Drone crashes in south Yemen: witnesses
ADEN (Reuters) – A drone similar those used by the United States to track down and attack suspected al Qaeda militants in Yemen crashed in the southern part of the country on Tuesday, witnesses and a local official said.
Algeria hunts for kidnapped Frenchman, Paris says no deals
AIT OUABANE Algeria/PARIS (Reuters) – Algerian military and police set up checkpoints and sent troops into mountains east of Algiers on Tuesday to look for a Frenchman kidnapped by militants who threatened to execute him over France’s intervention in I…
Fighting, payment problems disrupt Libya’s food imports
TOBRUK/LONDON (Reuters) – Food prices have risen in Libya as payments problems, fighting and a breakdown in authority disrupt the usual import routes as the country spins out of control three years after the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi.
Turkey allows girls as young as 10 to cover hair at schools
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey has lifted a ban on the Islamic-style headscarf in schools, allowing girls from the fifth grade and up to cover their hair in a further easing of generations-old restrictions on the public expression of faith.
Chinese and Indian troops in Himalayan standoff
NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR (Reuters) – Hundreds of Indian and Chinese troops have dug into positions on a high Himalayan plateau, leading India’s army chief to cancel a foreign trip and monitor a standoff that underscores deep differences between the Asian gia…
U.S., Iran seek common ground against militants, but doubts persist
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Whether Washington likes it or not, Shi’ite Iran, a key ally of the governments of Iraq and Syria, is all but certain to be a major player in the fight against the Sunni militants of Islamic State.
Chinese court jails Uighur scholar for life for separatism
BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese court on Tuesday jailed for life the country’s most prominent advocate for the rights of Muslim Uighur people, a sentence that rights advocates said sent a clear signal that the government is determined to suppress dissent…
Former Hong Kong chief secretary says he accepted secret payoff from Beijing
HONG KONG (Reuters) – A former top Hong Kong civil servant told a court on Tuesday that he had received a secret payment of HK$11 million ($1.4 million) “from Beijing” in 2007 through a businessman intermediary, local media reported.
New Laos web decree bans criticism of government policy: media
(Reuters) – Communist Laos has issued a decree outlawing online criticism of policies of the ruling party or government, state media reported, the latest Southeast Asian country to enact strict internet controls.
Bulgaria’s center-right GERB holds strong lead before October 5 election
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria’s center-right GERB party holds a strong lead over the Socialists, whose government collapsed after a year in office, ahead of the early election on Oct. 5, a Gallup International poll showed.
