s most titled aristocrat, dies
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s 18th Duchess of Alba, who died on Thursday aged 88, was one of Europe’s wealthiest and most titled aristocrats, the owner of fabulous palaces and priceless works of art.
Former top China military officer hoarded cash, jade in basement: Phoenix
BEIJING (Reuters) – One of China’s most senior former military officers hoarded more than a ton of cash and precious jade in his basement, a Hong Kong magazine reported on Thursday, the latest details to emerge from the high-profile case amid Beijing’s…
Prominent China rights lawyer could face harsher charges: attorney
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese prosecutors could upgrade the charges against a prominent human rights lawyer, saying that he incited “ethnic hatred and discrimination” when he wrote a microblog post criticizing the government’s account of a mass knife att…
Thai fishermen convert boats to cash in on human-smuggling
RANONG Thailand (Reuters) – The smuggling of Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar is so lucrative that Thai fishermen are converting their boats to carry humans, police and officials in southern Thailand said.
Eastern Ukraine fighting kills 13 per day despite ceasefire: U.N.
GENEVA (Reuters) – Fighting in Eastern Ukraine has killed an average of 13 people each day in the eight weeks since a Sept. 5 ceasefire agreement, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said in a statement on Thursday.
UAE targets Islamist accounts in money-laundering clampdown
DUBAI (Reuters) – United Arab Emirates banks have been banned from doing business with some Islamist groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, their representative said, as the country’s central bank won powers to freeze suspect accounts for up to seven…
Japan voters to PM Abe: why call an election now?
TOKYO (Reuters) – Nearly two-thirds of Japanese voters don’t understand why Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is calling a snap election next month and about half want ruling and opposition parties to come out evenly in the poll, a survey showed on Thursday, s…
Mexico’s president, under pressure over mansion, reveals $3 million in assets
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Facing conflict of interest accusations over a luxury home, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto disclosed late on Wednesday ownership of nine properties among assets worth at least 45.2 million pesos ($3.3 million).
Britain’s last governor in Hong Kong to address U.S. China commission
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The last British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, is to address a U.S. government commission on Thursday on prospects for democracy in the territory, something likely to irritate Beijing which sees protests there as an intern…
