Anti-government cleric returns to Pakistan, supporters clash with police
LAHORE Pakistan (Reuters) – A prominent cleric returned to Pakistan on Monday to lead what he calls a peaceful revolution against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as his supporters fought pitched battles with police firing tear gas in the capital Islamabad….
Thousands flee tribal region as Pakistan gears up for offensive
PESHAWAR Pakistan (Reuters) – Pakistan’s military on Monday gave residents of North Waziristan until the end of the day to leave the remote mountainous region ahead of a widely anticipated major ground offensive by the army against Islamist militants.
China charges former senior official with graft
BEIJING (Reuters) – China on Monday formally charged a former deputy head of its top planning agency with corruption, paving the way for his trial as the government pursues a high-profile campaign to root out graft.
Planned Yemen ceasefire with Shi’ite rebels falters
SANAA (Reuters) – A planned ceasefire between the Yemeni government and Shi’ite rebels failed to take effect on Monday, hours after both sides published the terms of a truce to end fighting in and around the capital Sanaa.
Japan lawmaker in hot water over sexist remark as government embarks on ‘womenomics’
TOKYO (Reuters) – A lawmaker from Japan’s ruling party apologized on Monday for telling a female member of the Tokyo city assembly to “hurry up and get married”, an incident that embarrassed the government as it makes a major push to increase women in …
Syrian rebel groups sending children into war: HRW
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Militant Islamist groups in Syria are recruiting children as young as 15 and sending them into battle after promising them a free education, a Human Rights Watch report said on Monday.
Chinese official sacked for flood piggyback
BEIJING (Reuters) – An official in eastern China has been sacked after a picture of him being given a piggyback across a flooded path during a search for missing children went viral online, sparking outrage.
Wear white to protest Singapore pink gay rally, religious groups say
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Some Christians have joined Muslims in Singapore urging followers to wear white this weekend in protest at the sixth annual “Pink Dot” gay rights rally, which attracted a record 21,000 people last year.
South Korea protests to Japan envoy over ‘comfort women’ apology review
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea summoned Japan’s envoy on Monday to protest against Tokyo’s review of a landmark 1993 apology to women, many Korean, forced to work as wartime sex slaves in Japanese military brothels, urging it to stop trying to whitewash…
Rogue South Korea soldier shoots himself, ending long stand-off
SEOUL (Reuters) – A stand-off between South Korean troops and a conscript soldier who killed five comrades ended on Monday when the young recruit shot himself in an incident that has raised fresh questions over the country’s rules on compulsory militar…
