Australian PM says won’t bow to ‘moral blackmail’ over asylum seekers
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Wednesday vowed not to bow to “moral blackmail” following reports of suicide bids by female asylum seekers at a detention center on Christmas Island.
Afghan war inflicting devastating toll on civilians: U.N.
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s war is inflicting an increasingly devastating toll on the civilian population, with the number of casualties rising by almost a quarter in the first half of this year, the United Nations said in a report on Wednesday.
Rape and murder of 13-year-old spark debate in junta-ruled Thailand
BANGKOK (Reuters) – The rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl on an overnight train in Thailand have prompted a nationwide call for stricter enforcement of rape laws and a weekend rally that will defy military restrictions on public gatherings.
Outside forces help stoke anti-Roma tension in Polish town
ANDRYCHOW Poland (Reuters) – The Roma have never got on particularly well with their neighbors in this Polish town, but they cannot remember things being as bad as they are now.
China, U.S. say committed to managing differences
BEIJING (Reuters) – China and the United States need to manage their differences, the leaders of both countries said on Wednesday at the start of annual talks expected to focus on cyber-security, maritime disputes, the Chinese currency and an investmen…
Obama says U.S. committed to cooperating with China
BEIJING (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama said the United States is committed to building a “new model” of relations with China that is defined by cooperation and the constructive management of differences.
Iraq tells U.N. ‘terrorist groups’ seized former chemical weapons depot
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Iraq’s government has lost control of a former chemical weapons facility to “armed terrorist groups” and is unable to fulfill its international obligations to destroy toxins kept there, the country’s U.N. envoy told the Unite…
Islamic State appeals to only four percent of Syrians: poll
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Only four percent of Syrians believe Islamic State insurgents, who have captured large swathes of Syria and Iraq, represent their interests, according to research conducted by a British polling group published on Wednesday.
U.S. warns Afghans not to form ‘parallel government’
KABUL (Reuters) – The United States warned on Tuesday that it would withdraw financial and security support from Afghanistan if anyone tried to take power illegally, as supporters of presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah rallied in Kabul for a paral…
Hamas rockets land deep in Israel as it bombards Gaza Strip
GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – At least 23 people were killed across Gaza, Palestinian officials said on Wednesday, by a bombardment Israel said may be just the start of a lengthy offensive against Islamist militants whose rockets struck deeper than ever b…
