World briefs

THAILAND’s former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has stoutly defended her government’s money-losing rice subsidy program, seeking to stave off a legislative vote that could ban her from politics for five years. The 220-member legislature, installed by the military after a coup last May, will vote today on whether to impeach Yingluck. Impeachment requires a three-fifth vote of the members, almost all of whom are part of the military or political opponents of Yingluck.

NEPAL steps up security in the capital and put police on alert, anticipating trouble both inside parliament and on the streets because of planned protests by the opposition against governing coalition plans to push through a draft of a new constitution.

INDONESIAN divers retrieved yesterday six more bodies from waters around the sunken fuselage of the AirAsia jetliner that crashed last month. Divers were struggling against strong current and poor visibility to lift the fuselage and what appears to be the plane’s cockpit from the seabed at a depth of 30 meters (100 feet). So far, 59 bodies have been recovered from AirAsia Flight 8501.
MYANMAR The United Nations’ human rights chief urged Myanmar’s leaders to condemn an ultranationalist Buddhist monk who called a visiting U.N. envoy a “bitch” and a “whore” during a public rally last week. More on p12

MALAYSIA Despite no firm clue to the whereabouts of a Malaysian airliner being discovered since it disappeared 10 months ago far off the Australian coast, authorities yesterday invited expressions of interest from salvage operators in case the wreck is found. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is coordinating the search, said that expressions of interest were being sought to prepare for recovery operations in the event Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is located.

YEMEN Heavily armed Shiite rebels remained stationed outside the Yemeni president’s house and a presidential palace yesterday, raising doubts about a deal meant to end the violent standoff that has plunged the country into crisis.

UKRAINE  A mortar shell hit a bus yesterday in the Ukrainian rebel stronghold of Donetsk, killing at least 13 people, the city’s leader said. It was not immediately clear which side was responsible for the attack, but angry residents punched and kicked a captured soldier dragged to the scene by the rebels. The mortar killed passengers instantly and blew out the windows of a nearby building. Separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko blamed Ukrainian government troops for the attack, calling it a provocation.

SRI LANKA Things are not looking good for the Rajapaksas. In just two weeks since a shocking election defeat, Sri Lanka’s once all-powerful ruling family has seen most of their followers desert them, they have lost control of the party and now face the prospect of corruption and other criminal charges.