Japan ‘strongly protests’ Russia maneuvers on disputed isles
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan “strongly protested” on Wednesday exercises by the Russian military on Pacific islands that it also claims and which have been at the root of strained relations between the two countries since the end of World War Two.
Ecuador earthquake death toll rises to four
QUITO (Reuters) – Ecuadorean authorities said on Wednesday that four people have died since a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck near the capital the day before, up from an initial count of two, as dozens of aftershocks rattled the city.
Consignment of experimental Ebola drug arrives in Liberia
MONROVIA (Reuters) – A consignment of experimental Ebola drugs arrived by plane in Liberia on Wednesday to treat two doctors suffering from the virus, which has killed more than 1,000 people across four West African countries.
Colombia questions Venezuela’s border closure to stem smuggling
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia on Wednesday questioned an effort by Venezuela to reduce smuggling of heavily subsidized fuel and food by shutting their shared border overnight, saying joint military cooperation would be more effective.
Egypt’s Mubarak tells Cairo court his conscience is clear
CAIRO (Reuters) – In rare testimony to a Cairo court, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak denied on Wednesday that he ordered the killing of protesters in a 2011 uprising, saying history would vindicate him.
Siege mentality grips Pakistan ahead of Independence Day protests
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Riot police sealed off Pakistan’s capital with barbed wire and shipping containers on the eve of Independence Day, in a bid to foil mass protests aimed at toppling embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Libya’s parliament calls for U.N. aid to quell militia fighting
BENGHAZI Libya (Reuters) – Libya’s parliament on Wednesday voted to disband the country’s militia brigades and called on the United Nations to protect civilians in an effort to end the worst fighting between armed factions since the 2011 fall of Muamma…
Swiss passenger train derails into ravine, eleven injured
ZURICH (Reuters) – A passenger train derailed into a ravine in a mountainous region of southeastern Switzerland after encountering a mudslide on the tracks, Swiss police said on Wednesday.
Ukraine accuses Russia of cynicism over convoy; death toll rises sharply
KIEV/VORONEZH Russia (Reuters) – Ukraine described Russia’s dispatch of an aid convoy advancing now towards its border as a cynical act designed to fan a pro-Russian rebellion the UN said on Wednesday had claimed nearly 1,000 lives, fighters and civili…
NATO nears agreement on beefing up presence in eastern Europe: Poland
WARSAW (Reuters) – NATO member states are close to reaching consensus over steps to beef up the alliance’s military presence in eastern Europe in response to Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Wednesday …
