Polish PM says threat of Russia’s intervention in Ukraine has risen
WARSAW (Reuters) – Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday the threat of a direct intervention by Russia’s military in Ukraine has risen over the last couple of days.
Philippine peace deal in jeopardy as Muslim rebels cry foul
MANILA (Reuters) – An historic peace settlement in the southern Philippines is at risk of breaking down as Muslim rebels accuse the government of going back on its word over a proposed law to create self-rule for the war-torn region.
Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej to return to hospital
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej will return to a Bangkok hospital for the first time since leaving it a year ago, the palace said in an announcement on Wednesday.
Drone strike kills five militants in northwest Pakistan
MIRANSHAH Pakistan (Reuters) – A U.S. drone strike killed five militants in Pakistan’s volatile northwest on Wednesday, security officials and residents said, as the country’s security forces press ahead with an offensive in a Taliban stronghold near t…
Sri Lanka groups say government wary of U.N. war crimes probe
COLOMBO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Authorities in Sri Lanka are clamping down on the activities of civil society groups, who accuse the government of trying to discourage survivors of the country’s civil war from giving evidence to a U.N. war crime…
Ukraine keeps up anti-rebel offensive with nervous eye on Russia
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian government forces, backed by warplanes, kept up a military offensive to claw back lost territory from pro-Russian separatists on Tuesday while casting a nervous eye at Russian military exercises over the border.
Lebanon ceasefire falters; Saudi offers $1 billion to army
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Lebanese army and Islamist militants clashed on Wednesday despite a 24-hour ceasefire agreed to end five days of fighting that has killed dozens of people in the most serious spillover of Syria’s three-year civil war into Lebanon…
China bans beards, veils from Xinjiang city’s buses in security bid
BEIJING (Reuters) – A city in China’s restive western region of Xinjiang has banned people with head scarves, veils and long beards from boarding buses, as the government battles unrest with a policy that critics said discriminates against Muslims.
Pakistan braces for wave of protests, army secures capital
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan’s civilian government is bracing for a wave of protests this month, days after the military took responsibility for securing the capital amid the threat of militant attacks and the specter of a political showdown.
Spying case heightens China-Canada tensions, reflects split in Ottawa
OTTAWA (Reuters) – China’s decision to investigate two Canadians for suspected spying highlights a sharp and unexpected deterioration in bilateral ties just months ahead of a trip by Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Beijing.
