West increasingly wary of Assad ouster by Islamists: Russia
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Western diplomats are increasingly saying that President Bashar al-Assad keeping power is a better option for Syria than his overthrow by Islamist militants, Russia’s foreign minister was quoted as saying on Friday.
Uganda passes law meaning life in prison for some homosexual acts
KAMPALA (Reuters) – Uganda’s parliament passed a law on Friday that makes some homosexual acts punishable by life in prison, a move that raised alarm among gays who are already afraid to express their sexuality openly.
Turkish PM purges police, facing biggest threat of his rule
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan pressed a widening purge of the police command on Friday, tackling the biggest challenge of his rule from what he describes as a foreign-backed conspiracy to undermine him and create a “state within a …
In bleak Arab hinterland, hints of Jerusalem’s partition
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Palestinian Sana Musa holds her 8-year old daughter Susann’s hand as they start the long trek home from school across a caged walkway through Israel’s concrete separation wall.
Spanish police raid ruling party HQ in graft probe
MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish police searched the headquarters of the ruling People’s Party (PP) for 14 hours on Thursday and Friday as part of a corruption investigation that earlier this year threatened to destabilize the government of Prime Minister Ma…
India government presses Supreme Court to drop gay sex ban
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s government petitioned the Supreme Court on Friday urging it to reverse a ban on gay sex, saying individual rights must be respected.
China probes top official in powerful ministry
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s vice minister of public security is under investigation for “suspected serious law and discipline violations”, the Communist Party’s anti-graft watchdog said on Friday.
Militia attack Muslims in Central African Republic’s capital
BANGUI (Reuters) – Heavy arms fire and gunshots rang out across the capital of the Central African Republic on Friday as Christian militia forces attacked Muslim neighbourhoods, sending residents fleeing.
Russian regulator to ground regional airline following deadly crash
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s airline regulator said on Friday it is grounding regional carrier Tatarstan Airlines after an investigation into a crash that killed 50 people last month revealed some of its pilots and personnel were overworked and inadequa…
Almost 90 hurt as ceiling collapses at London theater
LONDON (Reuters) – Emergency services said nearly 90 people were injured on Thursday when part of the ceiling collapsed during a performance at a packed London theater, bringing the city’s West End entertainment district to a standstill.
