UK lawmakers say want China envoy summoned over Hong Kong ban
LONDON (Reuters) – A group of senior lawmakers said on Wednesday that China’s refusal to allow them to visit Hong Kong was an insult to Britain and called on the government to formally summon China’s ambassador over the issue.
Shi’ite pilgrims flock to Iraq holy city, government fears attack
KERBALA, Iraq (Reuters) – From across Iraq and neighboring states, millions of Shi’ite pilgrims are heading this week to the city of Kerbala for a religious ceremony that authorities say radical Sunni fighters are targeting for attack.
Venezuela’s poor sour on Maduro as prices, shortages sting
CARACAS (Reuters) – Packing potatoes at his vegetable stand on a sun-baked street in Caracas’s hillside Catia slum, Jesus Jimenez fondly recounts voting for late president Hugo Chavez.
Drug violence, climate change create ceaseless wave of Latin American refugees
BOGOTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Drug-fueled gang violence and extreme weather linked to climate change are forcing tens of thousands of people in Latin America to flee their homes every year, according to Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refuge…
Former top planning official jailed for life in China over graft
BEIJING (Reuters) – The former deputy head of China’s top planning agency was jailed for life on Wednesday over a bribery scandal that exposed graft at the highest levels of China’s government and ensnared several companies including Toyota Motor Corp….
Ukraine envoy rules out new round of peace talks soon
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s military on Wednesday reported a significant reduction in shelling by separatists during a declared “Day of Silence” on Tuesday, but Kiev’s peace envoy ruled out any new negotiations until the rebels ceased fire completely.
At least 10,000 join protest march against Irish water charge
DUBLIN (Reuters) – At least 10,000 people marched on the Irish parliament on Wednesday in a third day of mass protests against new water charges that have spurred the biggest opposition movement since the country’s financial crisis erupted in 2008.
Zimbabwe’s Mugabe names Mnangagwa as deputy president
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe appointed justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa as his new deputy in the ruling ZANU-PF party and for the country on Wednesday, in a move that had been widely expected after he fired former deputy Joi…
Gorbachev calls for U.S.-Russia summit to defrost ties
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev called on Wednesday for a U.S.-Russia summit to be convened to prevent a deep freeze in Moscow’s relations with the West over the Ukraine crisis.
Hong Kong appeals to protesters to pack up before camp clearance
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong urged pro-democracy protesters to pack up their tents and leave their main camp near government headquarters, saying it could not promise there would be no “confrontations” when the site is cleared on Thursday.
