Gaza civil servants receive pay in boost to Palestinian unity
GAZA (Reuters) – Some 24,000 civil servants hired by the Islamist group Hamas, many of whom have not received a full salary in almost a year, finally got some pay on Wednesday from the new Palestinian unity government based in the West Bank.
Bangladesh war crimes panel sentences Islamist leader to death, prompts protests
DHAKA (Reuters) – Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal sentenced the chief of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party to death on Wednesday for crimes against humanity, including genocide, torture and rape, during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.
In blow to PM Cameron, lawmakers criticize UK’s immigration ‘mess’
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s border and immigration system is a “mess”, lawmakers said on Wednesday in a report which will increase pressure on Prime Minister David Cameron’s government to take a tougher line on migrants ahead of next year’s national e…
Singapore upholds law that criminalizes gay sex
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore’s highest court ruled on Wednesday that a law that criminalizes sex between men is in line with the city-state’s constitution, rejecting two separate appeals by three men that the measure infringed their human rights.
Israel ‘assumes’ Hezbollah has tunneled across Lebanon border
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel believes the militant group Hezbollah has probably dug tunnels across the border from Lebanon in preparation for any future war although it has no conclusive evidence, an Israeli army general said on Wednesday.
China says anti-graft accord to be signed at APEC summit
BEIJING (Reuters) – Next month Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing will agree to a deal to fight corruption, China’s foreign minister said on Wednesday, appealing for more international cooperation.
China says Afghan president vows to help China fight militants
BEIJING (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani has pledged to help China fight Islamist militants, a senior Chinese official said on Tuesday, after Ghani met President Xi Jinping in Beijing on his first visit abroad since his September inaugu…
EU’s Oettinger: 50 percent chance of Russia-Ukraine gas breakthrough
BERLIN (Reuters) – There is a 50:50 chance of a breakthrough in Wednesday’s round of gas supply talks between Russia and Ukraine, the European Union’s outgoing energy commissioner said.
Thai PM says new DNA tests can be done in British murder probe
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Wednesday challenged critics of a police investigation into the murder of two British tourists saying new DNA tests can be done as concern grows that two men arrested over the killings might …
Lawmaker stripped of China post after calling for Hong Kong leader to step down
HONG KONG (Reuters) – The leader of Hong Kong’s Liberal Party said he would resign on Wednesday, just hours after China’s top parliamentary advisory body expelled him for calling on the city’s embattled chief executive to step down.
