Myanmar activists demand law to ban violence against women
YANGON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – One afternoon in September, a 13-year-old student walking home in central Myanmar was accosted by a young man declaring his love for her. She swore at him. Incensed, he killed her, holding her head under water in a…
Potential successors to UK’s Cameron position themselves before close election
BIRMINGHAM England (Reuters) – Eight months before a tight election, the three main contenders to succeed British Prime Minister David Cameron as leader of the Conservatives wooed potential supporters at the party’s annual conference with starkly diffe…
Youth’s arrest in gang rape case shows Kenya tackling ‘epidemic’
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The arrest of a second youth in a high-profile case in which a 16-year-old girl was gang raped and dumped in a pit latrine, breaking her spine, shows Kenya is starting to tackle its “epidemic” of sexual violence, …
Ukraine prosecutor opens criminal case against Russian officials
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian state prosecutors said on Tuesday they had opened a criminal investigation against a Russian law enforcement agency, accusing it of supporting separatist and “terrorist” groups in the east of the country.
Hardline Buddhists in Myanmar, Sri Lanka strike anti-Islamist pact
COLOMBO (Reuters) – A Myanmar monk accused of inciting violence against Muslims and a hardline Buddhist group in Sri Lanka said on Tuesday they would work together to rally other Buddhist groups and defend their faith against militant Islamists.
Iranian man executed for heresy: rights group
DUBAI (Reuters) – A former psychologist has been executed for heresy in Iran after eight years in detention, human rights groups said, in the latest example of what activists say is a worrying rise in the use of death penalty by the Islamic Republic.
Sri Lanka police stop online media workshop: rights groups
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka media rights groups said on Tuesday police had stopped an online journalists’ association from holding a workshop on ethics and digital security at the weekend, the fourth disruption of media gatherings since May.
Bulgaria needs urgent reforms after Sunday election: interim PM
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria needs a strong government after Sunday’s parliamentary election that will pursue radical reforms aimed at dragging the country out of its “post-communist swamp”, its caretaker prime minister said on Tuesday.
U.S. signs pact to keep troops in Afghanistan past 2014
KABUL (Reuters) – Officials from Afghanistan and the United States on Tuesday signed a long-delayed security agreement to allow American troops to stay in the country after the end of the year, filling a campaign promise by new President Ashraf Ghani.
Egypt’s Sisi delivers economic reforms but hurdles remain
CAIRO (Reuters) – In his first 100 days in office, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has made a fast start on economic reform: slashing costly fuel subsidies, raising taxes and devising infrastructure projects to secure long-term revenues and eas…
