Hundreds of Taliban fighters battle Afghan forces near Kabul: officials
LOGAR Afghanistan (Reuters) – As many as 700 heavily armed Taliban insurgents are battling Afghan security forces in Logar, a key province near the capital Kabul, local officials said on Tuesday, in a test of the Afghan military’s strength as foreign f…
India’s Modi seeks ideas to replace Soviet-style planning
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s prime minister on Monday sought suggestions from the public to help re-fashion the Soviet-inspired central Planning Commission that supporters say is in line with a new, open style of governance.
Saudi Arabia executes five men for drug possession, murder
RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia executed four men for possession of hashish on Monday and another man for murder on Tuesday, local media reported, taking to 18 the number of people it has put to death in two weeks, prompting alarm from rights groups.
West Africa Ebola toll passes 1,200, quarantine victims to get food: WHO
GENEVA (Reuters) – Cases in West Africa’s Ebola outbreak this year have risen to 2,240, including 1,229 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, reporting the toll in four countries including Nigeria.
Dozens more Turkish police detained as wiretapping probe widens
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Dozens more police officers were detained in Turkey on Tuesday as part of an investigation into alleged spying and the illegal wiretapping of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his inner circle, local media reported.
Thai military-dominated legislature to appoint PM
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s military-dominated legislature will nominate a prime minister this week, members of the national assembly said on Tuesday, a move that looks set to consolidate the army’s hold on power almost 100 days since it wrested con…
Bomb kills six on way to school in northwest Pakistan
PESHAWAR Pakistan (Reuters) – A roadside bomb killed six people traveling to school in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, officials said, as the military reported further air strikes against the Taliban.
Rights groups say two dead following Tibetan protests
BEIJING (Reuters) – Two people have died, including one who committed suicide in protest while in jail, and many are in custody after police opened fire on a demonstration in a Tibetan region of China last week, rights groups said.
China punishes Xinjiang official for openly practicing faith
BEIJING (Reuters) – China has reprimanded 15 Xinjiang officials for violations that include adhering to religious faith, state media said on Tuesday, amid a crackdown on what the government calls illegal religious activities in the unruly western regio…
Sri Lanka president adamant on barring U.N. war crimes investigators
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka will deny visas to United Nations’ investigators probing accusations of war crimes as it strengthens a domestic panel looking into allegations related to its 26-year war, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Tuesday.