New Pakistan anti-terror law raises fears over civil rights
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan’s parliament passed a law on Wednesday giving security forces sweeping powers to clamp down on militancy, but some activists and legislators criticized the provisions as too harsh.
Suicide bomber kills eight, wounds 13 in Afghan capital: police
KABUL (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed eight people and wounded 13 on Wednesday in an attack on a bus carrying military personnel in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said.
Boko Haram carnage making Nigeria break-up less likely: Soyinka
ABEOKUTA Nigeria (Reuters) – Nigeria is suffering greater carnage at the hands of Islamist group Boko Haram than it did during a secessionist civil war, yet this has ironically made the country’s break-up less likely, Nigerian Nobel Literature Laureate…
Lebanese MPs fail to elect president for eighth time
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese lawmakers failed to elect a president on Wednesday, for the eighth time, to succeed Michel Suleiman whose term ended in May, prolonging a political vacuum as the country struggles with violence, economic decline and an influ…
Sunnis, Kurds shun Iraq parliament
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Sunnis and Kurds walked out of the first session of Iraq’s new parliament on Tuesday after Shi’ites failed to name a prime minister to replace Nuri al-Maliki, dimming any prospect of an early national unity government to save Iraq f…
Myanmar police fire rubber bullets to end sectarian trouble in Mandalay
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar police fired rubber bullets on Wednesday to disperse crowds of Buddhists and Muslims facing off in the second-largest city of Mandalay, police said, in the latest outbreak of trouble in two years of sectarian unrest.
Hong Kong protesters lifted kicking and screaming from downtown rally
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hundreds of Hong Kong police forcibly removed kicking and screaming protesters from the Central business district on Wednesday, holdouts of a mass rally demanding greater democracy from Communist Party rulers in Beijing.
Malaysia to send diplomat back to New Zealand to face charges
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia will send a diplomat facing sexual assault charges back to New Zealand, where the alleged incident occurred in May, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday, a day after it said he would face an investigation at home.
Afghan election results delayed amid fraud accusations
KABUL (Reuters) – Preliminary results from Afghanistan’s presidential election, due to be announced on Wednesday, have been delayed, an election official said, amid accusations of fraud that threaten to split the fragile country along ethnic lines.
India building collapse death toll rises to 47
CHENNAI India (Reuters) – The death toll in a collapsed building in the south Indian city of Chennai has risen to 47, the latest disaster to highlight poor safety standards in India’s booming construction industry.
