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.
Swedish opposition lead narrows in poll ahead of September election
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s centre-left opposition parties’ lead over the governing coalition narrowed two weeks ahead of a national election, an opinion poll showed late on Monday.
Australia to step up formal partnership with NATO at summit
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia is set to step up its partnership with NATO, its foreign minister said on Tuesday, as the country pursues a bigger role in global crises from Iraq and Syria to Ukraine.
Hong Kong police arrest 19 in pro-democracy scuffles
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong police said on Tuesday they arrested 19 people during scuffles with pro-democracy activists prompted by China’s decision not to allow the Asian financial hub to choose its next leader.
Fiji says Syrian rebels want compensation, removal from terror list
EIN ZIVAN Golan Heights/SYDNEY (Reuters) – Islamist fighters who seized dozens of Fijian soldiers serving as U.N. peacekeepers on the Golan Heights last week are demanding that their group be removed from a global terrorism list and that compensation b…
Rights group slams Thai detention of child migrants and refugees
BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – An 8-year-old Sri Lankan refugee girl spent two years crammed in a cigarette smoke-filled cell with many adults, developing a rash all over her body.
China replaces Communist Party leader in coal-rich province amid ‘corruption problem’
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China has replaced the Communist Party leader of the coal-rich northern province of Shanxi amid what a top leader said was a grim corruption problem and a troubled political scene, state media reported.
