British PM Cameron’s bid to guarantee EU referendum fails
LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron’s hopes of enshrining into law his promise of a referendum on European Union membership have collapsed after lawmakers said late on Tuesday that his Liberal Democrat coalition partners had blocked…
China could ‘punish’ Hong Kong over protests, says ex-HK central bank chief
HONG KONG (Reuters) – A member of China’s central bank’s advisory body warned on Wednesday that Beijing will punish Hong Kong if pro-democracy protests that have paralyzed parts of the Chinese-controlled financial center for a month are allowed to cont…
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.
