Iraq finance minister urges battle against graft in military
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq’s finance minister called for deep-rooted reforms to stamp out corruption in a military that collapsed in the face of an Islamic State advance, as he prepares to spend nearly a quarter of the 2015 budget on defense.
Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party set to dominate Friday poll
WINDHOEK (Reuters) – Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party was expected to extend its near quarter-century in power in elections on Friday as voters and investors looked for a steady hand to guide the uranium and diamond-producer through a global commodities sl…
Nine injured in south China knife attack
BEIJING (Reuters) – Nine people were rushed to the hospital after a man stabbed them at a grocery store in south China on Thursday, state media reported, the latest in a series of knifings that has unnerved the country.
EU expects stable gas supply even as Russian shipments yet to start
ASTANA (Reuters) – The European Union expects stable gas supplies this winter under a deal by Russia and Ukraine, a senior EU energy official said, even while Moscow has yet to resume shipments and Kiev has yet to pay in advance as agreed.
Thai court sentences five to death in war-torn south
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A Thai court sentenced to death five suspected Muslim separatists convicted of killing four soldiers, prompting Human Rights Watch to accuse the government of applying “double standards” in the turbulent south.
Greece paralyzed by major strike, flights canceled
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek labor unions staged a 24-hour strike on Thursday that canceled hundreds of flights, shut public offices and severely disrupted local transport, in the first major industrial action to cripple the austerity-weary country in mont…
Yemen rescuers sought U.S., British hostages in raid
SANAA (Reuters) – An American, a Briton and a South African were among several hostages Yemeni forces sought to free from al Qaeda this week, the defense ministry said on its website, describing a raid that a U.S. defense official said also involved U….
Suicide bomber hits foreign convoy in Afghan capital, casualties unclear
KABUL (Reuters) – A suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacked a convoy of foreign troops in the east of the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Thursday, police and a government official said, but there was no immediate indication of the extent of any casualties.
West struggles with Russia’s ‘ambiguous warfare’ tactics
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – When Russians crossed the border to fight with rebels in eastern Ukraine earlier this year, Moscow said the soldiers had not been deployed but had gone on their own vacation time.
Malaysia to retain and prop up Sedition Act, says PM
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday bolstered a law protecting the sanctity of Islam and the country’s traditional rulers, the sultans, in an about-turn to scrap a law banning criticism of the government.
