American jailed in North Korea asks U.S. for help: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Korean-American sentenced to 15 years hard labor in North Korea is asking U.S. officials to help secure his release from prison and is seeking forgiveness from North Korean officials, according to a media report on Wednesday.
St Petersburg blast blows off man’s hand: Russian media
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A package exploded in a man’s hand outside a McDonald’s restaurant on the main boulevard in the Russian city of St Petersburg on Wednesday, injuring him but causing no other casualties, Russian media reported.
India to question U.S. over ‘serious allegations’ of embassy spying
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India will raise with Washington what it called serious allegations that the United States “intrusively monitored” the Indian embassy there, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Belgian king to address nation amid abdication speculation
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgium’s King Albert II will give a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, the royal palace said, amid frenzied speculation in the local media that the 79-year-old monarch will step down.
With eye on elections, India launches giant cheap food program
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The Indian government launched a $22 billion welfare program on Wednesday to give cheap food to hundreds of millions of people, a center-piece of the ruling Congress party’s plan to win a third term in office in elections due by M…
Egyptian army secures state TV studios: sources
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian troops with armored vehicles have secured the central Cairo studios of state television on Wednesday, security sources said.
South American leaders to meet on Bolivian plane diversion
GENEVA (Reuters) – Latin American presidents plan an emergency meeting on Wednesday over the diversion to Austria of a plane carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales, the Bolivian ambassador to the United Nations said.
Muslim Brotherhood party refuses to meet Egypt army chief
CAIRO (Reuters) – The political wing of Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood refused an invitation to meet the armed forces commander on Wednesday, hours before an army deadline for Islamist President Mohamed Mursi to yield to mass protests or quit, milit…
Migrant boat intercepted off Lampedusa ahead of pope’s visit
ROME (Reuters) – The Italian navy intercepted an overcrowded boat off Lampedusa on Wednesday ahead of a visit by Pope Francis to the tiny Sicilian island hard bearing the brunt of a migrant wave that has hit southern Europe in recent years.
Ecuador says it found a hidden microphone at its London embassy
LONDON (Reuters) – Ecuador has found a hidden microphone inside its London embassy, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is living, and will disclose on Wednesday who controls the device, its foreign minister said.
