Putin tells Russians he is softening unpopular pension reform
President Vladimir Putin told Russians on Wednesday he had decided to dilute unpopular draft legislation to reform the pension system which has hurt his popularity, but said serious demographic challenges meant some kind of reform was necessary.
Russia bans ‘undesirable’ U.S. environmental group as security threat
Russia has banned a U.S. environmental lobby group from operating in the country after labeling it an “undesirable” organization, the 15th foreign group to fall foul of legislation brought in under President Vladimir Putin four years ago.
Israeli court lines up behind unauthorized settlement
An Israeli court has given legal recognition to a Jewish settlement built without Israeli government authorization on privately owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, breaking new judicial ground.
Despair for Australian farmers as drought kills livestock
In better times, the dam on farmer Kevin Tongue’s property is three meters (yards) deep with water. It’s now been empty for three months.
Pressure builds on Iran’s Rouhani as parliament targets two more ministers
Iranian lawmakers launched impeachment proceedings against the education minister on Wednesday, ramping up pressure on the president who is under unprecedented attack from parliament over his handling of the economy in the face of new U.S. sanctions.
Quake off New Caledonia triggers small tsunami waves, no damage reported
A powerful undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 struck on Wednesday near New Caledonia in the South Pacific, creating small tsunami waves, but there were no reports of damage, regional officials said.
To counter China, West plans bigger footprint in Pacific: sources
The United States, Australia, France and Britain will open new embassies in the Pacific, boost staffing levels, and engage with leaders of island nations more often in a bid to counter China’s rising influence in the region, sources have told Reuters.
Myanmar dam breach floods communities in central region, blocks highway
More than 5,000 people have evacuated their homes after water from a breached dam flooded communities in central Myanmar on Wednesday and blocked part of a highway linking the main cities of Yangon, Mandalay and the capital Naypyitaw, officials said.
Eight killed in car-bomb attack at Iraqi checkpoint
At least eight people were killed and 12 wounded in a suicide car-bomb attack on a security checkpoint in western Iraq, the local mayor said on Wednesday.
U.N. accuses Nicaraguan government of widespread human rights violations
Nicaragua’s government committed human rights violations and turned a blind eye while armed mobs rounded up protesters, some of whom were later raped with rifles and tortured in detention, the U.N. human rights office said in a report on Wednesday.
