Ukrainian president Yanukovich pours scorn on jailed political rival
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich poured scorn on his jailed rival, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, on Wednesday, saying the question of her imprisonment should not hinder Kiev’s integration with the European Union.
Taliban kill six literacy workers in Afghanistan: officials
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Taliban militants gunned down and killed six people in Afghanistan working on a government-backed literacy project in the northern province of Faryab, officials said on Wednesday.
Thailand’s Suthep: dissent crusher turns protest leader
BANGKOK (Reuters) – In 2010, the last time Thailand was gripped by large-scale anti-government protests, Suthep Thaugsuban, then deputy prime minister, was the man wielding the sword.
String of bombings, shootings kill at least 20 across Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – At least 20 people were killed and 35 wounded in bombings and shootings in Iraq on Wednesday, police and medical sources said, the latest in a string of attacks that threaten to tilt the country back into all-out sectarian warfare.
Defying China, U.S. bombers and Japanese planes fly through new air zone
TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two unarmed U.S. B-52 bombers flew over disputed islands on a training mission in the East China Sea without informing Beijing while Japan’s main airlines ignored Chinese authorities when their planes passed through a new a…
Britain’s Cameron curbs welfare benefits for EU migrants
LONDON (Reuters) – Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday promised to make it harder for migrants from the European Union to access Britain’s welfare system and pledged to try to restrict the freedom of movement of people from poorer EU states in ti…
Insight: After lost decades, hopes rise for Congo dam to power Africa
INGA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – Deep in the bowels of the giant Inga hydroelectric dam that straddles the mighty Congo river stands a fading map named “The motorways of electric power from Inga”.
Syrian refugee women sexually harassed in Lebanon: HRW
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Women refugees who escaped Syria’s conflict to find sanctuary in neighboring Lebanon have been sexually harassed by employers, landlords and an employee of a local aid group, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.
Philippines says China carrier in South China Sea raises tension
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines said on Wednesday the imminent arrival of China’s sole aircraft carrier in the disputed South China Sea for the first time for a training mission would raise tension.
Analysis: Enforcing rules in air zone will stretch China’s air force and navy
HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s military could struggle to cope with the demands for intensified surveillance and interception if it tries to enforce the rules in its new air defense zone over islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Ja…