Afghan turmoil threatens NATO’s ‘mission accomplished’ plans
BRUSSELS/KABUL (Reuters) – NATO will declare “mission accomplished” this week as it winds down more than a decade of operations in Afghanistan but departing combat troops look likely to leave behind political turmoil and an emboldened insurgency.
South Korean military to press homicide charges over latest death
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s military said on Tuesday it will upgrade charges against four soldiers to homicide for the abuse of a fellow conscript that lead to his death in a case that shocked the country over violence in the military.
Market-style reforms widen racial divide in Cuba
HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba’s experiment with free-market reforms has unintentionally widened the communist-led island’s racial divide and allowed white Cubans to regain some of the economic advantages built up over centuries.
Hong Kong pro-democracy group says support fizzles: Bloomberg
HONG KONG (Reuters) – A Hong Kong pro-democracy movement that has threatened to blockade the financial district to protest against Beijing ruling out full democracy for the city said support for the group has dwindled, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
Malaysian law professor charged in crackdown on dissent
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian prosecutors charged a high-profile law professor with sedition on Tuesday for an opinion he voiced on a political crisis that occurred five years ago, extending a recent crackdown on dissent from opposition politician…
Philippines Congress dismisses impeachment motions against Aquino
MANILA (Reuters) – Lawmakers allied with Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Tuesday threw out three impeachment motions in the House of Representatives, the first political challenge to the popular leader in four years.
Australia’s Senate votes to repeal mining tax in win for Abbott
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s upper house Senate voted on Tuesday to scrap a tax on mining industry super profits, a major victory for conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott that has fueled accusations that he is in the pocket of global mining giants…
British rights activist faces libel trial in Thailand
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A British rights activist went on trial in Bangkok on Tuesday accused of defaming a leading Thai fruit company in the first of a series of criminal and civil lawsuits filed against him by the firm.
Poland’s Tusk may step down as early as September: spokeswoman
WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland’s Donald Tusk may resign as prime minister as early as September to take up the job of European Council president, a government spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
Ebola threatens food security in West Africa: FAO
ROME (Reuters) – The world’s worst Ebola epidemic has put harvests at risk and sent food prices soaring in West Africa, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Tuesday, warning the problem would intensify in coming months.
