Separatists in east Ukraine call on Putin for help, Kiev warns of force
LUHANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) – Pro-Russian separatists reinforced barricades around the state security building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk on Wednesday and called on President Vladimir Putin for help after the government warned it could use…
Move to oust Thai PM more than just a walk in the park for protesters
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Two months ago, Piyavadee Boonmak was living comfortably at home. But she quit her job as a civil servant and now works as a volunteer cleaning toilets at Lumpini Park, the new focal point of anti-government protests in the Thai cap…
Two French soldiers wounded in Central African Republic before U.N. vote
BANGUI (Reuters) – Two French soldiers were wounded in the Central African Republic capital, an army spokesman said on Wednesday, a day before the United Nations Security Council was due to vote on a new peacekeeping force.
Netanyahu orders cutback in contacts with Palestinian Authority
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel announced on Wednesday a partial freeze in high-level contacts with the Palestinians and also threatened economic steps after they signed international conventions, deepening a crisis menacing U.S.-brokered peace talks.
Election board rejects Turkish opposition call for Ankara re-run
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s opposition failed on Thursday to have the results of a local election in Ankara canceled in an attempt to salvage some victory from nationwide polls that proved a triumph for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.
Venezuela reaches out to Vatican No. 2 to mediate crisis
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s government formally invited Vatican No. 2 Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Wednesday to mediate talks with the opposition in hopes of stemming violence that has killed dozens in the nation’s worst unrest in a decade.
Kuwait hopes for remedy to Gulf row over Qatar soon
KUWAIT (Reuters) – Kuwait expects to see “positive steps” taken in a dispute between Qatar and three other Gulf Arab states as soon as this week that may include a decision to send those countries’ ambassadors back to Doha, a Kuwaiti official said on W…
Frontrunner in Afghan vote rules out coalition government
KABUL (Reuters) – A frontrunner to succeed Hamid Karzai as Afghanistan’s president voiced the possibility of teaming up with a rival on Wednesday but ruled out forming a coalition government in order to avoid a second-round runoff.
Pistorius forced to look at ‘exploded’ head of girlfriend
PRETORIA (Reuters) – A South African prosecutor forced Oscar Pistorius on Wednesday to look at a forensic photograph that showed the head of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp after it was blown open by a hollow-point bullet fired by the Olympic and Paraly…
Twin car bombs in Syria’s Homs kill at least 21 people
BEIRUT (Reuters) – At least 21 people including women and children were killed by twin car bombs in the central Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday, a monitoring group and state media said.
