After years of pressure, Japan bans possession of child porn
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s parliament voted on Wednesday to outlaw possession of child pornography after years of international calls for a crackdown, but avoided a clampdown on sexually explicit manga comics and animation depicting young children.
‘Accidental blast’ kills 17 Chinese soldiers storing ammunition
BEIJING (Reuters) – An explosion killed 17 soldiers storing ammunition in a military warehouse in central China, state media reported on Wednesday.
Security beefed up at World Cup venue where guards fail to show
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Some private security guards failed to show up at the World Cup stadium where hosts Brazil played Mexico on Tuesday, forcing Brazilian authorities to bring in reinforcements to secure the crowded venue.
Police disperse protesters outside Brazil World Cup match
FORTALEZA Brazil (Reuters) – Brazilian police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse a small group of anti-World Cup protesters blocking a road to the stadium where Brazil played against Mexico on Tuesday.
Explosion hits World Cup viewing area in northeast Nigeria
DAMATURU Nigeria (Reuters) – An explosion tore through a venue in the northeast Nigerian town of Damaturu where fans had gathered to watch a World Cup soccer match on Tuesday, a police official said, declining to give further details.
Russia says Syria agrees to aid access from Iraq, Turkey, Jordan
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Russia said on Tuesday it has gained Syrian approval to open four border crossings from Iraq, Jordan and Turkey to deliver aid to millions of people under a “far-reaching formula” proposed to U.N. Security Council members.
Thailand’s war-weary southerners fear coup will erode new freedoms
PATTANI Thailand (Reuters) – They talked about corruption and politics, about healthcare and women’s rights, about the anxiety of bringing up children in a corner of Thailand where war has killed 6,000 people in the last decade.
Maliki stands with Sunni leaders, appealing for Iraqi unity
BAGHDAD(Reuters) – Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki broadcast a joint appeal for national unity on Tuesday with bitter Sunni critics of his Shi’ite-led government – a move that may help him win U.S. help against rampant Islamists threatening Baghdad…
Pakistan army in for long haul in offensive against Taliban
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – After months of dithering, Pakistan’s army has launched an offensive against Taliban insurgents near the border with Afghanistan but the tough terrain, a potentially hostile local population, and risk of revenge attacks in heartla…
Liberia convicts 13 for killing peacekeepers in Ivorian raids
MONROVIA (Reuters) – A Liberian court on Tuesday sentenced 13 people to life imprisonment for cross-border raids into Ivory Coast that killed seven U.N. peacekeepers in a controversial case.
