Hong Kong Occupy founders tell students to retreat amid fears of violence
HONG KONG (Reuters) – The founders of Hong Kong’s Occupy Central civil disobedience movement on Tuesday called on pro-democracy activists to retreat from the city center over fears of violence, just hours after a student leader had called on supporters…
Conflict, militancy hit human rights in Middle East, African nations: TRFN
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Syria was bottom and Ukraine had the biggest slide in a human rights index published on Wednesday, as countries suffering from conflict grappled with human trafficking and other rights violations.
Netanyahu seeks early election, fires top ministers
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked his finance and justice ministers on Tuesday, signaling the break up of his bickering coalition and opening the way for early national elections in Israel.
Rattled by Chinese submarines, India joins other nations in rebuilding fleet
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India is speeding up a navy modernization program and leaning on its neighbors to curb Chinese submarine activity in the Indian Ocean, as nations in the region become increasingly jittery over Beijing’s growing undersea prowess.
Sweden faces government crisis as far-right party vows to block budget
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s minority, center-left government teetered on the brink of collapse on Tuesday after just two months in office when a far-right party announced it would vote against the 2015 budget, effectively dooming it to defeat.
Greek police clash with protesters in Athens
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek police fired teargas to disperse dozens of protesters who hurled petrol bombs at police and set alight cars and garbage containers in central Athens late on Tuesday, police officials said.
Swedish center-right opposition stands by vow to back own budget after govt talks
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s four-party Alliance opposition repeated its vow to vote for its own budget bill in a parliament vote scheduled for Wednesday after last-ditch talks with the government looked to have failed to avert a defeat for Prime Min…
Iran seeks post on key U.N. committee, Israel deems it “absurd”
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Iran is seeking a senior post on a United Nations committee that decides accreditation of non-governmental organizations, a move that Israel on Tuesday compared to gangster Al Capone running the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investi…
U.S. expects some familiar faces among Syria rebel recruits
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is creating a vigorous vetting process to weed out undesirables among the Syrian rebels it will train to fight Islamic State, but some of the new recruits will be familiar faces requiring far more limited screen…
Ukraine parliament votes in new government, fresh ceasefire hopes fade
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s parliament voted in a new government on Tuesday, putting foreign technocrats in key financial roles and renewing terms for the foreign and defense ministers in a signal that no major change in policy is likely on the rebellio…
