Japanese PM unveils new government, defense pick may rile China
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unveiled a new cabinet on Wednesday, appointing a defense chief whose desire for a stronger pre-emptive strike capability could rile neighbor China.
Israel police hold dozens of public officials in corruption probe
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli police said on Wednesday they had detained more than 30 serving and former public officials in an investigation into alleged corruption linked to a party in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.
Palestinian killed in clash with Israeli troops near Gaza border
GAZA (Reuters) – Israeli forces shot dead a member of Hamas’s armed wing after a firefight erupted along the border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and an Israeli soldier was wounded, Gaza hospital officials and the Israeli army said.
Refugees are welcomed by vast majority of Germans: president
BERLIN (Reuters) – President Joachim Gauck urged Germans to welcome with open arms the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war zones and to reject anti-immigrant populism.
Rebel attacks in India kill 51, spark violent protests
GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) – Police in northeast India fired on Wednesday on demonstrators protesting against the killings of dozens of people by tribal guerrillas, killing five of them.
Somalia’s parliament approves new prime minister
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Somalia’s lawmakers on Wednesday approved the appointment of new Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, who vowed to end the infighting slowing Somalia’s efforts to rebuild after decades of war.
Japan, wary of North Korea, works to secure infrastructure after Sony attack
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan, fearing it could be a soft target for possible North Korean cyberattacks in the escalating row over the Sony Pictures hack, has begun working to ensure basic infrastructure is safe and to formulate its diplomatic response, offi…
Ukraine warns of more power cuts if mild weather fades
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine will be forced to implement more power cuts if the weather gets sharply colder, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Wednesday.
Oil spills into Black Sea near Russian port after pipeline leak
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A leak on a major Russian oil pipeline caused a spill in the Black Sea near the port of Tuapse on Wednesday where officials said stormy weather was hampering efforts to assess and respond to the mishap.
Jordan says one of its pilots captured in Syria during air raid
AMMAN (Reuters) – The Jordanian army said on Wednesday one of its pilots was captured by Islamic State militants after his plane was downed during coalition air raids in Syria.
