Ugandan parliament set to re-introduce anti-gay law
KAMPALA (Reuters) – Uganda’s parliament will try to re-introduce an anti-homosexuality law that was thrown out by a court, a lawmaker leading the effort said on Wednesday, a move that could once again damage relations with the West.
China suspends work at 214 factories after deadly blast
BEIJING (Reuters) – China has shut 214 factories for safety risks in a city where an explosion at an auto parts factory last week killed 75 people, state media said on Wednesday.
China executes two South Koreans for smuggling drugs from North Korea
SEOUL (Reuters) – China executed on Wednesday two South Koreans convicted of smuggling drugs from North Korea and will soon execute a third, the Yonhap news agency reported, quoting South Korea’s foreign ministry.
China arrests graduate student for spying: Xinhua
BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese graduate student has been arrested for selling intelligence material to foreigners, state media said on Wednesday, the latest in a string of espionage cases in the country.
Polish PM says threat of Russia’s intervention in Ukraine has risen
WARSAW (Reuters) – Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday the threat of a direct intervention by Russia’s military in Ukraine has risen over the last couple of days.
Philippine peace deal in jeopardy as Muslim rebels cry foul
MANILA (Reuters) – An historic peace settlement in the southern Philippines is at risk of breaking down as Muslim rebels accuse the government of going back on its word over a proposed law to create self-rule for the war-torn region.
Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej to return to hospital
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej will return to a Bangkok hospital for the first time since leaving it a year ago, the palace said in an announcement on Wednesday.
Drone strike kills five militants in northwest Pakistan
MIRANSHAH Pakistan (Reuters) – A U.S. drone strike killed five militants in Pakistan’s volatile northwest on Wednesday, security officials and residents said, as the country’s security forces press ahead with an offensive in a Taliban stronghold near t…
Sri Lanka groups say government wary of U.N. war crimes probe
COLOMBO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Authorities in Sri Lanka are clamping down on the activities of civil society groups, who accuse the government of trying to discourage survivors of the country’s civil war from giving evidence to a U.N. war crime…
Ukraine keeps up anti-rebel offensive with nervous eye on Russia
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian government forces, backed by warplanes, kept up a military offensive to claw back lost territory from pro-Russian separatists on Tuesday while casting a nervous eye at Russian military exercises over the border.