Ukraine defense chief wants budget doubled to fight separatists
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s defense minister called on Friday for a doubling of the military budget next year to allow the army to buy weapons abroad and better equip itself to fight Russian-backed separatists in the east.
China to place permanent anti-graft teams in major departments
BEIJING (Reuters) – The corruption watchdog of China’s ruling Communist Party will establish permanent offices in some of the country’s most important party and government departments, state media said on Friday, as part of a sweeping campaign against …
Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa sworn into office, leads race to succeed Mugabe
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn into office on Friday, cementing his status as the leading candidate to succeed his 90-year-old boss Robert Mugabe, the country’s sole ruler since independence from Britain in 19…
India Hindu group plans religious conversions at Christmas
LUCKNOW, India (Reuters) – A Hindu priest-turned-lawmaker vowed on Friday to convert hundreds of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism on Christmas Day, despite a police investigation into an earlier round of conversions.
UK’s Cameron leaves Northern Ireland without deal to end deadlock
BELFAST (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron left Northern Ireland on Friday without a deal he hoped would end months of political deadlock over financial and cultural disputes in the province.
Pakistan arrests suspected South Asian al Qaeda commander
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistani authorities have arrested a man they describe as an important commander in al Qaeda’s newly created South Asian wing, police told Reuters on Friday.
Korean Air executive apologizes after nuts incident sparks national outrage
SEOUL (Reuters) – The former Korean Air Lines executive who delayed a flight because she was unhappy with the way she was served macadamia nuts apologized on Friday over the incident, which fueled outrage and ridicule in South Korea.
French parliament readies new end-of-life legislation
PARIS (Reuters) – French parliament will debate from January a draft law that would move a step closer to euthanasia by allowing a right to “deep and ongoing sedation” until death for terminally ill patients who request it, President Francois Hollande …
HK media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested over democracy protest, quits tabloid
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, an outspoken critic of Beijing, has stepped down as publisher of the popular Apple Daily after being arrested for refusing to leave a key pro-democracy protest site in the center of the city….
Indonesian editor faces blasphemy accusation over IS cartoon
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Police in Indonesia have name the editor-in-chief of its largest English-language newspaper a suspect in a blasphemy case, the newspaper said in a statement, over a cartoon depicting the Islamic State militant group.
