Thousands protest against tough new official secrets law in Japan
TOKYO (Reuters) – Thousands of people protested in Tokyo on Thursday against a proposed secrets act that critics say would stifle information on issues such as the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Man with fake bomb tries to breach Turkish PM’s office
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish police fired into the air and detained a man carrying a device designed to look like a bomb after he tried to breach a security cordon near Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s offices on Thursday.
China bans use of public funds to buy New Year party items
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s ruling Communist Party has banned officials from using public funds to buy new year celebration items ranging from alcohol to fireworks, in Beijing’s latest step in a crackdown on waste and graft.
Three Russians jailed in Greenpeace protest freed on bail
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) – Three of the 30 people arrested during a Greenpeace protest walked free on bail on Thursday, defiant that the action against Arctic oil drilling was justified and that the response by the authorities was not.
Philippines struggles to keep typhoon aid, donations graft-free
MANILA (Reuters) – As millions of dollars pour in for more than four million left homeless by a typhoon in the central Philippines, authorities are grappling with a familiar problem – how to stop fraudulent claims and prevent greedy politicians taking …
Guinea gold mine explosion kills up to 25: sources
CONAKRY (Reuters) – A gas explosion has killed as many as 25 people in a gold mine in eastern Guinea, a resident and a police source said on Thursday.
Turkish police detain man trying to breach security at PM’s office
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish police fired in the air and detained a man who tried to breach a security cordon near Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s offices on Thursday, an official in the premier’s office said.
Nepal election in shambles as Maoists claim fraud, reject result
KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Nepal’s powerful Maoist leader and former guerrilla chief Prachanda said on Thursday he did not accept the results of an election his party appeared to be losing, throwing the Himalayan nation into a fresh political crisis.
Mortar fire hits Saudi desert near Iraq, Kuwait borders
RIYADH (Reuters) – Six mortar bombs landed near a remote Saudi border post close to neighboring fellow oil producers Iraq and Kuwait, but caused no damage, Saudi Arabia said on Thursday, a day after the incident.
French police arrest Paris shooting suspect
PARIS (Reuters) – French police have arrested a man they suspect shot a newspaper employee and fired at a bank this week, saying he had been jailed in the 1990s for his role in another Paris shootout that killed three policemen.
